PMO Staff vs PMO Leaders: Realism or Pessimism?

June 29, 2023 | by Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin

An interesting divide showed up between PMO leaders and PMO staff members in our most recent research, Project Management Skills for Value Delivery. Across the board, whether they are rating their organization's level of skills, scoring its project success, or ranking skills by importance, PMO staff members are less cheerful about the state of things than their bosses are.

What's going on here?

In our previous skills study, carried out in 2015, a similar gap showed up in the rating of the skills of leaders and staff, particularly in the areas of trustworthiness and communication. Leaders upscored themselves and took a dim view of their reports. The opposite was true for the staff members. This perception gap can be very damaging to team morale, and when a perceived lack of trustworthiness on the part of leadership causes project team members to withhold vital project information, it can be devastating. The Challenger debacle is the classic case study in this area.

Once again, in this year's research, trustworthiness scores very high in importance ... and once again, staff members seem to lack the confidence shown by leaders in their organizations. Whether this is a case of over-optimistic leaders or over-pessimistic staff is probably only solvable by looking at each organization in detail. Stay tuned for future exploration of this question as we interview survey participants to discover where common ground can be found. Value delivery can't be optimal in organizations where there's a communication or trust chasm between project teams and execs, after all.

For more, see our Research Brief: Performance Perceptions.

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FAQs

What did the PM Skills for Value Delivery research reveal?

It uncovered a perception gap: PMO staff rate skills and project success lower than their leaders do, indicating misalignment or mistrust.

Why does this perception gap between leaders and staff matter?

It can hurt morale and hinder value delivery, especially if staff withhold vital project info due to low trust in leadership.

Is this trust gap a new finding?

No, a similar divide was found in the 2015 skills study, particularly around communication and trustworthiness ratings.

Who rated trustworthiness as a top skill?

Both leaders and staff agree that trustworthiness is essential, but staff lack confidence in how well it’s practiced by leadership.

What’s next to address this gap?

Future interviews with survey participants aim to uncover how organizations can bridge the trust and perception divide.

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