Myth Busting

I thought I'd start off by dispelling a few PSO myths...

There is no such thing as a perfect PSO!
Every PSO is unique, having been established by and for a specific business need...whether that is by a single project for a few months or an entire change programme with long-term goals and a benefits case that stretches out for years. Advocates of the recognised project management methodologies all have their own ideals and none of them are any better or worse than any other…they are just different.

It doesn’t matter what you call it….it’s still administration!
Programme Support Office, Project Office Support, Programme Administration - no matter what fancy name you give it the processes and tools you need to use will generally be the same. There is absolutely NO shame in calling it admin. Look up administration in the dictionary: management, direction, running, government, supervision, organisation.
....and if no-one administered the processes and policies that govern project and programme management there would be no consistency and control.

Anyone can work in a PSO….False!
Project and programme support is a professional role and requires a specific set of skills and aptitudes which are NOT found in just any job. Communication and document writing, problem solving, ability to deal with pressure and deliver to tight deadlines, attention to detail, leadership, governance and policing, risk and change management, financial aptitude, planning and schedule management, business analysis, competency with IT solutions…and the list goes on. This is not your everyday skill set.

There is no substitute for common sense!
Now the funny thing about common sense is that it isn’t very common at all. Yet it is still the PSO’s best ally in the mire of methods, approaches and tools that we could use. If something doesn’t make sense…use something that does!

Next post:
What's your problem? - Common issues faced by the PSO