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Why Slowing Down is the Key to PMO Success
If you’ve ever been told to just “run harder” when projects are piling up, congratulations - you’ve experienced one of the most damaging myths in project management. It’s the idea that more work = more productivity. But as any seasoned PMO leader knows, running faster doesn’t help when you’re running in the wrong direction.
Watch this session of 'Project Management Mythbusters", where Al Zeitoun and I tackle the issue head on...
The Overload Trap
We see it all the time. A PMO leader told me just yesterday how overloaded their team was - projects piling up, executives pushing for “faster, faster” delivery, and then… complaints about low quality and having to rework projects that have gone wrong.
Let’s do the math: Is it really faster if you have to do it twice?
This isn't a new problem. In fact, 40% of project failures happen before the project even starts because they were doomed by bad decisions at the portfolio level. (Yes, before the first kick-off meeting!) If you don’t get prioritization right up front, you’re setting up your teams to fail.
📌 Read more: Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) Unpacked
The Real Secret to Speed: Slowing Down
The best PMOs—the ones that truly move the needle - are the ones that push back, ask tough questions, and control the chaos before it starts.
Project prioritization isn’t just a nice-to-have - it’s essential. When teams are stretched too thin, it’s rarely a resource problem. It’s a prioritization problem. Trying to do everything means you’ll end up finishing nothing.
📌 Want a better approach? Project Prioritization: The Ultimate Guide
Saying No Without Getting Fired
Executives love big ideas - but big ideas without prioritization are just a list of wishes. This is where data becomes your best friend.
In our recent webinar, we ran a live portfolio optimization demo where we forced in some “must-do” executive pet projects. The result? A $200M loss from derailing higher-value work. Suddenly, “just adding one more thing” didn’t seem so smart.
The best way to educate executives isn’t to argue - it’s to show them the data and make them own the trade-offs.
📌 Struggling with "Too Many Projects" syndrome? Read our Ultimate Guide to Learn More
Culture Eats Tools for Breakfast
Yes, technology can help. AI, PPM software, and better dashboards can bring order to chaos - but they won’t fix bad habits. If your culture still rewards overcommitment, no tool in the world will save you.
Successful PMOs align leadership, set realistic expectations, and prioritize ruthlessly. Because at the end of the day, PMOs aren’t magical project butlers who just “make it happen.” They are strategic enablers.
📌 Read Al Zeitoun's book to learn how culture can drive transformation: Creating Experience-Driven Organizational Culture: How to Drive Transformative Change with Project and Portfolio Management
The Bottom Line
Want more speed? Stop trying to do everything at once.
✔ Prioritize first, execute second.
✔ Use data to push back (politely).
✔ Don’t start more projects than your teams can handle.
✔ Culture matters more than tools.
📌 If this resonates: check out The Strategic Planning Ultimate Guide for deeper insights on how to bridge strategy to execution - without running yourself into the ground.
See How Our Software Can Help
We help PMOs and executives cut through the chaos with software rooted in proven decision science (and a little AI) that turns endless project lists into focused, high-impact portfolios - all without the politics, guesswork, or endless debates.
Book a free demo and let’s talk through your biggest prioritization challenges. We’ll show you how our software can help to get the right projects on your roadmap - without the headaches.
