Getting Organized

“This year, we’re going to get organized.”

At the beginning of every year, in thousands of companies worldwide, someone either thinks or says that exact phrase out loud. And if you’re reading this, the person may have been you.

If it was you, we’re sorry you’re feeling that way, but we’re also excited for you because you’ve got big goals. That’s a start. An important one. Recognizing you have an issue is the first step to rectifying said issue.

Before we go any further, though, here’s a question:

What do you mean by “get organized”?

I hope your first inclination was to say, “Well, it’s complicated,” because it is. Think about the various people you work with. It’s very possible every single person you just thought of would answer the question differently. Depending on their role, team members might want to see:

• better visibility into project status

• improved project planning

• stronger interdepartmental communication

• meaningful metrics

• earlier risk identification

• real-time budget tracking.

And those are just a few of the things “get organized” could mean.

This is where you can come in to save the day. If your company greeted 2026 resolved to fix all the issues and has already started tearing up the 2025 playbook, we’re going to suggest you find a way to slow the ambition.

Why would you do this?

Because you want to help create something useful instead of something that’s resented.

The problem with most organization makeovers isn’t that the people involved don’t know what they’re doing. They fail because the makeover was introduced as a solution before the team agreed on the actual problem. Before team members even realize it, new processes, templates, meetings, and whole ways of working arrive uninvited, all of which adds to the friction the team is already experiencing.

Getting companies and projects organized requires a different mindset, one that embraces listening and patience while pushing away theory and urgency.

Standing up a PMO can help with all of this, but only if it’s properly implemented.

Start Where the Work Hurts

Before you name the PMO, design its structure, or discuss maturity models, you need to understand the day-to-day pain people carry. You need to talk to teammates, listen to their challenges, and understand their pain points:

·      Where are projects slowing down?

·      What questions do you always have?

·      What questions often go unanswered?

·      Where do handoffs break?

·      Where does work get redone because expectations weren’t clear the first time?

These questions will guide the conversations you need to understand the rationale for a more centralized organization and a PMO. More to the point, you won’t find the answers to these questions in existing decks or charters, because decks and charters are static items. You need to talk to the people doing the work.

When teams feel heard at this stage, skepticism softens, and people begin coalescing around a common solution.

Take an Elevator (Pitch) Ride

A PMO without a clear purpose will default to activity instead of impact. That’s how teams end up drowning in overcomplicated templates that solve only one person’s issues and do nothing to prevent the missed deadlines that plague project progress.  

Early on, as team members join the PMO, you need to develop your elevator pitch. This should be a simple, shared answer to one question: Why are we doing this now?

This isn’t a mission statement. It’s certainly not a manifesto. It may not even be a full paragraph. What you’re looking for is one or two sentences that articulate what the PMO is meant to improve immediately. The elevator pitch for your PMO should be simple and concentrate on alignment, visibility, and focus.

Your elevator pitch will become your team’s filter. If an idea, tool, or process doesn’t support it, it waits: It either goes to the parking lot or it goes away entirely.

Improve One Thing First and Do It Well

Even senior leaders who have successfully stood up multiple PMOs in their careers may be tempted to fix everything at once, especially when the problems are obvious.

Don’t do it. Resist.

The most effective PMOs start by improving a single, high-friction behavior. Maybe it’s how projects get kicked off. Maybe it’s how priorities are communicated. Maybe it’s how risks are surfaced before they become emergencies.

When teams experience one meaningful improvement, trust builds, and people become eager to see more. As this happens, the PMO will expand its influence.

On the flip side, if the PMO treads water and fails to deliver even a single worthwhile improvement, skepticism will take over; this is when even good ideas struggle to land.

Momentum beats ambition every time.

Design Helpful Tools, not Heavy Ones

Iconic British entrepreneur Richard Branson said it best: “Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated. It is hard to make something simple.”

Every artifact you introduce should make someone’s day easier within a short window of time. If it only helps leadership or only pays off months down the line, people won’t adopt it and the PMO will stall.  

Don’t be a fool. Keep it simple. When people start saying, “This actually helps,” you’re on the right track. Do more of what you’re doing.

Build it in Public

Read this mantra out loud: The PMO isn’t mine. The PMO isn’t mine. The PMO isn’t mine.

The work you’re doing isn’t just for your benefit, so don’t treat it that way. Share drafts. Ask for feedback. Acknowledge the changes resulting from that feedback. Accept (even embrace) failure. Retool when needed.

If people see themselves in the work the PMO is producing and feel part of the success story, they’ll be more eager to contribute.

Now, Begin

If 2026 began with a resolution that sounded anything like, This year, we’re going to get organized, we understand what you’re feeling, because we’ve been there. Good luck with the journey. If you get stuck along the way, Stoic ProjectWorks is here to help.