Last week, I was asked if I could find PMO resources material, specifically best practices.

I wrote a post called PMO best practices with some I knew and asked for more information from readers.

Today, Ron Rosenhead mentions a post by Glen Alleman on Twitter about the Four Archetypes of a PMO. I re-tweeted it because that’s what Twitter does with things you like. Share it with others.

It’s a good read. I also like the reference to Mark Mullaly. It is just one of the many posts that I suggested you look at in my original Gantthead.com post.

This process has now spawned a new post from you, my self, due to the questions that it stimulated in me.

See? ?AWESOME. This is my question to anyone who reads this and has an opinion. What impact do the “People in Charge” have on the Archetype? I can identify with one of the four but not all of them. This leads me to wonder what type of PMO I would create if given the option. Tambako the Jaguar via Flickr Mark’s article focuses on the need for the archetypes to align with the organization. While this seems like a reasonable goal, I am questioning its validity. Perhaps you can help me to think this through. The industry and organizational culture both play a part. ?Certainly. You will need to have completely different processes if you manage projects related to the nuclear power industry. These processes emphasize control and adherence of standards, among other types of rigor. A company that produces software might have a completely different process. These archetypes are driven by those PEOPLE who have influence on the PMO. If this person (or a small group of people) is the quarterback, perfectionist or scorekeeper, they will be able to focus on the important aspects and processes from their world view. When I look at these archetypes, I see that I identify with “facilitator” but lean towards “quarterback”. This is how I manage projects, and (of course), how I would like a PMO to run. As long as there aren’t any external constraints (as with the nuclear example above), I think it is likely that the archetype will be determined more by the personality and approach (and the higher management that allows it) of the PMO director. It’s all about management style. If I were to hire someone to head a PMO in my company, it would be very helpful to do a study of the archetype that is most appropriate for my organization. I argue that it is not about choosing the best candidate to lead a PMO. I want someone who is qualified, experience, and has an organizational style that is compatible with the PMO archetype that will be most beneficial for my company. Thoughts? Comments, tweets, facebook or any other form of communication are all welcome.