PMOs get a bad rap.
“Red tape.”
“Process police.”
“Report factories.”
In this episode, we sit down with Noah McCloud, founder of Optigold PMO, to break that stereotype and talk about how to turn your PMO into a strategic engine that leaders actually fight to keep.
We dig into:
- What modern PMOs really are (beyond “project management office”)
- Why so many PMOs struggle to show value
- How to build intake, governance, and metrics that actually tie to business outcomes
- Why only 18% of organizations feel their PMs have strong business acumen—and what to do about it
- How PMs can step up from “task managers” to business partners and eventually PMO leaders
If you’ve ever wondered, “How do I prove my PMO isn’t just overhead?” or “How do I become more strategic as a PM?” — this one’s for you.
Guest: Noah McCloud, Founder of Optigold PMO
Noah McCloud is the founder of Optigold PMO, where he helps organizations build, elevate, and optimize PMOs so they function as true strategic partners, not overhead. With 20+ years of experience guiding portfolios, programs, and PMOs across multiple industries, Noah specializes in:
- Connecting strategy to delivery
- Turning PMOs from administrative functions into strategic value engines
- Designing PMO services that focus on outcomes, not just process
You can find Noah at:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-mccloud-55219446/
- Website & blog: optigoldpmo.com
- 00:00 – Intro & why PMOs get a bad reputation
- 02:00 – What is a PMO today? Mission control for change.
- 06:00 – Process police vs. strategic partner: why PMOs lose trust
- 08:30 – Why intake is the first lever for value (and chaos control)
- 13:30 – Prioritization, governance, and tying to strategic themes
- 18:00 – Getting real feedback: surveys, 1:1s, and culture challenges
- 24:00 – Metrics that matter: from “on time/on budget” to business impact
- 30:00 – Safe-to-fail experiments, innovation, and not smothering ideas
- 32:30 – AI, PMOs, and the risk of junk data
- 37:00 – Demonstrating tangible value to teams & executives
- 41:00 – The business acumen gap: why PMs struggle with impact
- 47:00 – Changing methodologies & making hybrid actually work
- 52:00 – Growing into PMO leadership & final advice for PMs
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