080 - First PM on the Beach: How to succeed when you are the first Project Manager in your organization

This episode is based on feedback we've had from our member 1:1 coaching sessions, one of the benefits we provide our PM Happy Hour members. Many PM's find themselves in a position where they are the first project manager in their organization. Whether you are a newbie or an experienced pro, this will be a challenge. The organization probably has a low (or no) level of project management maturity, no organizational concept of what project management is or how to make projects succeed, and probably as many different expectations of what a PM should and shouldn't do as there are people in the organization. Where do you even start?! Before you whip out your PMBOK or Agile Practice guide and start reading it to your team, let's step back a moment and talk about how to approach this situation pragmatically. And let's do it with one of our favorite PMO mentors Joe Pusz, "PMO Joe!"  In this episode, we talk with PMO Joe about how to approach you new role as the pioneer project manager in your organization and how to set yourself, your team and your organization up for success - in the short and long term. OUR AMAZING GUEST: JOE PUSZ, "PMO JOE" Joe Pusz, PMO Joe is an internationally recognized leader in the Project Management and PMO community. He is a frequent Keynote Speaker, Author, Project Management Innovator and was recently named one of the Top 8 PMO Influencers in the World by the PMO Global Alliance. He is the Founder and President of THE PMO SQUAD, a Phoenix based PMO and Project Management Consulting firm serving clients across the United States. He is host of the Project Management Office Hours Radio Show and Podcast providing Project Management Leaders a voice within our community. Now in the 5th season the show has over 40 million plays and downloads featuring guests from around the world. Joe is also Co-Founder of VPMMA, the Veteran Project Manager Mentor Alliance which is a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization assisting Veterans seeking to transition into civilian Project Management careers. Joe is the Founder of The PMO Leader global community.  The site is the only global ecommerce community for PMO Leaders and teams to share content, gain knowledge and exchange experiences. He is a Judge for the Global PMO Awards, a member of the PMI Executive Roundtable on PMOs, and is a long-time member of the Project Management Institute. He has been a PMI Volunteer, Sponsor and Mentor. Social Media https://www.linkedin.com/in/joepusz/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-pmo-squad/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/project-management-office-hours/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/vpmma/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-pmo-leader/ https://twitter.com/THEPMOSQUAD https://www.instagram.com/thepmosquad/   JOIN THE HAPPY HOUR! Get access to all podcasts, PDU certificates, bonus content, exclusive member Q&A webinars and more from our membership! https://pmhappyhour.com/membership   STUMP THE PM'S! We love to hear about your tough PM issues, so please hit us up at [email protected] or on Facebook at facebook.com/pmhapyhour and we'll see if we can help you. If we use your question, we'll send you a PM Happy Hour coaster you can enjoy at your next happy hour.