Dive back in with this insightful episode!

Ever wondered how to transform your PMO into a strategic powerhouse? Join us for an enlightening conversation with Laura Barnard, a trailblazer in integrating PMOs and project management with organisational strategy. Laura shares her extensive experience working with industry giants like JP Morgan, LinkedIn, IBM, and Amazon. 

Reflecting on the evolution of PMOs from the chaotic early dot-com days to today's strategic assets, Laura sheds light on the transition from technical roles to project management and the essential advice for balancing personal and professional lives.

Moreover, we discuss PMO leaders' challenges in proving their value to executives and the necessity of continuous value delivery through agile-based methodologies. Laura emphasises the importance of alignment with business goals, effective reporting systems, and addressing the human element in transformational efforts. 

In this episode, we cover: 

• 16:04 Evolution of PMO Leadership
• 23:25 Improving PMO Impact and Value
• 32:18 Strategy Alignment for Project Success
• 38:29 Prioritization and Executive Communication for Transformation
• 44:26 Organizational Change Management Collaboration
• 49:51 Embracing Organizational Change Through People
• 1:01:24 Driving Accountability and Progress Through Reporting
• 1:04:42 Simplifying Decisions and PMO Leadership
• 1:13:11 Journey to Sharing PMO Strategies
• 1:24:57 Inspiring Action for Impact Drivers

You can find Laura at:

https://pmostrategies.com/ 

Her book is here: https://www.amazon.com/IMPACT-Engine-Accelerating-Strategy-Transformation/dp/1774584522 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurabarnard/ 

Support the show

Thank you for listening to Agile Ideas! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might benefit from our discussions. Remember to rate us on your preferred podcast platform and follow us on social media for updates and more insightful content.

Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd really appreciate it if you could share it with your friends and rate us. Let's spread the #AgileIdeas together!

We'd like to hear any feedback. www.agilemanagementoffice.com/contact

Don't miss out on exclusive access to special events, checklists, and blogs that are not available everywhere. Subscribe to our newsletter now at www.agilemanagementoffice.com/subscribe.

You can also find us on most social media channels by searching 'Agile Ideas'.

Follow me, your host, on LinkedIn - go to Fatimah Abbouchi - www.linkedin.com/in/fatimahabbouchi/

For all things Agile Ideas and to stay connected, visit our website below. It's your one-stop destination for all our episodes, blogs, and more. We hope you found today's episode enlightening. Until next time, keep innovating and exploring new Agile Ideas!


Learn more about podcast host Fatimah Abbouchi
...

What does it take to run a global virtual conference with 1,000+ attendees, 75+ volunteers, live translation, and zero paywalls?

In this behind-the-scenes episode, Fatimah Abbouchi (Founder & CEO of AMO) is joined by her co-founder of The PMO Leader community, Joe Pusz—better known as PMO Joe—to unpack how a grassroots movement became a global platform for PMO leadership, learning, and real delivery outcomes.

Together, they explore how The PMO Leader went from a one-hour webinar to a 20-hour, follow-the-sun event built entirely by volunteers—where project managers, executives, and first-time speakers all had a voice. From detailed runbooks to backup decks and real-time incident management, they share what worked, what nearly broke, and what it taught them about leadership at scale.

The conversation also dives into PMBOK 8, the shift from “governance-heavy” to value-first thinking, and why today’s PMO leaders need to integrate deeply with strategy, operations, and change. Joe shares insights from the PMI Global Summit, the current job market for project managers, and how sponsors are shifting from brand exposure to meaningful community investment.

This episode highlights what happens when community drives the agenda: bottom-up strategy, multilingual inclusion, practical tools like PMOpedia, and mentoring programs that now span 40+ countries. If you care about making PMOs more visible, valuable, and connected to real outcomes—this is the inside story.

In this episode, I cover: 

3:13 PMI Summit Trends and PMOBOK 8

8:50 PMO’s Rising Role and Industry Shifts

15:20 Why The PMO Leader Was Created 

22:30 Volunteers, Voice, and Rel Value  

28:20 Building a Follow-The-Sun Conference

35:40 Sponsors, Reach, and ROI

42:05 Global Partnerships and Inclusion

49:10 Trust, Belonging, and Member Care

55:40 Live Ops: When Tech Fails

And more...

🎧 Tune in for lessons you can take straight back to your team.

Visit https://www.thepmoleader.com for more information or follow on LinkedIn here https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-pmo-leader.

If you’d like to get involved in shaping what comes next.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to Agile Ideas! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might benefit from our discussions. Remember to rate us on your preferred podcast platform and follow us on social media for updates and more insightful content.

Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd really appreciate it if you could share it with your friends and rate us. Let's spread the #AgileIdeas together!

We'd like to hear any feedback. www.agilemanagementoffice.com/contact

Don't miss out on exclusive access to special events, checklists, and blogs that are not available everywhere. Subscribe to our newsletter now at www.agilemanagementoffice.com/subscribe.

You can also find us on most social media channels by searching 'Agile Ideas'.

Follow me, your host, on LinkedIn - go to Fatimah Abbouchi - www.linkedin.com/in/fatimahabbouchi/

For all things Agile Ideas and to stay connected, visit our website below. It's your one-stop destination for all our episodes, blogs, and more. We hope you found today's episode enlightening. Until next time, keep innovating and exploring new Agile Ideas!


Learn more about podcast host Fatimah Abbouchi
...

The pace of change has outgrown old PMO playbooks—so it’s time for a new one. In this future-focused episode, we unpack five key trends reshaping the PMO by 2026 and share practical ways to shift from performative reporting to real value delivery.

We explore what it means to reframe the PMO as a capability architect—moving the conversation from headcount to a heat-mapped view of people, process, tools, and decision flow. That simple shift helps expose gaps, justify investment, and prioritise work that actually reduces friction.

From there, we dive into the PMO’s evolving role as an AI custodian—setting guardrails, lifting data quality, and embedding just enough training to make AI both useful and safe. You'll hear real examples of where AI can save time right now, from summarising risks to drafting reports—without compromising trust or confidentiality.

We also look at how PMOs translate change into action using microchanges—small, focused wins delivered quickly to build trust and momentum—alongside their growing role as regulatory integrators coordinating risk, compliance, and delivery in increasingly complex environments.

And finally, we come back to simplification. From minimum viable governance to smarter intake and prioritisation, we offer a toolkit to help PMOs cut noise, clarify accountability, and deliver at the speed of strategy.

🎧 Whether you’re leading a PMO, working inside one, or rethinking the way your organisation delivers value—this episode offers a concrete playbook to help you get ahead of the curve.

Curious about our PMO Capability Workshops launching next year? Reach out to learn more—or share this episode with your team to kickstart the conversation.

In this episode, I cover: 

01:51 Global PMO Shifts and Conference Insights (The PMO Leader Global Conference)

04:18 This Years Anchor: Clarity and Capability

09:47 What Listeners Want: AI and Governance 

13:24 Poll Findings: Value Delivered As North Star 

30:30 PMOs As Capability Architects 

36:55 PMOs As AI Custodians

43:12 PMOs As Translators of Change

49:08 PMOs As Regulatory Integrators

And more...

Support the show

Thank you for listening to Agile Ideas! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might benefit from our discussions. Remember to rate us on your preferred podcast platform and follow us on social media for updates and more insightful content.

Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd really appreciate it if you could share it with your friends and rate us. Let's spread the #AgileIdeas together!

We'd like to hear any feedback. www.agilemanagementoffice.com/contact

Don't miss out on exclusive access to special events, checklists, and blogs that are not available everywhere. Subscribe to our newsletter now at www.agilemanagementoffice.com/subscribe.

You can also find us on most social media channels by searching 'Agile Ideas'.

Follow me, your host, on LinkedIn - go to Fatimah Abbouchi - www.linkedin.com/in/fatimahabbouchi/

For all things Agile Ideas and to stay connected, visit our website below. It's your one-stop destination for all our episodes, blogs, and more. We hope you found today's episode enlightening. Until next time, keep innovating and exploring new Agile Ideas!


Learn more about podcast host Fatimah Abbouchi
...

When decisions stall, frameworks bloat, and teams start spinning—it’s not always a process problem. It’s often a capability gap.

In this practical and insight-rich episode, I reframe how real delivery capability gets built—not through endless training or new tooling, but by aligning people, processes, and tools in a way that actually works across hybrid teams and operational realities.

I unpack a three-part capability playbook that’s designed for today’s fast-moving, budget-conscious environment. From adaptive governance that gives teams the confidence to decide faster, to predictable cadences that replace chaos with calm, to change agility that helps teams pivot through volatility without losing traceability. This is capability that enables delivery, not delays it.

You’ll hear examples from real transformations that halved decision latency, replaced performance reviews with learning rituals, and embedded uplift into business-as-usual through milestone retros. I also call out common traps to avoid like throwing tools at symptoms, overmeasuring activity, or launching into training before observing real friction.

Whether you're leading a PMO, managing delivery teams, or navigating cross-functional change, this episode offers a clear path to capability uplift that actually sticks.

🎧 Tune in, take notes, and explore how you can pilot your own capability uplift using our Capability in a Box product suite—including persona mapping, CIAB cards, and more.

In this episode, I cover: 

00:39 Defining Capability Beyond Skills

02:03 People, Process, and Tools Explained

03:21 Why Training Waves Failed 

05:33 Overloaded Operations and PM Support 

06:13 Market Pressures and Constraints 

10:51 Core Capability Focus Areas

And more...

Support the show

Thank you for listening to Agile Ideas! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might benefit from our discussions. Remember to rate us on your preferred podcast platform and follow us on social media for updates and more insightful content.

Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd really appreciate it if you could share it with your friends and rate us. Let's spread the #AgileIdeas together!

We'd like to hear any feedback. www.agilemanagementoffice.com/contact

Don't miss out on exclusive access to special events, checklists, and blogs that are not available everywhere. Subscribe to our newsletter now at www.agilemanagementoffice.com/subscribe.

You can also find us on most social media channels by searching 'Agile Ideas'.

Follow me, your host, on LinkedIn - go to Fatimah Abbouchi - www.linkedin.com/in/fatimahabbouchi/

For all things Agile Ideas and to stay connected, visit our website below. It's your one-stop destination for all our episodes, blogs, and more. We hope you found today's episode enlightening. Until next time, keep innovating and exploring new Agile Ideas!


Learn more about podcast host Fatimah Abbouchi
...

What if governance didn’t feel like bureaucracy, but like momentum?

In this episode, we sit down with Amireh Amirmazaheri to explore how modern PMOs grow from “project admin” to strategic partner by blending trust, clarity, and creativity. We trace Amireh’s path from teaching and early IT architecture to leading major PMO transformations, showing how turning complexity into simplicity builds credibility and lasting value.

Together, we unpack the practical side of PMO impact:

Simple, human measures that leaders actually feel, from pain scores before and after interventions to meeting turnout, repeat attendance, and the moment teams begin to use your language without prompting. These signals often say more than dashboards ever could, because they prove adoption, not just activity.

We also explore how to tailor PMO services to fit industry, maturity, and culture, avoid “lift and shift” models, and use visual storytelling to make strategies memorable. A snail can represent slow delivery; a campfire can symbolize alignment. When people remember the picture, they act on the plan.

The conversation dives into global PMO trends, from the growing strategic influence of PMOs and the PMO-CP certification, to updates to the PMO Value Ring, now expanding its focus to include PMO strategy, design, and governance, with a new outer layer on organizational maturity, culture, and structure.

In this episode we discuss: 

0:00 — Welcome and Guest Introduction

 2:45 — Early Career and Entrepreneurial Roots

 6:20 — From IT Operations to Projects

 10:45 — Discovering PMO and Finding Purpose

 15:05 — Building Trust and Credibility

 20:30 — Defining Value and Simple Metrics

 26:10 — Fit-for-Purpose PMOs and Tailoring

 31:20 — Mindset Shifts and Risk Conversations

 35:40 — Bringing Creativity into Governance

 41:10 — Global Trends, Awards, and PMO Identity

 47:30 — PMO Value Ring Updates and PMO-CP

 53:20 — Elevating PMOs Outside the Bubble

 58:00 — Closing Advice and Calls to Connect

If you’ve ever wondered how to make a PMO indispensable to the business, this episode is your playbook: build

Support the show

Thank you for listening to Agile Ideas! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might benefit from our discussions. Remember to rate us on your preferred podcast platform and follow us on social media for updates and more insightful content.

Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd really appreciate it if you could share it with your friends and rate us. Let's spread the #AgileIdeas together!

We'd like to hear any feedback. www.agilemanagementoffice.com/contact

Don't miss out on exclusive access to special events, checklists, and blogs that are not available everywhere. Subscribe to our newsletter now at www.agilemanagementoffice.com/subscribe.

You can also find us on most social media channels by searching 'Agile Ideas'.

Follow me, your host, on LinkedIn - go to Fatimah Abbouchi - www.linkedin.com/in/fatimahabbouchi/

For all things Agile Ideas and to stay connected, visit our website below. It's your one-stop destination for all our episodes, blogs, and more. We hope you found today's episode enlightening. Until next time, keep innovating and exploring new Agile Ideas!


Learn more about podcast host Fatimah Abbouchi
...

Why does high-impact work so often go unnoticed?

In this solo episode, we explore the visibility gap—that frustrating space between the value you deliver and the recognition, resources, or trust you receive in return. Especially in PMOs, governance, and behind-the-scenes roles, quiet success can look like “nothing happened”... even when everything went right.

We unpack the real reasons why great work gets missed: prevention is hard to measure, executives optimise for urgency and KPIs, and teams don’t always know how to communicate impact in a way that sticks.

But it doesn’t have to stay that way.

You’ll learn practical ways to turn silent wins into recognised outcomes—through storytelling with purpose, data that connects to real KPIs and avoided costs, and stakeholder strategies that ensure the right message lands with the right audience.

We also share real-world examples: a “quiet quarter” that turned out to be a governance win, how proactive risk closure protected a multimillion-dollar delivery window, and how changing language and cadence shifted executive attention from noise to insight.

Whether you're leading a PMO, working in operations, finance, HR, or product delivery—this episode offers simple, actionable steps to make your work visible, meaningful, and valued.

🎧 Tune in and try this: rewrite a status update through a “so what?” lens, tie a report to a key executive metric, or pre-brief a stakeholder to align before the conversation begins.

Quiet excellence deserves daylight. Let’s make it visible.

In this episode, I cover: 

0:22 Defining Invisible Work 

3:17 When Success Hides The Work

6:30 Why Leaders Don't See It

12:19 Closing the Gap: Storytelling

16:23 Data With Meaning, Not Noise

18:23 Stakeholder Strategy That Lands

21:48 Make Value Visible Across Roles

26:26 Reflection, next Steps, Closing

And more...

Support the show

Thank you for listening to Agile Ideas! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might benefit from our discussions. Remember to rate us on your preferred podcast platform and follow us on social media for updates and more insightful content.

Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd really appreciate it if you could share it with your friends and rate us. Let's spread the #AgileIdeas together!

We'd like to hear any feedback. www.agilemanagementoffice.com/contact

Don't miss out on exclusive access to special events, checklists, and blogs that are not available everywhere. Subscribe to our newsletter now at www.agilemanagementoffice.com/subscribe.

You can also find us on most social media channels by searching 'Agile Ideas'.

Follow me, your host, on LinkedIn - go to Fatimah Abbouchi - www.linkedin.com/in/fatimahabbouchi/

For all things Agile Ideas and to stay connected, visit our website below. It's your one-stop destination for all our episodes, blogs, and more. We hope you found today's episode enlightening. Until next time, keep innovating and exploring new Agile Ideas!


Learn more about podcast host Fatimah Abbouchi
...

What happens when the person behind some of the world’s most recognisable personal brands realises she’s neglected her own?

In this deeply honest and inspiring episode, we’re joined by Carlii Lyon—former international publicist turned personal branding expert and author of Courage to Be. After building the profiles of global names like Miranda Kerr and other thought leaders, Carlii found herself feeling invisible during her maternity leave. That moment became the catalyst for a journey of reinvention, purpose, and intentional visibility.

We explore what personal branding really means—beyond LinkedIn profiles and follower counts—and how showing up with clarity, consistency, and purpose can transform your career and impact. Carlii breaks down why self-promotion doesn’t have to feel cringey when it’s connected to service, value, and your future self.

From the power of asking for what you want to the quiet confidence of body language and presence, this conversation offers practical strategies for becoming more visible without becoming performative.

Whether you’re looking to step into a new role, grow your influence, or simply feel more seen for the work you do—this episode will help you start small, but start meaningfully.

Tune in now, and remember: your future self is probably already telling you to go for it.

In this episode, I cover: 

5:38 Calii Lyon’s Journey into Personal Branding

17:19 Understanding Personal Branding

31:54 Overcoming Self-Doubt and Criticism

43:57 The Power of Future Self Psychology

And more...

Check out Carlii's website, and look for her new book here: www.carliilyon.com

Connect with Carlii on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carliilyon/

Support the show

Thank you for listening to Agile Ideas! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might benefit from our discussions. Remember to rate us on your preferred podcast platform and follow us on social media for updates and more insightful content.

Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd really appreciate it if you could share it with your friends and rate us. Let's spread the #AgileIdeas together!

We'd like to hear any feedback. www.agilemanagementoffice.com/contact

Don't miss out on exclusive access to special events, checklists, and blogs that are not available everywhere. Subscribe to our newsletter now at www.agilemanagementoffice.com/subscribe.

You can also find us on most social media channels by searching 'Agile Ideas'.

Follow me, your host, on LinkedIn - go to Fatimah Abbouchi - www.linkedin.com/in/fatimahabbouchi/

For all things Agile Ideas and to stay connected, visit our website below. It's your one-stop destination for all our episodes, blogs, and more. We hope you found today's episode enlightening. Until next time, keep innovating and exploring new Agile Ideas!


Learn more about podcast host Fatimah Abbouchi
...

Throwback Episode featuring with Dominic Price, Atlassian

In this high-impact throwback episode, we revisit our conversation with Dominic Price—Work Futurist at Atlassian and one of the leading voices on the future of work, team culture, and tech-human collaboration.

With over a decade at Atlassian, Dom brings a bold, people-first lens to modern leadership—unpacking what it takes to build thriving teams in a world shaped by disruption, agility, and rapid technological change.

In this episode, we cover:

1:54 What is a Work Futurist

4:28 Creating and Sharing Playbooks at Atlassian

9:38 The Return to Office Debate 

19:35 Why Productivity is a Flawed Metric 

24:05 The Problem with Waterfall Approaches to Agile  

28:33 Responsible AI and Technology Implementation 

40:53 Scaling Culture and Distributed Teamwork 

49:17 Learning From Mistakes 

If you're rethinking your approach to collaboration, leadership, or scaling culture in complex environments—this one’s worth another listen.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to Agile Ideas! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might benefit from our discussions. Remember to rate us on your preferred podcast platform and follow us on social media for updates and more insightful content.

Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd really appreciate it if you could share it with your friends and rate us. Let's spread the #AgileIdeas together!

We'd like to hear any feedback. www.agilemanagementoffice.com/contact

Don't miss out on exclusive access to special events, checklists, and blogs that are not available everywhere. Subscribe to our newsletter now at www.agilemanagementoffice.com/subscribe.

You can also find us on most social media channels by searching 'Agile Ideas'.

Follow me, your host, on LinkedIn - go to Fatimah Abbouchi - www.linkedin.com/in/fatimahabbouchi/

For all things Agile Ideas and to stay connected, visit our website below. It's your one-stop destination for all our episodes, blogs, and more. We hope you found today's episode enlightening. Until next time, keep innovating and exploring new Agile Ideas!


Learn more about podcast host Fatimah Abbouchi
...

What if the biggest thing holding your business back isn’t lack of time—but your reluctance to let go?

In this empowering new episode, Fatimah is joined by Carmen Williams, Director of Global Teams, who shares how delegation became the most transformational move in her business journey. From her early days as a scientist to running a thriving remote team of over 100 virtual assistants across South Africa and the Philippines, Carmen’s story is a powerful reminder that scalable success starts with trust.

Carmen opens up about hiring her first VA while her business was still pre-revenue—a leap of faith as a single mother with two children and a mortgage. That decision forced her to rethink everything she knew about control, clarity, and capacity. Along the way, she learned that effective delegation isn’t about dumping tasks—it’s about building relationships, empowering others, and letting go of perfectionism.

Together they explore common outsourcing mistakes, how to choose the right first hire, and why your systems don’t need to be perfect before you start. Carmen also shares practical frameworks, like her “two-message rule,” and why opportunity cost is the real risk of doing everything yourself.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in the weeds of your own business—or unsure how to grow without burning out—this episode is packed with clarity, courage, and the mindset shifts needed to finally delegate with confidence.

In this episode, I cover: 

14:15 Offshoring vs Outsourcing Explained

18:20 Where to Start with Virtual Assistants

24:30 Managing Remote Teams Effectively

31:10 Delegating Better for Business Growth

35:00 Scaling Your Business with VAs

43:19 Personal Experiences and Lessons Learned

And more…

Leading a PMO through complexity, culture, and change? Tune in to explore how human-centered strategy and systems thinking can elevate your impact. Then, share how you're bridging the gap between strategy and execution—I’d love to hear your Agile Ideas. 

Support the show

Thank you for listening to Agile Ideas! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might benefit from our discussions. Remember to rate us on your preferred podcast platform and follow us on social media for updates and more insightful content.

Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd really appreciate it if you could share it with your friends and rate us. Let's spread the #AgileIdeas together!

We'd like to hear any feedback. www.agilemanagementoffice.com/contact

Don't miss out on exclusive access to special events, checklists, and blogs that are not available everywhere. Subscribe to our newsletter now at www.agilemanagementoffice.com/subscribe.

You can also find us on most social media channels by searching 'Agile Ideas'.

Follow me, your host, on LinkedIn - go to Fatimah Abbouchi - www.linkedin.com/in/fatimahabbouchi/

For all things Agile Ideas and to stay connected, visit our website below. It's your one-stop destination for all our episodes, blogs, and more. We hope you found today's episode enlightening. Until next time, keep innovating and exploring new Agile Ideas!


Learn more about podcast host Fatimah Abbouchi
...

Ever sat in a steering committee meeting drowning in data but starving for decisions? You’re not alone—and it’s a sign your pack might be working against you.

In this solo episode, Fatimah shares what she’s learned from years of working with steering committees across some of the largest and most complex organisations internationally. She unpacks the critical elements that make a steering committee pack effective, cutting through the noise to help leaders focus on what matters most.

We explore the five essential elements every pack should include, why visual summaries beat wordy walls of text, and how to structure information so it actually supports strategic decision-making. Plus, Fatimah shares a few personal lessons from early career mistakes (including one pack she hopes never resurfaces).

Whether you're a project manager, a delivery lead, or part of a PMO supporting governance, this episode offers a blueprint for building steering committee packs that inform, influence, and drive outcomes.

🎧 Don’t forget! Registration is now open for the Global PMO Leader Conference, happening October 15th. Join over 1,000 project professionals from around the world. Link below;

https://www.thepmoleader.com/2025-annual-conference

In this episode, I cover: 

0:00 Introduction & Conference Announcement

7:58 Understanding Steering Committees

14:37 Three Levels of Governance Explained

22:32 Purpose of Steering Committee Packs

30:16 Essential Components to Include

39:12 What to Leave Out

43:19 Personal Experiences and Lessons Learned

And more…

Have you built a PMO from the ground up—or thinking about it? Tune in to learn how to create a solid foundation that supports growth, governance, and agility. Then, share your PMO wins or challenges—I’d love to hear your Agile

Support the show

Thank you for listening to Agile Ideas! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might benefit from our discussions. Remember to rate us on your preferred podcast platform and follow us on social media for updates and more insightful content.

Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd really appreciate it if you could share it with your friends and rate us. Let's spread the #AgileIdeas together!

We'd like to hear any feedback. www.agilemanagementoffice.com/contact

Don't miss out on exclusive access to special events, checklists, and blogs that are not available everywhere. Subscribe to our newsletter now at www.agilemanagementoffice.com/subscribe.

You can also find us on most social media channels by searching 'Agile Ideas'.

Follow me, your host, on LinkedIn - go to Fatimah Abbouchi - www.linkedin.com/in/fatimahabbouchi/

For all things Agile Ideas and to stay connected, visit our website below. It's your one-stop destination for all our episodes, blogs, and more. We hope you found today's episode enlightening. Until next time, keep innovating and exploring new Agile Ideas!


Learn more about podcast host Fatimah Abbouchi
...

From Strategy to Execution: Making Change Stick – with Renee Giacalone

Why do some organizations thrive through change while others get stuck in the gap between strategy and execution? In this practical and inspiring episode, I’m joined by Renee Giacalone—seasoned transformation leader turned entrepreneur—who shares what it really takes to make change stick.

With three decades of experience leading strategic change at companies like Bank of America, Kellogg, and McDonald's, Renee has seen firsthand that successful transformation isn’t about perfect plans—it’s about what happens after go-live. She challenges the overemphasis on pre-launch training and advocates instead for ongoing, people-focused support once the change becomes real.

We explore how to shift from resistance to engagement by tapping into human motivators like peer influence, FOMO, and friendly competition. Renee also makes a compelling case for democratizing project management across the business—so every team member, not just specialists, can confidently contribute to big-picture goals.

Whether you're navigating a complex transformation or simply trying to get your team unstuck, Renee’s insights offer a grounded, human-centric approach to change. It’s time to stop managing from the sidelines and start enabling people to succeed.

To learn more about Renee’s work, visit: rsgconsultinggroup.com

Renee's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reneegiacalone/

In this episode, I cover:

02:50 From Corporate America to Entrepreneurship 

05:42 Career Defining Moments in Leadership

09:26 Effective Change Management Approaches

14:58 Navigating Remote Work During COVID

19:15 Why Project Management is for Everyone

24:30 Execution Gaps in Organisations

29:05 Strategic Planning Challenges

39:00 Rescuing Challenged Programs

45:31 Leading Stuck Teams and Final Thoughts

And more…

Have you built a PMO from the ground up—or thinking about it? Tune in to learn how to create a solid foundation that supports growth, governance, and agility. Then, share your PMO wins or challenges—I’d love to hear your Agile

Support the show

Thank you for listening to Agile Ideas! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might benefit from our discussions. Remember to rate us on your preferred podcast platform and follow us on social media for updates and more insightful content.

Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd really appreciate it if you could share it with your friends and rate us. Let's spread the #AgileIdeas together!

We'd like to hear any feedback. www.agilemanagementoffice.com/contact

Don't miss out on exclusive access to special events, checklists, and blogs that are not available everywhere. Subscribe to our newsletter now at www.agilemanagementoffice.com/subscribe.

You can also find us on most social media channels by searching 'Agile Ideas'.

Follow me, your host, on LinkedIn - go to Fatimah Abbouchi - www.linkedin.com/in/fatimahabbouchi/

For all things Agile Ideas and to stay connected, visit our website below. It's your one-stop destination for all our episodes, blogs, and more. We hope you found today's episode enlightening. Until next time, keep innovating and exploring new Agile Ideas!


Learn more about podcast host Fatimah Abbouchi
...