PMO trends in 2025

We may (finally) be out of the only month in the year with 485 days in it, but 2025 in the main is still there for the taking. What trends does the PMO need to be ahead of during the next 11 months?

Businesses worldwide know by now that they cannot rely on traditional methods to ensure profitable growth. What's worked before may not work in the future...and well, we all know the definition of insanity by now*.

When we look at the trends that will be facing businesses when it comes to the PMO, here are our top tips for the year ahead.

1. Adopt a people-first mentality
   More often than not, it's a team that delivers a successful project; and it's people who make up that team. Businesses should foster a type of collaboration that celebrates best practice, knowledge sharing, innovation.

2. Embrace Change Management
   It's rare that businesses can justify their own change management team, and that's where the PMO often steps in. Change doesn't need to be feared, but it does need to be communicated – and staff enabled – efficiently and effectively. Advocate for change management education, build best practices for managing it, equip teams to handle it.

3. Be data-driven
   Every informed decision has data at its heart. How can the business best gather, analyse and present data that will truly allow for learning and continuous improvement? Get those insights, and use them to drive action.

4. Be 'agile'
   Yes, it's a term that's often over-used, but perhaps for good reason. The days of rigid frameworks are gone – it's the role of the PMO to stay flexible to the changes that have (or will) inevitably happen, being sure to bring teams with them as new tools are developed to manage that change, rather than make it harder to navigate.
   
   And, finally...
   
   

5. Embrace AI – where appropriate
   No list of 2025 trends would be complete without it...but the difference here is how to recognise where AI can add value, rather than just leaping to it because 'everyone is'. Where can AI make the biggest impact, in terms of reducing costs, automating tasks, enabling data analysis? Your own AI strategy will be different to others'; own it and make it work for you.

So there you have it - our top tips for the remaining months of the year.

And if you want an experienced, strategic partner by your side as you tackle what 2025 has in store, get in touch!

*Doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result...but you already knew that...