From Outputs to Outcomes - using Applied Curiosity to transform how your PMO is valued

A PMO Leader's guide to using Applied Curiosity to transform stakeholders' perception of your value as you move from giving them outputs to delivering outcomes 

A Harsh Reality - Your outputs don't create value in their own right

There is something I have heard a lot lately from PMO leaders: "We're producing everything the business asked for, but they still don't see our value."

Sound familiar?

If you're nodding along, you're certainly not alone. In fact, this challenge is so pervasive that research from Monday.com in 2025 shows 50% of PMOs close within four years - now some of those PMO’s were never intended to last forever and were just set up for a specific programme, but for other that closure is not because they don't deliver what they promised, but because they can't demonstrate the value of what they delivered.

And here is the harsh truth - no matter how well you are delivering the agreed outputs from your PMO that is not what your senior stakeholders value.  Adding more graphs and data, no matter how brilliantly it is presented, is not going to change that.

So, are you ready to explore what's really happening here?

Your are speaking different languages

Your PMO might be delivering excellent outputs - those shiny methodologies, comprehensive reports, standardised templates, and governance frameworks. You're ticking every box on the deliverables list, following best practices, and meeting every deadline.

Yet stakeholders are asking that uncomfortable question: "What's the PMO actually doing for us?"

The challenge isn't your competence. It's that you're speaking in outputs whilst your stakeholders are thinking in outcomes.

Let's get curious about this fundamental disconnect. What do we mean by each?

Outputs are what you produce: the methodology document, the monthly dashboard, the training session. These are the tangible deliverables or products/services of the PMO.  They are the tangible items.

Outcomes, on the other hand, are what changes because of your work.  Things like improved project success rates, better strategic alignment, enhanced decision-making capability, and measurable business value. These are the success criteria or the measurable result of successful completion of the output, for example 100% consistency in projects due to the standard use of the project management methodology. They are also what matters to your senior Stakeholders.The work is the same, but how it is presented and talked about makes all the difference to how it is perceived.

The Reality Behind the Statistics

What I find fascinating is how widespread this challenge has become. The Project Management Institute found that 78% of high-performing organisations have a PMO, yet The Hackett Group's research simultaneously showed that organisations with high PMO use often had higher IT costs and failed to deliver projects with higher ROI (PMI, 2013).

This paradox tells us something crucial: it's not whether you have a PMO that matters - it's how that PMO positions itself and demonstrates value.

As one researcher put it: "Many technically competent project management offices (PMOs) fail to maximise the value they can provide to their host organisations. Such PMOs—because they often focus only on technology, data, and processes—usually lack effective approaches for engaging stakeholders" (Bourne, 2006).

Isn’t this just about better communication?

Now, while we might think this is simply a communication problem, there's something deeper at play. The reality is that numerous unconscious biases significantly influence how stakeholders perceive the value of PMO.  The two which seem to have the biggest impact are

The Administrative Overhead Bias - the tendency to perceive PMOs primarily as administrative functions rather than strategic value creators. This manifests as stakeholders viewing PMO activities as "process police" or bureaucratic impediments, focusing on compliance and reporting rather than business value (from research on unconscious biases affecting PMO organisational value perception).

The Confirmation Bias challenge. PMO managers should be wary of confirmation bias when using their 'informal networks' within the organisation as an early warning system, as like-minded networks risk hearing only what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear.  This is the echo chamber effect at work.

But here's what's encouraging: these biases, along with others that will be at play,  can be addressed once we're aware of them and have a structured approach to tackle them.

Enter Applied Curiosity: Your Path to Outcome-Focused Value

This is where Applied Curiosity becomes your not-so-secret weapon. When we consider applying our curiosity as a set of skills that we apply to a process, then curiosity becomes something we can develop, and that we can really harness as leaders.

The Applied Curiosity Model offers a structured approach through three interconnected phases: Research, Reflect, and React.

Let's explore how this can transform your PMO's positioning from output-producer to outcome-creator.

The Applied Curioisty model from Bekka Prideaux at the Curious Choice

1. Research: Understanding what really matters

The Research phase is where we gather data, find information, discover facts and opinions. We're exploring using skills like listening to understand, asking great questions, and reviewing what others have done.

For PMO leaders, this means getting curious about:

  • What business outcomes do your stakeholders actually care about?
  • How do they currently perceive the value (or lack thereof) from your PMO outputs?
  • What language do they use when talking about success and value?
  • Which of your current outputs and activities genuinely contribute to measurable business outcomes?
  • What is our stakeholders' current perception of how valuable and trusted we are? (The PMO360 can help here.)?

I worked with one PMO leader who discovered through this research phase that whilst they were producing detailed monthly reports, their key stakeholders were actually making decisions based on informal corridor conversations. The reports - their proud output - weren't even being read.

Sometimes I am sure we all wonder if that is what is happening!

2. Reflect: Making Sense of your research

Reflect is where we assimilate and add context to what we have found, turning our data into information we can base our next steps on. Reflection creates the opportunity to add in our reactions, feelings, aspirations, hopes, and what we have learned in the past.

This is where you get curious about things like:

  • Why might there be a disconnect between what you're producing and what stakeholders value?
  • What assumptions have you been making about the value of your outputs?
  • How might unconscious biases (both yours and theirs) be affecting perceptions?
  • What would need to change for your stakeholders to see clear business outcomes from your work?

For example, if your reflections showed that you have been measuring success by the number of processes implemented and the number of process non-compliances, while your stakeholders are measuring success by project delivery speed and costs, there is always going to be a disconnect.  

The good news is that this kind of thing is totally solvable.

3. React: Transforming Your Approach

This is the 'so what' stage of the Applied Curiosity Cycle - where we take what we have found and take action on it. 

Your reaction phase might include:

  • Reframing all communications in outcome language
  • Restructuring your measurement systems to track business impact
  • Redesigning your services to directly enable the outcomes stakeholders care about
  • Creating new feedback loops to ensure ongoing alignment

Practical Examples of the Transformation

Let's look at how this could look in practice:

  • Instead of saying: "We delivered 15 training sessions this quarter." Talk about the difference those training sessions made: "We've improved project delivery capability, resulting in a 25% increase in on-time completion rates."
  • Instead of saying: "We've implemented a new methodology." Try talking about what that methodology delivers: "We've enhanced strategic alignment, with 95% of projects now directly supporting business objectives."
  • Instead of saying: "We produced 24 status reports this quarter." Explain how those reports helped your stakeholders: "We've improved executive decision-making speed by 40% through targeted insight delivery."

The shift isn't just cosmetic - it requires you to fundamentally think differently about your role. Are you a producer of PMO services, or are you a creator of business value?

And while we are thinking about how we communicate differently, I think it is important to remember that different stakeholders and different stakeholder groups will have very different outcome priorities based on their roles in the organisation.  Listening to the things they talk about, the language they use and listening to really understand their perspectives is critical, especially during the research phase of your transformation.For example, Senior executives might care about strategic alignment and ROI while Project Managers might value improved delivery capability and reduced administrative burden and Functional managers might focus on resource optimisation and risk reduction

If you want to know more about listening to understand, click here

These unconscious biases are not the only challenge to overcome when you are planning this transformation

When you are planning your transformation to an outcomes-focused PMO, there are some other things you need to get curious about solving

How are you going to measure your outcomes?  It is relatively easy to measure your outputs, the number of reports you produce etc.  Measuring your outcomes is more complex and typically takes longer since the outcome may well not be instant.  Often, the outcomes may not be felt in the short term.  Planning for both quick wins and the longer-term outcomes  from the start will help you build in the various considerations along the way

Will your initial processes, systems and outputs actually deliver the desired outcomes?  We need to remain focused on the outcomes while having a degree of flexibility about how we get there.  Do you need to modify what you are doing and your outputs along the way to get to your intended outcomes?  Regular periods of reflection will help you here.

How well aligned are your stakeholders?  With multiple stakeholders come multiple agendas.  Ensuring you are reflecting each of the stakeholders' criteria for success can be challenging, but it is also an opportunity to demonstrate true business partnering value as you help them align and engage with your programmes.

Building Your Outcome-Focused PMO

So what does this mean for you practically? Here's how to use Applied Curiosity to drive your PMO transformation:

Start with the Reseach

Begin by mapping your stakeholder landscape. Who are the people whose perception of your PMO matters most?

For each group, research:

  • What business outcomes are they measured on?
  • What challenges keep them awake at night?
  • How do they currently make decisions?
  • What would success look like from their perspective?
  • How valued and trusted is our PMO?

The PMO 360 Tool can simplify and accelerate this process.

Move into Reflection

Take time to think about what you've discovered. How does it compare with what you currently deliver? Where are the gaps? What assumptions might you need to challenge?

This reflection time is crucial; it involves giving yourself time to think and adding some structure to that thinking time to enable you to formulate the best possible plan

Take Action Through Reaction

Based on your research and reflection, begin experimenting with new approaches.  These may include things like:

  • Reframe your value proposition in outcome language that resonates with each stakeholder group
  • Redesign your metrics to measure business impact rather than just output delivery
  • Restructure your communications to lead with outcomes and support with relevant outputs
  • Create feedback loops to continuously validate that your outputs are driving the outcomes stakeholders care about

The Ongoing Journey

Remember, this isn't a one-time fix. The Applied Curiosity Process is a virtuous circle, with each revolution building on the previous one. Your stakeholders' needs will evolve, your organisation's strategy will shift, and your PMO must continuously adapt to remain relevant.

If you take nothing else from this article, here are the three key principles to remember:

Outputs are only valuable if they create outcomes

Your methodology document is just paper until it becomes improved business outcomes

Stakeholder perception is shaped by unconscious bias

Take time to really understand them and then address them through structured communication and education.  Remember you have unconscious biases too!

Applied Curiosity provides the framework

Use Research, Reflect, React to continuously align your PMO with evolving stakeholder needs.


The question I would like to leave you with - are you ready?

So, are you ready to transform how your PMO is perceived?

Your PMO's survival - and success - might depend on your willingness to get curious about this fundamental shift from outputs to outcomes.

The Next Steps

The Applied Curiosity Model gives a simple and effective way to start transforming how your PMO is perceived.  If you are curious about how applying this approach to your PMO could impact your work and your leadership, let’s chat.

Curious to know more about transforming your PMO using the Applied Curiosity Model? Book a conversation with Bekka

Book here

Quoted References:

Bourne, L. (2006). Supersizing PMO performance. Paper presented at PMI® Global Congress 2006—Asia Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand. Project Management Institute. Retrieved from https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/supersizing-pmo-performance-stakeholder-relationship-7640

Duggal, J. S. (2006). In the pursuit of the elusive: showing PMO value! Paper presented at PMI® Global Congress 2006—North America, Seattle, WA. Project Management Institute. Retrieved from https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/pursuit-elusive-pmo-value-6873

HotPMO. (2025, January 25). 6 Cognitive biases that PMO professionals need to be aware of. Retrieved from https://www.hotpmo.com/blog/6-cognitive-biases-that-pmo-professionals-need-to-be-alert-for/

Monday.com. (2025). How to build a strategic PMO framework in 2025. Retrieved from https://monday.com/blog/project-management/pmo-strategy/

PMI. (2013). Unleashing the power of the PMO. Retrieved from https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/project-management-office-strategic-goals-4122

ProjectManagement.com. (2017). Talking in business speak about PMO value. Retrieved from https://www.projectmanagement.com/blog-post/27653/talking-in-business-speak-about-pmo-value