At PMO unCON this year, a single question stuck with me weeks later: "How are you driving value?" It's a question we ask about PMOs all the time. But standing there, I found myself turning it inward — and wondering what would have changed if I'd asked it about myself, much earlier in my career. How would it have changed my trajectory?
Value is in the eye of the beholder. Each stakeholder holds a different perspective — and assigns a different definition of worth.
When I focus on the business, I drive value by executing projects on time and within budget. But when I expand that lens, the picture shifts.
I drive value for my peers through mentorship, strong project management fundamentals, emotional intelligence, and genuine curiosity. For my project teams, the value isn't organization, communication, or metrics; it's psychological safety, curiosity, and the kind of presence that makes people feel capable. For my leaders, it's independence, perseverance, and showing up as someone who lifts the people around me. Through volunteering and industry panels, I extend that value outward, to the profession itself.
And for myself? I drive value through learning, sharing ideas, helping others develop, and continuing to grow.
Learning, problem-solving, communication, and mentoring others do. Consistently. Looking back, every time I started to lose excitement, I was out of alignment with those threads.
The question we ask about PMOs: "How are you driving value?" applies equally to how we navigate our careers and our lives. When something feels stagnant, ask it. If the value you drive for yourself isn't showing up for other stakeholders, it's a signal. Use it to evaluate your next role. Value alignment is what keeps you engaged, energized, and effective.
And keep coming back to it. The question doesn't have a final answer. It has a direction.
How would it have changed my trajectory?
Asking it earlier would have saved me from burnout. From losing my confidence. From staying in environments that no longer fit. It would have guided me toward the work that matters most.
It still does.
This piece grew out of a capstone reflection from PMO unCON North America 2026. If questions like this one are shaping how you think about your PMO or your team's development, let's connect on LinkedIn ↗.