PM Disruption: The Gig Economy
Mike Griffiths is an experienced project manager, author and consultant who works for PMI as a subject matter expert. Before joining PMI, Mike consulted and managed innovation and technology projects throughout Europe, North and South America for 30+ years. He was co-lead for the PMBOK Guide—Seventh Edition, lead for the Agile Practice Guide, and contributor to the PMI-ACP and PMP exam content outlines. Outside of PMI, Mike maintains the websites www.LeadingAnswers.com about leading teams and www.PMillustrated.com, which teaches project management for visual learners.
The Full-Time Fallacy
A change in work patterns toward more temporary roles is disrupting project management. People change jobs more frequently, and a higher percentage of people rely on multiple revenue streams for income. The gig economy is moving from niche player to mainstream as millennials enter the workforce with different career aspirations—and organizations tap new labor markets and reduce headcounts.
In an ironic shift of fate, job security that used to come from a steady job at a traditional company is now replaced by multiple short-term gigs spread across a balanced portfolio of organizations. Traditional businesses have shorter lifespans as disruptive technologies displace them. So, more irons in the fire (concurrent, part-time engagements) seems preferable to organizational loyalty.
It is worth differentiating project management work from other forms of freelance work. Many of the statistics we see about the rise of the gig economy are for supplemental work. Sites and services like Task Rabbit, Uber and Lyft focus on these opportunities that are often pursued for secondary income. Also, unfortunately many people have been forced into temporary work out of necessity rather than choice.
A report by McKinsey found 162 million people in Europe and the United States, about 25% of the working-age population, engage in some form of independent work. …
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