PM Network

Z may be the last letter of the alphabet but the generation that letter represents is starting to come in strong in the workplace. In just a few years, Generation Z (born 1994–2010) will make up 20 percent of the global workforce. What are they like, what are their preferences, what are their concerns? The May edition of PM Network interviews two from Z who are new to the workplace and presents an infographic on what motivates Generation Z. It’s more than the fact that this group is digital-native—Z workers are entrepreneurial, have hefty salary expectations and fear lack of development opportunities and not finding a job that matches their personality.

Have you had an experience with Generation Z? What has your experience been? If you are reading this and are a member of Generation Z, what is on your mind as you start your workplace journey? Please use the comments below this post to discuss.

To the reader who wrote me that PM Network should have less on construction projects and more on IT/technology projects, we offer this compromise: An April cover story on cutting-edge technology taking hold in the world of building buildings. According to the story, 3-D building information modeling (BIM) is a prized tool for a new generation of construction project managers who use it to improve communication and reduce risks. The next step for many forwarding-looking firms is moving to 4-D BIM—incorporating schedule data, and then all the way to 5-D, which includes cost data.

Other innovative construction tools include using drones and GIS to speed surveying and make it more accurate; taking advantage of Internet of Things technology to track performance data for equipment and materials; and employing self-healing concrete, nanometals, preassembled modules and 3-D printing to cut costs and increase quality.

Shifting gears to the technology behind PM Network magazine, please use the comments to tell us how you prefer to read PM Network and why: In print? Via our digipub on a laptop? Digipub on tablet? On mobile phone? Or do you fancy our PM Network app on your mobile phone or tablet? Thanks for sharing your preference!

As business cycles accelerate, schedule compression appears to become the norm. But squeezing more project into less time doesn’t have to be a losing proposition. March’s PM Network cover story provides antidotes for this situation—some of them are counterintuitive.

Have senior leaders show their support for the changed schedule and spell out the business case. This will help get your team on board. Hold bonding activities—this will increase team adhesion in a pressured work environment. Communicate more by making meetings more frequent, as long as they are focused. This can bring up solvable obstacles to the compressed schedule.

Do you have tips on dealing with the “more, faster” conundrum? Let us know in the comments below.

An additional topic for discussion: Which type of PM Network article is more valuable to you, an article about an interesting project such as renovating the Colosseum in Rome or an article about project management techniques such as this month’s schedule compression? Please help us guide your PMI professional magazine (and member benefit) by telling us your preference.

Once you are done reading about The Rolling Stones—and I know that with those guys on the cover, that’s the February PM Network story you’ll read first—kindly turn to page 38. Here you can learn about the all-important customer experience. It’s essential in this rapid-paced-feedback world of social media that your project incorporates customer needs and desires from start to finish. If you don’t, you will hear about it quickly enough and loyalty toward your product and organization might take a crippling hit.

The article provides hints on how to interview and/or observe customers to gain insights into customer “pain points.” Experts say feedback data is also highly valuable for project teams to assess customer needs. A sidebar touches on how project teams can change their mindset to be more customer-centric.

For those looking at bottom-line value of bringing customer into the process, the article cites a McKinsey study: Bring customer experience into product development, the study said, and see revenue go up by 5 to 20 percent and costs go down by as much as 25 percent, all within two to three years.

How do you bring your customers into the process? How do you identify them and figure out their needs? Please share your stories in the comments below.

The World Bank predicts global GDP growth of 2.8 percent, up from 2.4 percent in 2016. While this should bring lots of opportunities for project managers, not all countries will share in that. PM Network’s annual jobs report focuses on the economic outlooks for India, Germany, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates, the United States, China, United Kingdom and Brazil. Practitioners give their thoughts on how the role of project manager will evolve in 2017. Also learn about five emerging economies—Vietnam, Mexico, Indonesia, Colombia and Botswana—with good project management opportunities.

Do you think your country will have economic growth in 2017? Please let us know in the comments.