And ... if this pandemic lasts for many months

Dear Thomas
Thank you for participating in this reflection and for your opinion

With online work (other possible names: telework, virtual work) can companies conclude that project managers are expendable?

I know that it is very difficult to do futurology in a situation as uncertain as the one we live in today

What skills will project managers need in the future?

Specific technical skills to perform the job?
Skills for team work?
Skills to ensure, like all other team members, management and leadership during a period?

Dear Kiron
Thank you for participating in this reflection and for your opinion

Interesting what you wrote: "I believe the PMs at risk are those who have been "checklist" PMs, imposing one-size-fits-all approaches and governance on their teams"

Question: Are there still project managers today who just do what you said?

If there is a purpose, of course, aligned with the business, can the project team take on the job?

Estoy completamente de acuerdo con Thomas, en momentos como estos cobra más vigencia la función del Gerente de Proyectos.
En general los lideres debemos asumir la responsabilidad de aportar ideas y soluciones a esta crisis, no sólo en el proyecto que nos ocupa por el momento, sino en el proyecto de vida que tenemos por delante. Debemos aplicar todas las herramientas que hemos aprendido en PMI y aplicado de manera exitosa en proyectos técnicos para ayudar a la sociedad en situaciones como la actual.
Y respecto a los cambios, es evidente que a partir de ahora debemos explorar mecanismos para desarrollar el trabajo remoto y buscar la forma de aplicarlo adecuadamente en proyectos que necesitan la presencia física como los proyectos de construcción de infraestructuras.

Luis,

since I worked with virtual teams, from home and hotels since 20 years, it is normal for me as part of my skills as a project manager.

Should be no problem for others. Will it make PMs dispensable? Not at all, on the contrary.

Second part of your question is are there more future skills, yes.


PMI had some research and surveys about this topic in 2019, in its thought leadership series.

Unfortunately I've met and continue to meet "checklist" PMs. Often times, that is what they've been conditioned to do by the heavy, one-size-fits-all governance model of their companies.

Your last question puzzles me - can the project team take on which job? That of the PM?

Kiron

Couldn't agree more with Thomas and Kiron's feedback, spot on ! I am in total agreement with their POV.

RK

Dear Luis,

If anything the role of the project manager will increase and with that experienced project manager who can migrate from the physical PMO to the virtual PMO will be heavily sought after.

Before COVID-19 it was AI and machine learning taking our jobs. Now its the possibility of being somewhat automated out of the entire project management life cycle.

The processes and knowledge areas of a project have not changed. The involvement of stakeholders at all levels in order to get decisions made has not changed.

The only aspect of the process that has changed, for now, is how we communicate even as projects get stalled, shelved, put on the back burner or cancelled.

What I do see is an increase of certain project methodologies over others, primarily agile over traditional waterfall.

Projects may now be delivered in workable and functional stages instead of one big bang that may take many years to complete.

This would apply to constructional and infrastructural projects as well as software projects. This bite size approach may reduce the risk of projects be stalled due to such interruptions as virus pandemics and other contributing factors.

Also ensuring value for money is realised on each project and that their is a sound business case backing up each project that is implemented.

There are many cases of projects being implemented purely because 'everybody else is doing it' and as such a crowd mentality creeps into the project management sphere on influence.

Resources of time and labour will be more closely monitored and scheduling will become an ever increasing and important knowledge area of project management.

Daire