Will the widespread adoption of prompt engineering commoditize project management skills, or can it help PMs differentiate themselves and command higher value?
Director, Learning Design & Development| PMIAsheville, NC, United States
Hi PMI Community! I’m Sarah Philbrick, and I work as a Product Manager at PMI with a focus on our learning offerings. As we go on this skill-building journey together, I’m excited to engage in meaningful conversations, explore trending topics, and learn from each other.
Reflecting on one such topic, GenAI and prompt engineering, I am interested to hear your perspective on commoditization vs. differentiation.
Will the widespread adoption of prompt engineering commoditize project management skills, or can it help PMs differentiate themselves and command higher value?
While prompt engineering may streamline certain aspects of project management, skilled project managers who combine technical knowledge, soft skills, and strategic thinking could be continue to command higher value.
Excellent discussion, Golam Rob. I firmly believe that prompt engineering may streamline certain aspects of project management; skilled project managers who combine technical knowledge, soft skills, and strategic thinking could continue to command higher value.
Additionally, adopting prompt engineering will give value to the project as you combine new technologies, technical knowledge, soft skills, and strategic thinking that differentiate them and command higher value in each project and process phase.
Outstanding discussion; I really enjoyed it.
I feel AI will not replace PM's and BA's but instead allow them to streamline their own work and develop greater efficiency. Humans in the loop of AI processes will always be needed, in addition to the soft skills, facilitation, and other pieces AI has yet to master. There will always be information humans know about their projects that isn't documented for AI to ingest and therefore those nuances are lost without people. Saving Changes...
Yes. Anybody who knows their job and role will further enhanace and excel. It's all about making use of the prompt engineering to do your faster and smarter. Though GenAI will not immediately replace all the roles but it will definitely enable one person perform mutlipel roles thereby reducing the necessity of more number of people in a Project ot Program. Saving Changes...
I work in a healthcare setting. Cybersecurity to protect PPI is our number priority in the IT sector which means a lot of AI capabilities have been restricted. It still remains incumbent upon the project manager to be able to have enough of a knowledge base to leverage AI, but recognizing that AI cannot have access to all of the data required to replace the project manager. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Our company is doing, in critical infrastructure is conducting a year-long plus "controlled" experiment with how we will use AI. We are currently in Phase II of the project and it is going well. Saving Changes...
Christine PurvianceSr. HR Manager| Avista UtilitiesCheney, Wa, United States
I don't believe it will commoditize PM work. Rather, it will be a tool to enhance effectiveness and efficiences, allowing the PM to focus on matters needing handled by a human. Saving Changes...
The adoption of prompt engineering will give value in project management to those who have a good capacity to adapt in this disruptive world.
Right on! It makes me think of the book "Who moved my cheese?" about dealing with change. AI is moving the cheese big time and adapting to the use of prompt engineering is following the cheese. Better cheese is ahead! Saving Changes...
I like the CREATE approach. It sounds to me like a more detailed and robust version of the user story framework in software development/Product management. As a [Type of user or specific role/ persona], I want to [perform some action aka my request or need] So that [I can achieve some goal/benefit] . The format is really important to specify. Saving Changes...
Prompt engineering will help project managers to augment existing skills. However, I do not believe that it will replace seasoned project managers who have built up vast information stores based on their experiences on different projects. It takes years to understand different personalities and propensities which guide the way interactions occur in order to arrive at the best possible outcome. These things work in favour of project managers. Saving Changes...
The answer to this question is a matter of generations.
For my generation of senior project / program managers, AI is really enhancing the work, making it easier, faster, and eliminating a lot of the chores we needed to spend hours to do before. Our experience cannot be replaced by AI.
Due to AI limitations, our experience as senior project/program managers is still needed to control, correct, and direct AI.
But, I have the firm conviction that AI will reduce the needs for junior project managers. Why would you pay, form, train junior project managers when AI can do better than them, and for significantly less.
So eventually, AI will transform deeply the job itself, how can you become a senior, battle hardened project manager, without starting as a junior project manager, and learning by try and fail system. The path will be different from the current one, this is the exciting challenge ahead of us.
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