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?
The adoption of prompt engineering will give value in project management to those who have a good capacity to adapt in this disruptive world.
I agree it will add value, but I see it leveling the playing field. In the end, it will lower all of our value overall. As we become more familiar with its uses and best practices, I can see a world where AI can lead to the deflation of PM and knowledge workers' values. It opens the doors for many novices. For example, I could use AI to help me fix some code I was trying to learn. Here's the catch: I do not know how to code. Yet, it helped me get started and build a rough draft. Therefore, I saved money and time from paying an entry-level developer. The same goes for AI art; I can now create decent-quality designs without the need for a designer to help me get my point across.
However, those who learn and master it early and stay ahead of the pack will run the show. Saving Changes...
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for bringing up the topic. Prompt engineering is a boon and helps in bringing out the content which we usually take hours or days to create. The only word of caution is to ensure that the content is accurate and that nothing confidential goes through. The approach I usually follow is to have a pre-GenAI-prompt which helps assure that I am not crossing the boudaries with data sensitivity. Saving Changes...
PRANAV SHUKLAAssociate VP - Customer Support & PMOGA Regional Communication Lead| TSI PLC.Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
GenAI and prompt engineering is definitely going to help PM across as this the new change which is coming our way and as a PM we should utilise it to best. Saving Changes...
Davide La ValleDigital Business Partner| IntesaSanpaoloTurin, Italy
I think that our profession still requires a broad view of different areas and a comrehensive understanding of problems, processes, communication skills. GenAI is still another tool in our toolbox that can help and assist us in our work, and prompt engineering is a required skill to get better and effective results. Saving Changes...
LUIZ FREITAS JUNIOREngineer| Tranship transportes maritimos ltdaRio De Janeiro, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Prompt engineering has the potential to automate certain aspects of project management and also presents opportunities for PMs to elevate their roles. By focusing on strategic thinking, human-centric skills, ethical AI integration, and continuous learning, project managers can differentiate themselves and command higher value in the evolving project landscape. Saving Changes...
Rory MiottProgram Manager| Freddie MacPotomac Falls, Va, United States
AI
only know what it has been trained and has access. Simple tasks will be where it excels, however critical thinking around a project, corporate strategies & mission are still the domain of the PM who manages stakeholder engagement and information. The PMs that effectively use Ai will have time to enhance stakeholder management and engagement.
Prompt engineering can help differentiate project managers by enabling them to leverage AI for more efficient project execution, strategic decision-making, and enhanced communication. By mastering these tools, PMs can command higher value and focus on higher-level responsibilities that drive project success. Saving Changes...
dawn dampierConsultant| ConsultantNorth Carolina, United States
Will the widespread adoption of prompt engineering commoditize project management skills, or can it help PMs differentiate themselves and command higher value?
I suggest both. General business/org colleagues will add PM skills to their everyday tasks (commoditize) AND PMs with PE expertise will become SME within an org. Isn't it good to have more general staff using PM best practices in their day to day AND have PM SME in the org to guide PM best practices within the org? Saving Changes...
I believe the latter especially given the need to a) fine tune the prompts and b) validate output and responses. Seasoned PMs will need to utilize their knowledge to assure both of these key needs are met. Saving Changes...
Marion DalackerConsultant| Integrated Project ManagementCarver, Mn, United States
I think it provides the opportunity for PMs to add more and individualize the value that is delivered. We each have different ways of viewing a situation, critical thinking and assembling the information to deliver a result. Saving Changes...
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