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?
Ododoade AdewuyiAnalyst| CW Real Estateportland, ME, United States
May 24, 2024 5:41 AM
Replying to Sergio Luis Conte
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With the new generation of generative AI portfolio/program/project manager and business analyst role "are dead" at least in the way they were originally defined. I think a good source to understand that are the two courses on generative AI delivered for free by the PMI, mainly if you see the 3 layer model.
Honestly, I don’t think prompt engineering will make project management skills less valuable. If anything, it’ll highlight the difference between those who just manage tasks and those who truly lead projects. From what I’ve learned so far, especially around managing risks, quality, and working with teams, prompt engineering can actually make our work more efficient. It can help with things like drafting reports faster, analyzing project data, or even preparing risk assessments more quickly. But the core of project management like communicating clearly, managing expectations, and leading people through complex situations can’t be replaced by prompts. So I see it as a chance to add even more value, not get replaced. Saving Changes...
Permit me to put it this way - Prompt engineering mastery would help in siphoning out the “honey in AI honeycomb”, and as such every effective PMs that are also fully immersed in these skills are undoubtedly going to soar higher and remained indispensable in the scheme of things. Saving Changes...
Dale NolanSenior Services Consultant| GE HealthcareTrophy Club, Tx, United States
I believe in early adoption that AI will help PMs differentiate themselves and command higher value. As time goes on it will become more commoditized at a lower level of use but still differentiate at more complex levels. Saving Changes...
I believe there are 4 levels of AI with the 4th level being able to run an entire organization. I think the world is on the cusp of level 2. Since PMs support projects that affect entire organizations, to be completely replaced by AI will require level 3 or 4. Since we don't know when level 3 will come or level 4 , it could be a decade, 50 years, or never. Saving Changes...
Oscar ValentinProjects & IT Director| Gestion TI S.A.Santiago De Surco, Lima, Peru
May 24, 2024 7:55 AM
Replying to Md. Golam Rob Talukdar
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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.
It's not entirely accurate to say that portfolio/program/project managers and business analysts are "dead" due to generative AI, but it's more accurate to say that their roles are undergoing a significant transformation. Saving Changes...
Incorporating Gen AI into Project Management can help to greatly increase productivity, however I think Project Managers should be careful not to rely so much on it, especially for decision making because it may not understand the context of a project and the nuances of stakeholder interaction Saving Changes...
The widespread adoption of prompt engineering can support project management skills by providing tools and resources that enhance a project manager's ability to plan, execute, and monitor projects effectively. Prompt engineering can help PMs differentiate themselves by offering innovative solutions to complex problems, improving communication, and streamlining processes. By leveraging prompt engineering, PMs can provide higher value by delivering projects more efficiently, reducing risks, and ensuring better alignment with stakeholder expectations. However, the ability to differentiate and command higher value will ultimately depend on the PM's ability to apply these tools strategically and adapt to the unique demands of each project. Saving Changes...
Gen AI will free up the bandwidth of the management folks to focus more on strategy and what is really important, while leveraging AI to do all the groundwork. It facilitates and empowers the management. At the end of the day, it is the collaboration between Humans and AI that works best, not any one in silos. Saving Changes...
The adoption of AI related products for project management are at least 3-5 years away before it can full fill its potential. First the eco-system needs to be built across enterprise to be more effective like MS 360 as an example which is seamlessly integrated across organization making it a powerful tool for communication. Also you need to train employees to accept and embrace change by spending a good of amount time on exploring various options & agree on a set of tools to comply with. When it comes to prompt engineering its very difficult to standardize since each individual think in a unique way. Prompt mature AI engines will need enormous amount of data for a particular organization to blend & train data models to adopt with Industry best practice. This will allow to create results that can be used effectively across organization and rely on results of a prompt enabled plans that can go live to a real market execution even if prompt is not 100% accurate. The cost of refining plans will prove very expensive & prohibitive.
In My opinion we are in awareness stage of a product life cycle and all Project Managers who can begin their journey simultaneously through these next 3 years by learning, researching & adopting AI on a bigger canvas will be a deadly skill for sure.
My Question can AI replace Project Managers? My next topic to discuss. Saving Changes...
Kelly TerrellIBM - Learning and Knowledge Consulting Academy, Program Manager| IBMEvanston, Il, United States
May 24, 2024 7:55 AM
Replying to Md. Golam Rob Talukdar
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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.
Prompt engineering many not help PMs differentiate themselves as much as the PMs adaptability and skill already do. PE helps make those differences more apparent quicker Saving Changes...
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