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?
This trend raises important questions about the future of project management in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Many people have wondered whether AI will replace project managers. It's clear that PMs need to adapt and learn how to use and leverage AI to stay relevant and effective in their roles.
Who would have imagined 20 years ago that vehicles would not need drivers? We may not be there yet, but we will be soon.
I am new to the world of project management having only just secured my first role in the space. However, I have seen where AI tools can be used as a way to add value and increase productivity ten folds while working. I work closely with the PM on my project and I do not believe AI will replace project managers but instead mastery of these tools will lead to an enormous increase in value for a PM with these skills. Saving Changes...
I think the ability to construct accurate, insightful, and value added prompts could benefit from a bit of standardization, albeit at the company level. It is important to understand when and where quick, macro-style prompts can streamline processes. That allows PMs and other members the ability to sit and think about what type of prompting will be most impactful, how to ground the data to focus results, and verify, which is the art behind the science and a skill discriminator
I think the ability to construct accurate, insightful, and value added prompts could benefit from a bit of standardization, albeit at the company level. It is important to understand when and where quick, macro-style prompts can streamline processes. That allows PMs and other members the ability to sit and think about what type of prompting will be most impactful, how to ground the data to focus results, and verify, which is the art behind the science and a skill discriminator
I think the ability to construct accurate, insightful, and value added prompts could benefit from a bit of standardization, albeit at the company level. It is important to understand when and where quick, macro-style prompts can streamline processes. That allows PMs and other members the ability to sit and think about what type of prompting will be most impactful, how to ground the data to focus results, and verify, which is the art behind the science and a skill discriminator
Prompt Engineering / AI will not replace Project Managers; it is reducing the commoditized administrative side project management. Routine tasks such as note-taking, reporting, and data analysis will be automated, allowing PMs and Project Teams to focus on leadership, stakeholder alignment, risk management, and decision-making. AI adoption is becoming a required skill for future Project Management success.
Project management skills can broadly be divided into two categories: hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills may be the first to be delegated to AI, potentially through specialized PM agents capable of delivering more accurate, data-driven, and predictive outcomes. However, soft skills such as leadership, empathy, communication, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement will be far more challenging for AI to replicate with a truly human approach.
AI is not exempt from GIGO! As with any tool, it is essential to learn the most effective ways to engage with it. My experience with built-in AI functionality in some PM tools highlights the need for better input. For example, an AI generated status report provided a comprehensive list of tasks completed in the recent sprint, but included information, such as individual contributor names and too much detail regarding the tasks. While the built-in prompt gathered the relevant information, I edited about 80% of what was provided to make it more relevant to the audience. Saving Changes...
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