Tim ArthurRetired| SelfPalm City, Nc, United States
Where do you think PMgt is heading? Is it shifting away from command and control, or getting more deeply established? Do you think the shift away from technical skills will continue?
What do you think is on the radar for project management of tomorrow? Why even ask? Because we know that the future is destined to those that are best prepared for it.
The purpose of this discussion board is to build a mini-knowledge base on this topic so that it helps PMgrs estimate the strategic direction and impacts to their plans.
Frank WintersPhotographer and ConservationistSandwich, Ma, United States
Project Management needs to go back to the Future -- I like that movie almost as much as Star Trek! -- New techniques and tools like blogs are needed -- rapid and open communication is a key to project success. But -- let's face it we really haven't tried the traditional techniques -- not consistently as a profession. I've come to believe that much project failure is caused by teams and managers simply not doing what they know they should do.
So I see a future where we actually apply the principles we learn. In addition we will have agile teams using lean approaches to getting things done by dealing intelligently with constraints.
Frank, I have to agree. If a project manager doesn't talk about requirements or environment changes to me in person, by paper memo, by email, or by phone, why should I expect her to do so by blog? Saving Changes...
Tim is exactly right in his caution of embracing blogs (or other new, popular tools) and applying them to PM. I don't believe the problem we confront as managers is so much lack of ways to communicate or the volume of communications but rather the quality of information conveyed. We've got plenty of methods; we've not yet worked out the best ways to use them.
As to Tim's questions I think we will see more project focused work that will rely predominantly on the science rather than art since much will be done remotely, in casual affiliations and temporary relationships. I don't see how we do that without command and control, albeit mediated through comms and computers. Methods and contracts will become very important.
Saving Changes...
Tim ArthurRetired| SelfPalm City, Nc, United States
I love topics that make the overly trained Project Manager types *think* about traditional practices and weigh their value going forward.
Keep those great comments coming in!
Not sure if the question below is rhetorical or actual, but let me field it... the question is "if we can't get info from our team members today, how will we get it tomorrow via a blog"?
This goes back to motivation theory... we're motivated by WIIFM. Blogs are seemingly an outlet for folks to express themselves, so you're right, they may not be directing the blog info *to* us, but this is yet another resource that we can use to *get* information. It may pack more info than we need, which just goes to say that new multi-communication-protocol team members of tomorrow may find it increasingly difficult to share info as defined by our stereotypical PM constructs (eg: communications plan document. requirements mgt document. etc.).
As Frank suggests, and he's right, this is just new terms and tools but we shouldn't lose sight of the fundamental principles. However, the manner in which projects are practiced is changing. PMgrs and PMgt Organizations that recognize and capitalize on social trends like these, are more likely to succeed.
As an example... I am participating in an early product test. I plan to keep an internal blog about my customer experience testing, which will be far richer than just "defect numbers and cryptic defect descriptions" - and as such, could be of greater value to the product development team.
Thanks for the comments; they're good discussion points.
Does anyone have any suggestions about setting up a project blog? I have 3 continents in my project and think this would be a good way to increase communication in the team. Saving Changes...
Sorry, but the future of PM does not hinge on tools or techniques at the project level.
For once, PMI has got it (the future of PM) right with its new effort on what they call "Organizational Project Management." I have recently and frequently found myself saying that "Strategic Planning and its execution are nothing but project management writ large." That's the flip side of the fact that PM is the way to address the risks and capture the opportunities in a strategic plan -- to make it happen.
As organizations start to realize more and more that in order to improve operations or market offerings effectively, they need to behave as a coherent multi-project system and recognize and capitalize on the holistic nature of enterprise project management.
The future of PM is for top management to realize that they too play a serious project management role for their organization. Saving Changes...
Tim ArthurRetired| SelfPalm City, Nc, United States
Hi Frank, Thanks for the feedback. I like the blog you referred us to. ;-)
Blogs are not the ultimate tool... they are just a symptom that society is changing and as PMgrs we will need to adapt accordingly to ensure success.
Have a good day! Tim Saving Changes...
Tim ArthurRetired| SelfPalm City, Nc, United States
Pam, Contact your IT group and see if they can set something up for you, along with a "path" that will allow other employees on your intranet to be able to read your blog. It's very staightforward to do. If you're looking for an external presence, check out google for weblog providers, such as LiveJournal.com.
Thanks Tim...I'll try my developer buddies Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Lets agree the basic tenet Projects are how we best go about implementing strategy which will change something. As long as we have change, project management is assured a future. The challenge for project managers is how to bring order out of a chaotic world. This world may be one in which projects may be only to follow a principles (we are going to move to a new platform or we are going to merge with x company). What a project product will be are unknown at that stage. As we move through the process of clarifying objectives and getting to requirements a number of iterative steps will be needed. A variety of skills and competencies will need to be displayed not least those of political adroiteness, tolerance for ambiguity and high end leadership skills. In the end though the work will have to be chunked up so that it can be managed, time sequenced and controlled. The art will be in deciding what the chunks will look like and who needs to be involved in decision making. We need superhumans who can work in the holistic visonary world and can also be comfortable with handling detail. Oh yes they better understand all the human dynamics of dealing with Luddites and be able to rise to the challenge too.. Saving Changes...
