Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations worldwide have faced unexpected challenges. Indeed, the past year has been marked by adaptation. But when we think about the future, returning to the previous state may not be the wisest response.
You have probably heard the expression “new normal”; this term is circulating among companies and is directly related to management trends for the coming years. But why?
In 2020, the world has become even more digital. Even companies without a digital presence had to adapt. Despite the challenges, this is how they evolved quickly and became more competitive.
So, preparing for the right choices will be essential to grow and stand out. Read on to explore some of the key project management trends you can embrace to adapt to these changes.
What is Project Management?
Project management is a set of practices and skills used to plan, execute, monitor, and control a company’s projects, regardless of their size or complexity.
All projects must have a clear goal because they demand human and financial resources to be executed. Also, each project is unique because it depends on different situations and different stakeholders.
Emerging Trends in Project Management:
Digital and Remote Teams
Project management, like other fields, is no longer limited to a typical office. While the prevalence of telecommuting was already on the rise, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced an unprecedented shift. To halt the spread of the virus, companies have adopted new remote work policies that favor digital communication.
Besides, telecommuting offers many benefits, including greater flexibility, which can help a company attract and retain talent. Since telecommuting is likely to remain in effect even after the global health crisis eases, project managers must find ways to reduce inefficiencies that may arise. Clear and open communication has always been a key strategy for effective project management, but it will become even more relevant as this trend continues to evolve.
Soft Skills
Companies need a certain level of analytical and organizational skills to be effective in their roles. However, a project manager’s job does not end with the completion of the project and in itself. At the core of their work is the skill of managing people efficiently. For this reason, possessing an effective set of soft skills can be just as important as possessing the hard skills that are typically associated with this area.
Soft skills are the competencies relating to a professional’s personality and behavior. They involve mental, emotional, and social skills. In other words, they are particular skills, since they are born according to each person’s experiences, culture, upbringing, and education, among other factors.
Project managers must be able to anticipate the needs of their team, understand their motivations, and identify problems before they impact the progress of a project.
Hybrid Project Management Approaches
In the recent past, companies typically developed all projects according to a single project management methodology. While the specific methodology used may have varied between organizations, reliance on a single method was generally the norm.
In recent years, however, organizations have become increasingly adaptable in their approaches. Some have even merged different methodologies into hybrid approaches that are unique to the needs of their specific project or industry. The increasing adoption of alternative project management methodologies such as Kanban, Agile, and Scrum have contributed to this change, along with evolving corporate values that allow for greater flexibility.
While there are advantages to using a single method, those hoping to continue to evolve at a pace commensurate with the project management field should seek to familiarize themselves with all the major methodologies they can find.
Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, IoT, Machine Learning
Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, IoT, and Machine Learning are essential to every digital transformation taking place today. To succeed, companies need to adopt these technologies. Regardless of what area you use, there is no way to avoid the need to address these powerful technologies.
The best project managers are already harnessing the power of AI, ML, IoT, and big data to better analyze their operations, this allows users to use all their digital gadgets and other solutions more quickly and conveniently.
From web analytics to customer behavior analysis, these tools hold the key for companies to keep up with project management trends and stay competitive.
Platforms for managing remote and virtual teams
Managing virtual teams is virtually impossible without Cloud-based solutions. Companies will want to be more familiar with these tools to manage their teams wherever they are.
They may also look for more specific solutions. The most obvious are platforms that allow virtual meetings, which can be very useful, especially in the early stages of the project.
Many of these solutions include advanced video conferencing features, such as application and file-sharing that organizations use for both internal and external meetings.
Also, dedicated project management and time tracking software will eliminate inefficiencies and streamline the team’s work, as they facilitate access to actual hours of work that team members record. Thus, you will hardly have to make manual calculations, saving you precious hours that can be spent in other more relevant areas.
We hope that these trends have given you an overview of the future of project management and that they allow you to stay abreast of all the upcoming changes and new developments!
