If I think about Next Generation Project Management it became clear to me that this must be a question that has been asked since we started doing project management in centuries past and that everyone asked what next? When I use to teach project management I would tell people that it is a profession that has been around since the beginning of time – the great pyramids, megalithic structures like Stone Henge and Passage tombs at NewGrange in Ireland, up to modern times and shooting rockets into space – all require the ability to manage the people, resources, costs , materials etc to meet an end result.

And all of these generations would be asking how can we improve, what is the next and how will it help us  deliver better, in essence how can I future proof my Project Management skills and remain valuable to an organization.

But despite those questions and ways we believed we had improved project management do we see the statistics getting better in terms of delivering projects? The answer is NO. It is like looking into a crystal ball and trying to define the future and so what I decided to do was just a general query on ChatGPT and ask a simple question – what is the future of project management?

The answer – “In an era where efficiency and adaptability define success, the landscape of project management is evolving at an unprecedented pace. As businesses navigate complex challenges the ability to deliver change using cutting edge technology and innovative methodologies is not just an advantage but a necessity. Here we present the latest findings in how to do that and avoid the pitfalls.”

As I read the response I was thinking is it really about the ‘cutting edge technology and innovative methodologies? If ChatGPT is picking that up from the Internet than that is what people are saying but that just can’t be the case. Even the latest PMI research has methodologies like Agile declining slightly and the Hybrid model advancing, why, because we need common sense to prevail

According to the PMI Project professionals it is communication, problem-solving, collaborative leadership and strategic thinking that are the most critical of those skills and they always have been!

We need to spend more time honing our human skills to remain relevant in our AI world. It is up to us to re-invent how we deliver projects.

Next – what did we learn from the past…