Introduction

2020 has been anything but ordinary - with Covid affecting every aspect of our lives, we’ve been forced to adapt to change and embrace everything that has come with it. And more specifically, the change we’ve had to embrace within Project Management and the way we do things now as opposed to one year, two years, five years, and even ten years ago. The pandemic has forced us into thinking outside of the box in haste and whether we liked it or not, we had to adapt and adopt new ways of working to survive. Letting go of outdated methodologies, and management styles, looking to tools which are innovative and new-age practices to enhance our productivity. We’ve seen some exciting trends emerge in 2020 and we’re glad that they’re here to stay. 

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Remote Working

Covid forced companies to switch to remote working quite quickly in order to curb the spread of the virus - and the migration allowed companies to rethink processes and revisit those that were outdated. I work for a tech company and before the pandemic, we were still required to work 9-5 in a structured office environment - with the fear that working from home might not render the most productivity from its employees. Then, covid happened, and in a matter of days, we were setting up shop in our lounges, spare bedrooms, or kitchens - we signed out our equipment and were given compensation for any expenses we incurred from a data perspective. We had scheduled Microsoft Teams meetings at the beginning of the day, and again at the end of each day to ensure we were all meeting deadlines and over-communicating. Fast forward a few weeks on, we had increased our productivity and the company was reaping the rewards. Remote working was working. It is still working - and it’s been short of a year. What we’ve learned as a company, is that trust goes a long way. Trusting each other to communicate, to deliver and to do what is expected. At the end of the day, remote working has many benefits and those include flexibility, no need to commute, saving project costs, as well as the opportunity to work within diverse groups across the business.  Read my article on the tools and tricks I’ve implemented to help me project manage during this time and they’ve all worked like a dream. 

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Advanced Project Management Tools and Systems

Ease of use, reliability and ease of integration are the three most important factors to consider when choosing a software to manage your projects. Gone are the days when project managers would put a project plan together and have to manually update it. In the digital era, we are forced to be agile in real time - especially when working remotely. There are so many powerful project management tools out there that allow us to plan, execute, and control all aspects of the project. But they also allow teams to communicate, and collaborate on a single platform.  

“According to PWC, digital PM software increases performance and found that 77% of high performing projects use project management software.”

Emotional Intelligence

Over the last 25 years, research has shown that Emotional Intelligence is the most significant contributor towards personal success and well-being. Developing emotional intelligence can effectively contribute to productivity growth, profit gains, developing better leaders and leadership performance, lower staff turnover and general individual well-being. It allows people to better at managing themselves and interacting with others. As a project manager, your job goes beyond defining scope, meeting deadlines and staying within budget. You are managing teams and people and without that understanding of emotional intelligence, and people’s feelings and needs, it can contribute to whether a project is successful or not. It has become a necessary leadership skill around the world. For more on emotional intelligence and how to develop yours, click here.  

Incorporating Hybrid PM Approaches

As a project manager, it’s vital for you to use your discretion to understand which approach works best for your specific project. Not all projects are made equally and not all teams can stick to one specific methodology. Hybrid project management, is in simple terms, combining your more traditional approach (eg: waterfall) with agile methodologies. This allows for people with different views, working styles and expertise to work together in a more stable, efficient and effective way. 

Tip: I tend to use a more traditional approach when it comes to smaller, uncomplicated elements of the project, and an agile approach for more complex parts while working simultaneously on the project as a whole. 

The ever increasing rise and influence of AI and Automation

Many companies around the world have started using AI when it comes to their project management practices to perform daily tasks through automation. In simple terms, Project managers can use automation to perform complex tasks, from scheduling resources to data visualization and make informed decisions based on the captured insights. Gartner predicts that by 2030, as much as 80% of the routine work — which represents the bulk of human hours spent in today’s PPM disciplines, can be eliminated as a result of collaboration between humans and smart machines. So, instead of being threatened by smart machines, why not take advantage of this exciting trend and have that competitive edge over your competitors. For some ideas on how to implement AI and bots into automating your day to day PM activities, click here. 

Project Management Will Get a Central Place in the Business World

This is great news for project managers - we’re becoming more and more in demand. As a result of the pandemic, businesses across the globe are going to need to get back on their feet and once that happens, project managers are about to get significantly more important as a key player in the entire organizational structure. However, this places us in a strange position because we will be forced to deliver results and take on more responsibility than before. We’re going to be forced to relook at the way we have been doing things all along in order to adjust with our new demands. New toolkits, systems, processes and adaptive methodologies is what will get us over the line and organisations need to support these ideas - in other words, “out with the old and in with the new!”

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Conclusion

Change is the one thing we are certain of - and this year has proved it above all else. We need to constantly look forward and welcome new ways of doing things, learning from others, and anticipating the future. If there is one piece of advice I have for you, that is to rebuild, redevelop, redesign and reimagine your current project management systems and processes - it’s not about surviving the shakeup, but thriving through all the chaos.