But where do we currently stand?
A few years ago, there were already complaints that project management was outdated and being replaced by agile approaches. Meanwhile, there are also voices saying that agile approaches have failed after more than 20 years, most organizations still have a limited agile mindset despite using Scrum, SAFe and the like.
And now AI is set to replace the project manager altogether.
In my opinion, neither one nor the other is true.
Both are changing and evolving, and that's a good thing.
Agility emerged in the 90s of the last century when a group of clever minds were looking for new ways to develop software after a number of project debacles.
While project management in the first 15-20 years of this century developed even more strongly into a process-oriented method, in recent years there has been an increasing focus on a modular approach, where principles, value delivery and tailoring are the focus (example PMI - PMBOK Guide 7th Edition from 2021).
Most methods have always distinguished between project execution and project management.
This distinction makes it possible to plan, execute and control both classic, sequential (e.g. waterfall) and agile approaches to project execution using the same project management method.
In my view, the distinction between project execution and project management, as mentioned above, is fundamental.
These are two different disciplines that need to be kept separate.
Only this separation allows a modular approach to project execution geared to the specific problem.
As a result, project management has largely moved away from rigid processes and back towards agile, modular frameworks such as SAFe.
Where are we going?
- 1. I have been observing more and more that there will be even less of THE project management method, but that different ones will be needed depending on the industry, organization and problem.
This makes the modularity and adaptability of a method all the more important in order to integrate specific techniques, models and approaches.
While dynamic IT companies continue to drive forward agile approaches, classic, well-structured and documented project methods continue to prove their worth in the public sector.
With modularity, project management becomes adaptive and can adapt to the corresponding needs, organizations and cultures.
This means that the question is no longer whether agile or project, but rather how do I use and integrate both as optimally as possible and what will get me further?
The above-mentioned distinction between project execution and project management forms the basis for this.
- 2. Furthermore, in line with the current trend of greater emphasis on leadership in business, project leadership is also becoming increasingly important.
Currently, individual aspects of project leadership are integrated into project management methods, but as project leadership becomes more important, it will be viewed as a separate discipline.
While project management takes care of the operational implementation and monitoring of activities, costs, quality and risks in the project, project leadership looks after the people in and around the project, gives them direction, explains the purpose of the project,
creates the best framework conditions and creates security and trust so that the project participants can contribute their best to the success of the project.
Leadership processes, leadership skills and leadership awareness are the building blocks. With project leadership, the skills and social competencies of the project leader come to the fore.
- 3. Not surprisingly, the topic of AI in projects will offer even more possibilities and thus change projects and make them more efficient.
Whether projects will improve as a result remains to be seen.
Let's take a look at the individual areas:
- Depending on the problem and the development processes used, AI can efficiently support the organization in project execution and fully automate certain areas.
- AI-based functions have already found their way into project management in the areas of planning, control and reporting and have significantly increased efficiency.
AI is becoming a central support for project management but will not replace it - at least in the next few years. Why? AI, especially generative AI, is data-based and therefore past-oriented and uses probability calculations to calculate the best possible result.
Projects, on the other hand, also use data and knowledge from the past, but are future-oriented, unique and innovative. This still requires open, creative, imaginative and social people and teams.
- In project leadership, where empathy, authenticity, systems thinking and strategy focus are important, AI is primarily limited to information procurement and communication.
- Such AI-based functions are often still stand-alone applications but will very soon be integrated into traditional project management tools, which means that there will be new distinguishing features in terms of functions, scope, integration and usability when selecting tools.
- Finally, I suspect that with the penetration of AI, the current versions of project management methods will be adapted very soon.
In particular, I expect the Project Management Institute (PMI) to publish the latest edition of the PMBOK Guide (Eight Edition) this year - as they do every four years - which will certainly be very interesting.
Conclusion
The year 2025 will therefore be very exciting and instructive.
Projects will be more efficient but not become simpler, but even more complex.
As a result, the demands on a project manager will increase considerably, which should be taken into account both in the selection process and in training and further education.