The Project Manager of The Future: Developing Digital-Age Project Management Skills To Thrive in Disruptive Times
The Project Manager of The Future: Developing Digital-Age Project Management Skills To Thrive in Disruptive Times
The Project Manager of The Future: Developing Digital-Age Project Management Skills To Thrive in Disruptive Times
The Project Manager of the Future : Developing Digital-Age Project Management Skills to
Thrive in Disruptive Times (13 p.) Newton Square: PMI. (072996)
THE PROJECT MANAGER OF THE FUTURE | Developing Digital-Age Project Management Skills to Thrive in Disruptive Times
In-Depth Report
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THE PROJECT MANAGER OF THE FUTURE | Developing Digital-Age Project Management Skills to Thrive in Disruptive Times
ABOUT THIS REPORT PMI’s Pulse of the Profession® in-depth commissioned research was conducted online
by Forrester Consulting for PMI among 469 human resources (HR) professionals who
hire, direct, oversee, and/or train staff that work on projects or programs, as well as
523 project leaders. The HR professionals are managers or higher at mid-to-large size
organizations (50+ employees). Respondents were in the United States, Canada, Brazil,
the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, India, and Australia. Forrester Consulting
also conducted in-depth interviews on behalf of PMI with six HR professionals and 10
project leaders.
PMI has spent a great deal of time studying the future and new ways of When we think of digital skills, we often think of computer-oriented tasks
working in this profession. As we outlined in our 2018 Pulse of the such as coding or using software skills effectively. But building a truly digital
Profession® Report, Success in Disruptive Times, the future of project skill set that enables success in today’s digital environment requires the
management will require organizations and individuals alike to embrace combination of skills you’ll see outlined in this report. Specifically, the top six
“Project leaders are a full spectrum of competencies and approaches, along with a wide digital-age skills are outlined on page 5. They are: (1) data science (data
becoming even more range of titles and methodologies. By maturing their ability to activate management, analytics, big data), (2) an innovative mindset, (3) security and
essential as the value delivery landscape, organizations will minimize their risks, privacy knowledge, (4) legal and regulatory compliance knowledge, (5) the
organizations recognize control costs, improve speed to market, and increase value. ability to make data-driven decisions, and (6) collaborative leadership. Isn’t it
interesting that some of the “softer” skills, such as innovation and collabora-
that strategy is Not only is global business being impacted by technological disruption, tion, also show up as being important in the digital age? We’ll examine that
implemented through but so are the roles of those who manage the projects. We see their roles further in a sidebar conversation with our partners from the Society for
projects and programs, within the value delivery landscape expanding to be those of a strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM).
advisor, innovator, communicator, big thinker, and versatile manager.
and as disruptive Project leaders are becoming even more essential as organizations As we watch this profession grow—both in terms of demand for skilled
technology frees them recognize that strategy is implemented through projects and programs, professionals and the expansion of skill sets—we designed this research to
from mundane and as disruptive technology frees them from mundane routines, better understand how organizations are preparing their project talent to
providing more opportunity to innovate. Their titles are evolving. We see manage the impact of disruptive technologies and the role project leaders are
routines, providing project managers; team leads; scrum masters and product owners; playing. In this closer look at how disruption is fueling the evolution of the
more opportunity to delivery, implementation, and change managers; and transformation profession, we offer some next steps that organizations can take now and in
innovate. ” leads, among others. Mainly we see the lead project role evolving from the future to maintain competitive advantage. You may think that the steps
project manager to project lead, and even becoming project executive in are fairly simple, but keep this in mind: The simplest solution is often the best
some organizations, which is reflective of the expanded and essential (and it’s usually the one that’s overlooked).
MARK A. LANGLEY, role these professionals play in managing through disruption.
PMI President and CEO Let’s do great things together!
In this new professional reality, project leaders (whichever title they
use!) continue to need a thorough combination of technical and project
management skills, leadership skills, and strategic and business manage-
ment skills, which are part of the PMI Talent Triangle®. In addition to this Mark A. Langley
important triad of skills, we know that organizations need project President and CEO
leaders with an ability to learn and keep pace with technology. As shown
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Developing Digital-Age Project Management Skills to Thrive in Disruptive Times
F O R E W O R D
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Pul se of th e Profe ssion | In-De pth Re port
TOP DRIVERS
TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
Organizations that succeed in this age of disruption are those that adapt rapidly to new
opportunities and challenges. Forward-thinking organizations are building better products SKILLS, TRAINING, AND DEVELOPMENT:
and creating stronger customer relationships with a speed that hasn’t been seen before. Innovator organizations see the most important
digital-era skills for prospective project leaders as data
They rely on a workforce that has the skills and experience to manage the impact of disruptive technologies, and science (data management, analytics, big data), an
pair those experts with the data and digital tools—artificial intelligence and machine learning, among others— innovative mindset, security and privacy knowledge,
that enable agility and speed. They empower employees to experiment with different ways of organizing work legal and regulatory compliance knowledge, the ability
and offer robust training to broaden their capabilities. They create roles, assign titles, and empower their teams to make data-driven decisions, and collaborative
to select the project management approach most appropriate to ensure success. leadership. Innovators also report investing in formal
processes to develop project manager competencies in
For this research, we surveyed 469 human resources (HR) professionals to gain a deeper understanding of these skills.
important existing skills as well as the new skills needed by project leaders to face current business challenges.
These talent managers direct and oversee staff who work on or manage TOOLS AND APPROACHES:
programs and projects. They are involved in hiring, recruiting, training, and/ 80% OF INNOVATOR Project leaders are using multiple approaches,
or developing project leaders. In addition, we surveyed 523 project leaders to ORGANIZATIONS including collaborative platforms and work
gain their perspectives on the same topic. ARE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE management tools, along with emerging, hybrid, and
AT RECRUITING AND traditional methods to help them deliver. Our research
For the HR professional audience, our research reveals very simple and clear shows that project leaders consider themselves ready,
drivers of effective management of the impact of disruptive technologies. HIRING PROJECT
willing, and able to use these tools and approaches to
These drivers provide a data-driven understanding of HR leading practices that LEADERS WITH THE manage the impact of disruptive technologies.
can deliver organizational success in the age of digital disruption. A regression SKILL SETS THAT ARE
model was used to determine the strongest relationships between talent
acquisition and talent development leading practices and project success.
NECESSARY TO DRIVE CULTURE:
THE ORGANIZATION Innovators are creating a culture that views disruption
FORWARD INTO A as an opportunity to enable dexterity. They value the
technological shift toward a digital environment as
DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT.
they encourage their project leaders to take advantage
of flexible practices and new tools, and pave the way
for a continued evolution to an environment where
people and machines work together toward more
successful outcomes.
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THE PROJECT MANAGER OF THE FUTURE | Developing Digital-Age Project Management Skills to Thrive in Disruptive Times
PERFORMANCE
LEVELS
In this report, we take a closer look at how HR and project leaders at forward-thinking The most successful organizations
organizations—those we call innovators—are focusing on these top drivers to successfully
embrace a mindset that sets them apart.
manage the impact of disruptive technologies. Compared to laggards, innovators have a
They are developing new ways of working
mature digital transformation strategy, are far more risk tolerant, and make the adoption of
new disruptive technologies a priority for their organizations. and relying on disruptive technologies
to gain a competitive advantage. To gain
The vast majority of innovators (80%) are highly effective at recruiting and hiring project a better understanding of what “good”
leaders with the skill sets that are necessary to drive the organization forward into a digital looks like, we focused on two performance
environment. And, nearly three-quarters of innovators consider their organizations highly levels among HR respondents:
effective at training project leaders. Those skill sets are featured later in this report, along with
examples of how innovator organizations have leveraged disruption to their advantage.
The organizations that will thrive in the face of disruption are those that invest in their talent INNOVATORS: The top 34% of the
to enable increased productivity, build better products and services, create greater efficiency organizations in the survey are those that
rate themselves as effective in managing
and automation, increase innovation, reduce paperwork, foster better decision making, and
the impact of disruptive technology.
automate mundane tasks. They embrace the value delivery landscape—or the full spectrum of Compared to laggards, they have a mature
competencies needed to deliver their projects and programs in a digital environment. Read on digital transformation strategy, are far more
to understand what the project leader of the future looks like and how successful organizations risk tolerant, and make the adoption of new
are working to stay one step ahead of disruption. disruptive technologies a priority for their
organizations.
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1 2 3 4 5 6
Data Science Innovative Security Legal and Regulatory Ability to Make Collaborative
Skills Mindset and Privacy Compliance Data-Driven Leadership
Data Management, Knowledge Knowledge Decisions Skills
Analytics and Big Data
It is interesting to note the skills that did not rank at the top of the list for HR managers: and motivations, as well as technologies that will provide the means to develop
customer focus and change management. This could represent a potential gap—and new products, services, and interactions. For any digital transformation, it’s the
an important learning opportunity—as both of these skills are essential to not only customer who must lead the strategy.
driving digital transformation, but also thriving in today’s evolving business world.
These new capabilities, however, will fail to meet expectations without established
Consider customer focus. According to PwC’s Future of Customer Experience Survey change management practices. According to a survey from Bain & Company 2,
2017/2018 1, 73% of customers worldwide say positive customer experience is a only 5% of companies executing digital transformation programs reported them
key influence in their purchasing decisions. And 32% say they would stop doing meeting or exceeding their expectations. And, as we outlined in our last Pulse of the
business with an organization after just one bad experience. Today’s customers Profession report, 28% of project professionals say that poor change management
demand personalization, speed, convenience, friendliness, and knowledge. Digital was a primary cause of project failure during the past 12 months.
transformation can enable organizations to meet those demands by putting in place
technologies that will help them gain a better understanding of customer behaviors 1
Future of Customer Experience Survey 2017/2018, PwC, 2017/2018.
2
Orchestrating a Successful Digital Transformation, Bain & Company, 2017.
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THE PROJECT MANAGER OF THE FUTURE | Developing Digital-Age Project Management Skills to Thrive in Disruptive Times
WORKFORCE READINESS
Disruption is the new normal, and success relies on a workforce that can manage management, analytics, big data), an innovative mindset, security and privacy knowledge,
the impact of new technologies. Project leaders are essential in tomorrow’s legal and regulatory compliance knowledge, the ability to make data-driven decisions, and
changing landscape. According to a 2017 report by the Institute for the Future collaborative leadership skills are also essential for future success.
and Dell Technologies 3, 85% of the jobs that will be available by 2030 haven’t
A majority (80%) of the innovator organizations are highly effective at recruiting and hiring
even been invented yet!
project managers with the skill sets necessary to drive their organizations forward. Almost
three quarters of these organizations recognize that it “ New disruptive technologies
More near term, 55% of organizations say the gap between the digital talent they need and
is important for project managers to understand the
the talent they can find today has widened in the last few years, reports The Digital Talent Gap have had a tremendous
impact of disruptive technologies on external custom-
study by LinkedIn and Capgemini 4. Similarly, 54% of organizations say this gap is hindering impact on our company in the
er projects and actively recruit project professionals past few years. Even project
their digital transformation programs.
with specialized skill sets that are necessary to man- managers who did not have a
age the impact of disruptive technologies. highly technical background
In this environment, digital-capable project professionals are essential. As we outlined in our
last Pulse of the Profession® In-Depth report, project leaders are well positioned to become were able to obtain a certain
But, while recruiting the right skills is necessary for level of technical skills. The
advocates for the disruptive technologies that will help them work more effectively. They
organizations to succeed at digital transformation, it main effect has been on our
are becoming versatile managers, innovators, and motivators, helping their teams embrace
doesn’t ensure success. Organizations must also focus mindset: We have developed
technology and disruption.
on internal improvements—including making training an entrepreneurial mindset
and development a priority, embracing new tools, and internally. As people become
The 2018 Workplace Learning Report, also by LinkedIn, details how employers are feeling
nurturing culture change—to effectively manage the more in touch with new
the crush of skill gaps across all industries, and how they’re responding by creating learning
change brought forth by disruptive technologies. technologies, they gain
opportunities to guide staff and their organizations to thrive in tomorrow’s labor market.
Training for interpersonal skills ranked as the top priority in the study. Results from our confidence that they can find
ways to get things done.”
2018 Pulse of the Profession® research are similar: Four in five respondents report that soft
skills, such as communication, leadership, and negotiation, are more important today than Shreyans Parekh
they were just five years ago. Our current research reveals that data science skills (data Manager, Technology Portfolio Strategy and
Product Marketing
New Relic, United States
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Pul se of th e Profe ssion | In-De pth Re port
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THE PROJECT MANAGER OF THE FUTURE | Developing Digital-Age Project Management Skills to Thrive in Disruptive Times
Innovators Laggards
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Pul se of th e Profe ssion | In-De pth Re port
Figure 3: Implementing Training and Development for Project Leaders Figure 4: Retraining to Work in a Digital Environment
They are supported through ongoing We make sure that employees’ managers have
allocated sufficient time for employees to engage
45%
training and development to ensure they
79% with our training resources 13%
have the necessary skills and experience
to manage the impact of disruptive 5%
technologies We provide complete online, instructor-led courses 43%
specifically for working in a digital environment 8%
They are provided internal peer-to-peer 77%
training programs to develop the required
skills needed in the digital environment 13% We get help from expert practitioners internally 42%
to hold ongoing “master class”-style sessions 8%
We pay for external, face-to-face
training opportunities to enhance skills 75% We provide online self-guided courses specifically 38%
required to manage the impact of 11% for working in a digital environment 5%
disruptive technologies
We encourage employees to seek guidance from
others through enterprise social media or other 35%
They are supported in their individual 73%
pursuit of any certifications required to collaborative resources 13%
develop competencies needed in the 8%
We provide short, targeted YouTube-like videos
digital environment for key topics specific to a working in a 32%
digital environment 11%
They are acknowledged for 71%
demonstrating leadership and strategy We furnish access to thirrd-party or vendor-provided
skills specific to a digital environment
8% 29%
training that is not specific to working in a
digital environment 5%
Innovators Laggards
We provide employees with a list of educational
29%
resources only, but offer no structured
training of our own 21%
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THE PROJECT MANAGER OF THE FUTURE | Developing Digital-Age Project Management Skills to Thrive in Disruptive Times
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Pul se of th e Profe ssion | In-De pth Re port
As seen in our previous Pulse of the Profession® in-depth report, the future these organizations see disciplined agile delivery and design thinking
of value delivery is a spectrum of approaches—predictive, iterative, as the growing approaches or processes that will be needed (Figure 6).
incremental, agile, hybrid, and whatever will come next to change We expect the use of these new practices to grow to the usage levels
how we work. Respondents in that survey reported in the previous 12 of the leading current practices of lean agile, Scrum, waterfall, and
months, an average of nearly one-half of their organization’s projects Kanban. These emerging approaches might also include a hybrid or
used predictive approaches, while nearly one in four used either hybrid combination of approaches. We will continue to research these future
or agile. approaches—or next practices—in upcoming studies.
Figure 6: Approaches Currently Used or Being Considered by Project Leaders to Manage Disruptive Technologies
Waterfall 45% 7%
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THE PROJECT MANAGER OF THE FUTURE | Developing Digital-Age Project Management Skills to Thrive in Disruptive Times
NURTURE
THE RIGHT CULTURE
Delivered by a network of stakeholders, often with conflicting interests, projects Figure 7: Investing in Culture
require powerful collaboration between organizations and professionals from
We create a culture that values the technological 80%
different groups. This involves sharing resources and aligning activities, which shift toward a digital environment
introduce a high degree of risk and the need for trust among participants. This 1%
We encourage project managers to take
can be difficult because stakeholders have their own idiosyncratic work practices, advantage of flexible practices that allow them to 79%
methodologies, and beliefs stemming from the organizational culture to which evolve project scope/requirements due to rapid
changes in technology 8%
they belong.
We keep project managers well informed about the
strategic objectives to embrace disruptive
78%
“These aren’t things that you can learn from a textbook or read…these are habits 3%
technologies and align projects with the same
that you have to instill and very much the right mindset that has to be brought to
the table,” Henk van Huyssteen, a senior program manager for Deloitte Consulting We encourage project managers to participate in 77%
in Cape Town, South Africa, told Projectified with PMI. strategic decisions regarding disruptive technologies 11%
“These aren’t things that you can learn from a We create a culture receptive to organizational 73%
change toward a digital environment 3%
textbook or read…these are habits that you have
to instill and very much the right mindset that has We expect project managers to have the ability to
adapt their management approach to the new and 71%
to be brought to the table.” disruptive technology shifts 3%
Henk van Huyssteen, Senior Program Manager
We create a culture that views disruptive
Deloitte Consulting, South Africa technologies as an opportunity to evolve 71%
best practices 3%
Innovators Laggards
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Pul se of th e Profe ssion | In-De pth Re port
CONCLUSION
Are You Ready?
The most forward-thinking organizations rely on the power of project leaders to capitalize on
all opportunities generated by technological disruption. One big competitive edge: Project
leaders are ready, willing, and able to help their organizations not just survive, but truly thrive,
in the face of massive change.
Yet, innovator organizations realize that project leaders with the right digital-era skill sets do not occur
by happenstance. Innovators know they must invest in three key areas:
Innovator organizations help their Innovators invest in the latest tools and Innovators create a culture that views
project leaders build the digital-age technologies to enhance the interaction disruption not as a threat—but as an
skills they need for project delivery: of their people and teams. And they’re opportunity.
Data science, an innovative mindset, embracing the entire value delivery
security and privacy knowledge, legal landscape to deliver projects and
and regulatory compliance knowledge, programs in ways that minimize risks,
the ability to make data-driven control costs, improve speed to market,
decisions, and collaborative leadership. and add value.
Continuous disruption is the new normal. And laggard organizations that are slow to adapt and advance
their project leaders risk being left behind—or worse, completely shut out. Innovators aren’t about to let
that happen. They’re adapting next practices to best practices to gain a competitive edge.
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Beijing
Bengaluru
Brussels
Buenos Aires
Dubai
Dundalk
London
Mumbai
New Delhi
Philadelphia
Rio de Janeiro
São Paulo
Shanghai
Shenzhen
Singapore
Sydney
Washington, D.C.