Trends

It’s exciting to think about what global trends and technological changes are out there and how they will impact our profession.  The potential for advancements and improvements in our ability to complete SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS is encouraging.  Over the past few weeks, we have explored emerging trends in employment and learning, emerging tools, artificial intelligence and the changing face of teams.  In my final post of this series, I’d like to explore the Impacts of Big Data/Analytics/Cyber Security and the increasing influence of Women in Project Management.

Big Data

Impact of Big Data/Analytics/Cyber Security

We are all overwhelmed by the sheer amount of data coming at us. The demand for products, for performance, for results – is growing.  Organizations and project teams that embrace these changes will be in a better position to compete.  One of the best ways I have found to distill down, understand and digest project health information is to use project dashboards in my project communications.  More and more, project management tools are incorporating dashboards with greater flexibility for filtering, gathering project data and providing metrics. And, more and more of these tools are cloud-based and easy to use.  The more project management goes online, the more concerns there are about security and data breaches.  Organizations will need to take a holistic approach towards data governance in order to ensure that data remains secure and compliant with global legal regulations and user privacy requirements.  Data will continue to come at us like a fire hose, and the ways in which we harness this into usable information is exciting to experience!

Women in Project Management

Women in Project Management

I have a vested interest in this last trend (or what I hope is a trend).  I know that I personally seek out and gain strength from reading about the successes and struggles of other women in project management and in technology. While women continue to be a minority in project management, I’m happy to see that this is quickly being addressed and the numbers of women in project management are increasing.  For example, at Dell Technologies, one of their moonshot goals is that “by 2030, 50% of our global workforce and 40% of our global people leaders will be women.”  As women continue to land in executive positions in and around project management, we will hopefully address the salary gap as well.  As women in project management, we need to continue to support each other and mentor and encourage young women to join our ranks.

There are so many exciting advancements occurring in the world.  As project managers, it is important to keep an eye on the future and try to understand how these changes may introduce negative risks or opportunity into our projects and our careers.  I’d love to hear your feedback on what trends you feel will impact us as project managers and what we should be doing to prepare and position our projects for SUCCESS.

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I want to thank you again for putting together an excellent workshop.  I have taken several courses on PM and I have to say, without a doubt, I left this one with more take-a-ways that are applicable to my work in product development than any other… After 40 years of managing projects of various sizes, I think I am finally able to transition from a dominating “seat of the pants” approach to an approach that is much more disciplined.  Never too late, I guess.

Eugene G. McNurlen, P.E.Project ManagerApplied Engineering Systems Trane