Just like any area or facet of business, there are trends and ebbs and flows. Now that the first quarter of 2015 is already drawing to a close, we look back to see how things have progressed. What are the trends? Some definite trends in the world of business and project management are very team-oriented. They involve working together, team building, coaching, leadership, and flexibility.
Come Together
Coming together and working as a team is a definite huge trend for 2015. It’s no secret that technology has vastly changed the scope of project management and how we do business; therefore, many teams operate virtually and in different time zones, making collaborating on projects somewhat of a challenge. However, many project management software and other resources promote the usability and functionality of online collaboration, making working with teams remotely or in close proximity a snap.
Leadership
Leadership is becoming more in line with business management goals than simply “management”. The difference between managers and leaders is that managers simply delegate and “manage” tasks and projects. They are often disconnected from the actual “human” side of projects and function more of as a robot, which is never good.
On the other hand, leaders are more connected to their teams on a professional and intellectual level and encourage their team members to succeed, embrace conflict and project challenges, and even reach their professional and career goals.
Project management is really about project leadership, and how team leaders can really take ownership of projects and dive into teams to push them to be all they can be.
Coaching
Coaching is a similar element to project leadership. Coaching involves working with team members and even other colleagues to help them recognize their professional strengths and weaknesses, project-related challenges, and even long-term career goals. Coaching can also involve serving as a mentor, which doesn’t necessarily have to take place between a supervisor and a team member.
Coaching and mentoring can also be between team members. This can be beneficial in many ways including promoting teamwork and “coming together”, as we saw from the first point, and even bringing various points of view and experience to a particular project, which also promotes creative problem-solving.
Flexibility
Flexibility is another project management trend that is taking shape in 2015. With the ease, accessibility, and convenience of technology, work environments have grown much more casual and flexible. This flexibility among the workforce has also trickled down into project management. While a certain level of management and process protocol is important for managing projects, particularly those in technical or medical industries, project management also opens the door for creative problem-solving and personality types to shine through, ultimately contributing to a project’s overall success.
Finally, these four project management trends are crucial for any organization, company or PMO. In fact, many organizations are restructuring and shifting management patterns and workflow models in order to accommodate these trends in business. Following positive trends ultimately means project success.