As new technologies emerge and change the way we run businesses, so does the way we manage projects. If you were to compare the project management tools to those of just a few years ago, you’d likely notice a significant difference. Therefore, it stands to reason that a few years from now we’ll have tools that help our project management techniques in a number of ways that don’t currently exist.
By keeping an eye on project management trends, you can be one of the first to adopt the latest innovations. These innovations typically allow us to operate more efficiently, improve communication and make our employees happier. Below are just a few project management trends that are starting to emerge and will likely have a big impact before long. If you’re not already implementing some of the strategies below, now is the time to consider them.
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ISMS
An area to pay particular attention to is data security and privacy. Much of our project management now takes place on the internet, and while this comes with a lot of advantages, it also makes it more vulnerable. To protect your business, you should explore ISMS. ISMS, or Information Security Management, is a software solution that contains a set of security controls designed to protect your project management assets.
Before picking your ISMS solution, it’s also a good idea to learn about the latest standards required of an ISMS. You’ll want to learn what is ISO 27001 to better understand how it all works. In fact, once you know about ISMS software and the protocols they need to follow, you’ll be able to protect your project management assets going forward.
Remote Work Project Management
More businesses than ever before are having their teams work from home. This is partly due to the recent health crisis but it’s also due to businesses realizing the benefits. Allowing teams to work from home can save a business a lot of money on office space but can create some challenges for project managers. Without everyone in one location, project managers must adapt how they manage their teams for maximum effectiveness.
With this in mind, project managers should learn how to use hybrid remote work models.These work models include things like the best software to manage teams both in-person and at home, in addition to strategies for improving communication and effectiveness. As more businesses are likely to rely on remote workers in the coming years, now is the perfect time for project managers to learn the best practices for success.
Project Management Automation
Automation is another area that project managers should keep an eye on. With automation, project managers can not only save themselves a lot of time but gain more insights into their projects. New AI tools can handle a lot of the simpler, but time-consuming tasks, that a lot of project managers face. For example, AI tools can handle the scheduling of meetings and deadlines and help to collect important data.
Project managers interested in making use of AI and automation should start by exploring which of their daily tasks take the most time. Then look for existing project management tools that can handle these tasks for you. Chances are, there is already software out there that can reduce your daily workload. If not, it likely won’t be long before this software hits the market, so make it a regular habit to keep looking for new AI and automation project management software.
Managing Personalities and Emotions
A major trend going forward will be for project managers to focus more on their team members’ personalities and emotions. Too often, project managers treat their team members as numbers in a spreadsheet. They look at which members are performing well and which are not.
A better approach is to consider each individual team member and find ways to maximize their efficiency. For example, let’s say you have one team member that is underperforming. After having a discussion with them, you discover that they are having some personal issues at home and allowing them to work from home would significantly reduce some of their stress. You then set this person up to work remotely and quickly see their productivity rise.
Everyone has their own personality and emotions. Project managers need to learn more about their team and adjust their management style to fit those working for them. Doing so can increase productivity and employee happiness while also reducing turnover.
Data Analytics
Lastly, there is data analytics. It’s hard to know how to improve your project management operation without a solid foundation of data to analyze. Project managers should have a system in place for collecting as much data as they can about their projects and teams. Then, they should develop a regular habit of analyzing this data, looking for ways to improve things.
By implementing a strong data analytics approach, you can learn things such as:
- Which tasks take the most time
- Which team members perform the fastest
- Which team members regularly miss deadlines
- Areas of your development with bottlenecks
- Whether you are over or under budget
- Resource utilization
- Revenue forecasts
Now is the perfect time to begin to collect data about your project management operation. Once you have collected a significant amount of data, make it a habit to study it, then start making better decisions based on it.
Study Project Management Trends to Gain an Advantage
The project management trends above are a good place to start, but it won’t be long before new ones arise. To give yourself a competitive advantage, you need to not only regularly look out for new project management trends but be willing to try them out in your own business. Some of them will work better than others, but the purpose is to develop an atmosphere of innovation and adaptiveness. If you can do this, you should find that your project management techniques continue to improve over time and that your business reaps plenty of benefits from it.
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