As promised In "Project Management 2012: What's Coming... Part 1," here is the technologically-oriented sequel. Instead of dealing with leadership, communication and interpersonal skills, we will just be listing the technologies and ideologies with which every Project Manager needs to be familiar in order to dominantly position himself or herself in the PM contract marketplace in 2012. If you have just stumbled upon this post, please be certain to read the previous post (Part 1) at http://businessandprojectplanning.blogspot.com/2012/01/project-management-2012-whats-coming.html, and then click the "BACK" button in your browser and return to read this article.
Before going any further, while being technologically competent and conversant are the minimal requirement for any type of remotely vertical career trajectory in the PM field, bear in mind that the emphasis (in these economically-troubled times, where quality employment placements are in short supply and managerial skills are in even shorter supply, your emphasis is going to become more tuned into "MANAGEMENT" than "PROJECT".
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1) The number of projects involving the Cloud and Cloud Computing Solutions or Transitions will increase dramatically.
Major investments in developing and marketing this technology will drive demand on the client-side for more expertise on cloud-based solutions.
2) Outsourcers will form an integral component of Project Management Teams.
Outsourcers are no longer on the periphery of projects. With companies focusing on their core competencies and generating savings by using outsourcing partners, suppliers will become an integral part of project teams. These supplier-consultants will have an integral technical knowledge of cloud computing, and they will (in the interest of selling their wares) be the least expensive and most flexible, eager-to-please-all team members.
3) Challenging economic conditions means reducing costs is still important, and justifications will be required to "sell" projects.
This year will see companies reviewing internal processes and looking for additional cost savings to be delivered through projects. Successful project managers will be increasingly called upon to justify (in terms of ROI or capital recovery period) the increased savings that will be generated by client investment in any given project.
4) Leadership "buy-in" will be required for Agile, as will the ability to educate and induce teams to cooperate and utilize this tremendously popular PM solution.
5) Project management will increasingly be extended to include change and transition management -- and this will occur against a backdrop of very sudden, increasingly frequent and precipitous tactical and strategic changes.
Project objectives, scope and the methods of arriving at acceptable outcomes will be subject to change without much notice. The most successful PMs will have to be flexible, creative thinkers as fewer and fewer projects fit neatly into pre-measured containers.
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The opportunities will be best for those Project Managers who can think creatively and rapidly, as well as manage interpersonal relationships and keep teams cohesively aligned. The orientation will be less about technological installations and much more about being brilliant field commanders, leaders and 'MacGyver-type' problem-solvers with amazing resourcefulness.
On a positive note for the more ambitious among us, PMs will no longer be denizens of the hidden "geek terrarium," as they become frequent guests in the C-Suites of more and more companies.
Douglas E. Castle [http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com] for
Business And Project Planning And Management [http://BusinessAndProjectPlanning.blogspot.com]
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