The profession of project management has been around for decades. Concepts like earned value management were around during the 60's. Project Managers have been talking about the WBS and the "Project Plan" for as long as there are professional project managers. And just like any profession, we need to be cognizant on the trends that impact how we do our profession. Now just like a surgeon getting acquainted with new techniques and advances in performing surgery, we too as project managers need to be aware of things which impact us.
Here's a couple of major movements that occurred in the last decade. Whether we like it or not, this is where the tide is going.
Globalization
Yes, this might not sound so new to you, yet a lot of people tend to forget its impact. Gone were the days that a project is composed of people sitting in the same room or having a chat at the water cooler. Here's a list of what's happening more frequently nowadays:
Next post, we'll discuss about Mobility.Here's a couple of major movements that occurred in the last decade. Whether we like it or not, this is where the tide is going.
Globalization
Yes, this might not sound so new to you, yet a lot of people tend to forget its impact. Gone were the days that a project is composed of people sitting in the same room or having a chat at the water cooler. Here's a list of what's happening more frequently nowadays:
- Working hours are more skewed - this is to accommodate overlapping of working hours. Project resources nowadays need to have flexibility of schedule to ensure proper collaboration with resources from a different time-zone. Organizations that still merit employees for clocking in at 9 to 6 might need to revisit their policies as it may be counter-productive to their project.
- Cultural sensitivity is a must - a long time ago, this was not much of an issue as projects requiring interaction with resources / customers from a different cultural background were few and far between. Nowadays, it is very common to deal with various cultures in a single project. In situations like these, project teams need to be sensitive so as to ensure that there is a smooth working relationship between project resources of various cultures. Resources need to be aware of cultural norms, habits, communication styles, and even idioms and figures of speech used by the other cultures. Remember that no culture is superior to the other. We cannot and should not force (or assume) that Asians should act like Westerners or vise-versa.
- Price sensitivity is higher - The globalization of projects have been directly driven by the need for more cost-effective solutions. The spur of growth in the outsourcing business (or right-sourcing business - call it what you want!) is a clear indication that business are more keen in ensuring they get the biggest bang-for-buck, especially in their non-revenue generating projects. And just like what we've learned regarding the triple constraint, there is a need to look at the other factors in a project that will be impacted such as schedule, quality, risk, and scope among others. We cannot expect that the project can be delivered in the same amount of time if it were done in Delhi than in Delaware.
