PPP 424 | Project Management Trends You Can't Ignore, with Karla Eidem

In this episode, Andy interviews Karla Eidem, the Managing Director of North America region at Project Management Institute (PMI). The discussion focuses on the latest trends and developments in project management. They explore the evolution of project managers from executing technical aspects to becoming strategic partners in organizations. They also discuss the shift towards hybrid and agile approaches in project management and the impact of different work arrangements on team collaboration and project performance. Finally, they also touch on the role of AI in project management and the resources offered by PMI to support project professionals.

If you're looking for insights on how to keep up with the latest trends in leading and delivering projects, this episode is for you!

• "The role of the PMs has definitely shifted away from executing the technical aspects of a project to a strategic partner in the organization."
• "Project managers must also be adaptable and resilient to the well ever-changing business environment and be very competent in risk management."
• "A good project manager should know which tools to pull from their PM toolbox almost like a mechanic knowing what to do."
• "Work location does not have a negative impact on project performance. In fact, project performance rates for in-person, hybrid, and remote work actually yield similar results."
• "We need to be better storytellers. If we're not able to communicate effectively the value of what we do, then it'll be hard for the leaders of their organizations to even understand why they need to invest in project management."
• "A hybrid approach is actually gaining ground as the fit-for-purpose approach."
• "Performance levels are comparable for hybrid, agile, and predictive approaches."

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:24 Start of Interview
• 04:39 How to Decide Between Traditional and Hybrid Approaches
• 11:15 Findings About Remote, Hybrid, and In-Person Work
• 14:41 Karla's Personal Experience With Remote Work
• 16:45 Mobile Devices and Productivity
• 19:56 How AI is Transforming Project Management
• 25:00 Strategies for Continuous Learning Despite Busy Schedules
• 28:56 Communicating the Value of Investing in Project Management
• 32:41 Wrap-Up
• 33:01 Andy Comments After the Interview
• 34:35 Outtakes

You can learn more about Pulse of the Profession® at pmi.org/learning/thought-leadership/pulse.

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Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

The following music was used for this episode:

Music: Quantum Sparks Full Version by MusicLFiles License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Music: Chillhouse by Frank Schroeter License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license