I help project professionals get more done with less stress. Having been a project manager for over 20 years, I share tried-and-tested tips that work in the real world, every Tuesday. Join our community of over 15,000 project professionals (and accidental project managers too!).
AI takeaways from Project Forum
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Hello Reader, At Project Forum last Tuesday, I attended a talk by James Garner and Yoshi Soornack on AI, because… well, FOMO really. The talk about AI is all over the place and staying up to date is tricky (some stats here about how it's actually being used). Two easy key takeaways for me were: Use AI as a thought partner, in much the same way as you chat about ideas to colleagues, but you can’t offload all cognition. Prescriptive analytics is the next step after predictive analytics – AI can give us ideas about what to do with the data, but it needs a human to scrutinise the plan. Two more tricky takeaways were: Use AI to accelerate creating documents. (Why? The point of a project document is not to have the document, but to have the conversations that lead to agreement and understanding and these are put in the document as a record. If the language you’re working in isn’t your first language, by all means use AI to edit and tidy up your output, but goal is the content of the document, not the actual document itself.) AI can help productivity. (Why is productivity always the end goal? When do we stop wanting more? Yes, at a country-wide level we have to address the aging workforce and skills shortage and the need to support citizens in their old age with potentially a smaller population. Productivity is often interpreted as doing things faster, but shouldn’t we also be asking if we should be doing the thing at all?) One of the great things about being with other project professionals for the day is that I came away with a sense of feeling not alone. I ran two roundtable conversations and talked to people who had the same challenges as me. We shared ideas and I think we left those conversations with a few lightbulb moments. That’s the kind of conversation we also have inside Project Management Rebels, our professional community that meets online monthly. If you were thinking about joining, now’s a great time! Let me know if you have any questions. Have a lovely week! Elizabeth Talking of documentation...
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Calling all Rebel Project Managers!
I help project professionals get more done with less stress. Having been a project manager for over 20 years, I share tried-and-tested tips that work in the real world, every Tuesday. Join our community of over 15,000 project professionals (and accidental project managers too!).
Hello Reader, If you’ve ever thought: “The plan isn’t the problem. The stakeholders are.” You’re not alone. Even though that's not the sort of thing that project managers say out loud! Stakeholder management is where most projects either quietly succeed… or slowly unravel. It’s not just about sending updates (wouldn't it be easy if it was?). It’s about: Understanding influence and power Managing expectations Handling competing priorities Dealing with late changes Navigating politics (yes,...
Hello Reader, I get asked about the difference between PMBOK and PRINCE2 a lot. Usually it’s because someone is working in an environment that references one or the other (or both) and they’re trying to figure out whether they need to know about both, whether one is better, or whether the whole debate is just exam prep noise. The short version is that they’re not competing frameworks. They’re not even trying to do the same job. The PMBOK Guide is a body of knowledge. It describes what good...
Hello Reader, I get asked about qualifications and certifications a lot. “Should I do PMP?” “Is PRINCE2 still relevant?” “Do I need Agile certification?” “Will this actually help me get promoted?” If you’re thinking about training or certification, I’ve pulled together my best articles in one place so you can make an informed decision rather than just following whatever’s trending on LinkedIn. Across RebelsGuideToPM.com you’ll find guidance on: How to choose the right qualification for your...