The global health pandemic has changed the world as we know it, forcing millions of businesses worldwide to rethink their approach towards work. The impact has been significant in terms of how businesses execute projects and maintain productivity goals while working remotely.
The New Normal for Project Management
Gone are the days of onsite meetings and in-person group collaboration. The new normal is online video meetings, document sharing, slack, teams or skype messages, and non-stop Zoom calls. In addition, many companies have had to radically change operating models to survive the pandemic, resulting in new processes, roles, and technologies.
Project Managers (PMs) need to adapt and focus on new ways of managing their traditional tried-and-true project management processes to meet this changing environment. To be successful, managers need to be open to a new set of skills and new ways of thinking.
What Do PM’s Need to do Differently?
Today’s project managers must master new technology-based systems, conquer challenges they and their project members face while working from home. They have to improve communication skills and learn how to assess projects remotely. If they can succeed, there’s a good chance your company will not only survive the pandemic but emerge even stronger than before.
The Four Keys to Success
Communication
Working remotely is the new standard. To ensure all stakeholders stay motivated during the pandemic and beyond, every project manager will have to have effective communication skills in place that work across a variety of communication platforms encompassing email, messaging, video, project management software, and voice.
Technology Enablement
Technology has further revolutionized the workplace during the pandemic. It continues to change at a rapid pace. We are starting to see the value of artificial intelligence (AI). AI is projected to save large amounts of money and have a huge impact on how admin-based processes are run. Project leaders need to stay ahead of these trends to ensure they take advantage of the benefits and capture the ROI.
Hybrid Project Management
There is no doubt that even after the global health pandemic crisis has subsided, a hybrid work model will persist. During the pandemic, companies have become much more adept at managing a remote workforce, and there are benefits they are experiencing that they will not want to give up once the crisis is over.
However, there are benefits to on-the-ground and face-to-face interaction that will be re-introduced. This will create challenges not just from communication, management, and execution but also with new technology that will all need to adapt to an increasingly hybrid model where the workforce is both remote and in office.
Visibility
During the pandemic, all our projects have required greater management visibility and collaboration to achieve greater productivity. Companies have had to learn to become flexible, agile, pivot quickly, stay on project timelines, and execute to be competitive, which will continue in a post-pandemic world.
Professional & Corporate Education for Project Management Professionals
NJIT offers a project management program that helps project managers build the skills necessary to manage projects in the post Covid-19 world. The focus is on mastering the four keys to success and learning the skills needed to navigate complex projects, quickly assess what’s working and not-working and overcome communication challenges. NJIT instructors have years of professional and industry experience and proven strategies to help new and existing project managers succeed in today’s fast-paced, increasingly digital, and ever-changing world.
Courses run on an ongoing basis and are open to individuals and groups. Learn more here. You can also contact us to discuss any custom programming needs you may have and how we can structure a program to meet your unique challenges or content requirements.