The Agile Manifesto was created 21 years ago.

Its basic principles (“people are more important than processes” and flexible response to change instead of strict adherence to the plan) – remain relevant today. But some approaches and tools have evolved: they have become more complex and better structured, and the view of teamwork and the project manager himself as a leader has changed. A great example of such new tools is RevenueGrid with its deal signal that manages to guide everyone in your team with alerts and next tasks.

Also, artificial intelligence makes a great difference today. Many tasks can now be partially performed by AI, and a project manager who does not develop flexible skills is considered weak. We have found out which key trends are changing the usual view of project management in 2022.

Trend 1. AI Technologies Will Partially Fulfill the Responsibilities of PM

According to a study by the analytical platform Cognilytica, 86% of project managers approve of AI technology. And for those who have already introduced AI, project productivity has increased by 20%.

Already in 2022, artificial intelligence controls all 5 stages of the project life cycle: initial, planning, implementation, control, and completion.

The main advantage of AI is the processing of large data sets, including extensive project documentation, as well as routine tasks. According to Gartner, by 2030, AI will be able to handle up to 80% of PM’s daily work.

AI is able not only to process data and automate simple tasks but also to apply the “human factor”, i.e. to provide recommendations for PM:

• What resources are best used to complete the task?
• What risks can be encountered during the project implementation?
• How many rallies will make the team the most productive?

More Efficient Work of Project Teams

In early 2022, 53% of service companies said they plan to include the use of chatbots in their strategies over the next 18 months (136% more than in 2021). At the same time, 56% of businesses believe that chatbots increase the effectiveness of projects and attract team members to them.

Bots are best suited for tedious and tedious administrative tasks: data management, scheduling, documentation, invoicing.

The bot will also reduce internal communication time by contacting team members and incorporating messengers, such as Slack. The bot can remind colleagues about tasks, and specify the status of execution and request reports.

Trend 2. Emotional Adaptability Will be a Leading Skill for Project Managers

According to an analysis by American professor Gerald J. Mount, 69% of PM skills are related to sensory recognition and emotional adaptability, and only 31% are directly related to business experience.

At the same time, business coach and researcher Patrick Mayfield found that leading project leaders spend between 60% and 80% of their time interacting with team members. Therefore, the ability to read emotions and put yourself in the place of an employee is a key skill for building processes within the team.

What Are the Benefits for Project Managers due to the Skill of Emotional Adaptability in 2022?

Creating a productive and positive atmosphere in the team. PM is responsible for motivating employees and allocating tasks. Managers with good soft skills will be able to deeply analyze the abilities of their colleagues, and their potential, and therefore will be able to correctly set tasks. If PM develops emotional adaptability, he improves his leadership skills. When a team is led by a leader, it becomes motivated and employees feel involved.

Conflict resolution. PMs who know how to read the emotions of their environment know how to successfully resolve a work conflict in a team. Faced with obstacles, such project managers use diplomacy skills and can look at the situation from opposite sides.

Adaptation to change and flexible project management. PMs with good emotional adaptability will not be stressed due to changes in the work process, because they always have solid ground under their feet. They do not give in to emotions and successfully adapt to new conditions.

Trend 3. There Are no More “Good” or “Bad” Methodologies and Tools in Project Management

In the Global Trends in Project Management 2022 study, the ProjectManager IT platform surveyed more than 600 project managers, and 60% said they use hybrid methodologies (Agile + Waterfall) or other combinations to manage projects. Yes, the use of several tools and approaches in one project is a 2022 trend.

Trend 4. PM Will Increasingly Interact with Remote Commands

The latest annual Microsoft Work Trend Index survey shows that in 2022, teams are choosing a remote or hybrid format. Microsoft’s statistics are based on a survey of 31,000 people from 31 countries.

In 2022, 30% of employees are ready to resign if the team will not be able to work remotely.

Reasons for changing the traditional format:

• Risk of getting COVID-19 (21% of respondents);
• Desire to find a balance between work and personal life (24%);
• Lack of trust in your project manager, team member (21%);
• Insufficiently flexible working hours (21%).

In addition, more and more team members are in search of meaning, i.e. it is important for them to feel the importance of their activities and be personally involved in the project implementation process (40%). At the same time, personal space, flexible schedule, and trust in your manager are important for such employees.

Based on this, the best recommendations for PM remote command management would be:

• Improve your virtual leader and mentor skills.
• A new format of mentoring: organization of remote webinars and seminars for employees.
• Work on increasing the level of trust of all team members in you and vice versa.

According to the Microsoft Work Trend Index 2022, 53% of team members prioritize their mental health and personal well-being. If the employer is unable to do so, 24% of employees will prefer to move to a company where the psychological state of colleagues is one of the key values. Check the number of tasks of colleagues regularly: make sure no one is overwhelmed. Meet with team members once a week online or offline and say daily downloads.