Redefining your job as a project manager in the time of AI

- Did you know that according to a study by the Project Management Institute, more than 80% of project managers believe that their role will undergo significant changes due to AI. Another report by Accenture indicates that AI could boost business productivity by up to 40%. However the same reports also found that fewer than 25% of project managers feel fully prepared to integrate AI into their workflows. Maybe this could sound scary, but what if I told you this isn't the end but rather the start of an exciting transformation in our profession? Now the question becomes are we ready to redefine our role and embrace AI? How to do that? We must acknowledge that our current job will change as anyone else jobs will. To leverage that, you need to focus on how your role will be redefined and it will be in four dimensions. Adaptability, soft skills, application of AI, and our capacity to unlearn. The first dimension is adaptability. It's to make change part of your skills. There is no space in today's environment for you to believe change is something to be avoid, controlled, or perceived as bad. The second dimension is soft skills. They are at the premium. Our ability to negotiate, solve complex problems, and manage different stakeholders is extremely valuable and we must invest time for it. At least at the present moment, technology cannot address these kind of challenges. The third dimension is related to AI tools. The use of AI tools will give you superpowers. AI is our powerful ally, not our replacement. We must spend time learning new applications and tools that will offer unprecedented insights like some generative AI tools, better known as GPTS, being used to create new predictive models for project risks, potential stakeholder lists, and even the scope of work of your project. The last and fourth dimension is all about learning to unlearn. It sounds strange, but it's a fact. When we learn something, it's incredibly hard to unlearn it. I love the example shown by YouTube host Destin Sandlin in the video, the "Backwards Brain Bicycle." In the video, he puts a gear in the handlebar that inverts how it works. You move the handlebar to the left and the bike goes to the right and vice versa. You should stop the video for a few seconds and guess how long it took him to use this new bike properly? Eight months, eight incredible months. Unlearning is brutally hard. To unlearn, we need to recognize the need for change, accept that what we know must be revisited, challenge our beliefs every single day, and be persistent in breaking what is already consolidated in our minds. And I know how you feel and I feel the same. If you ask me two years ago about the possibility of using technology to develop a decent schedule, a reliable risk register, or even suggest strategies to manage complex stakeholders, I would say you are watching too many science fiction movies. But today is different. If your job involves preparing schedules, budgets, and reports, then AI may take over those tasks. However be mindful that the sense of project management today lies in transforming ideas into reality in a complex and volatile environment. For example, while AI can generate status update, it cannot empathize with team members or navigate complex negotiation and stakeholder relationship, this is your role.