By 2030, as projected by Gartner, artificial intelligence is anticipated to take on 80% of the project management responsibilities. Project managers should take note: instead of succumbing to fear at this data point, recognize that AI is not poised to replace you entirely. Rather, it has the potential to enhance your efficiency and efficacy, providing valuable insights for better foresight and improving your capacity to steer tasks towards successful outcomes.
Reflect on the following statistic: despite a staggering annual investment of $48 trillion by companies in projects, only slightly over one-third of these endeavors are classified as successful. This underscores the pressing need for the evolution of project and plan administration towards a more mature state. While traditional methods like mechanical record-keeping, spreadsheets, and slides suffice for meeting deadlines and deliverables, they prove insufficient for managing large projects with evolving objectives.
AI Liberates Project Managers for Strategic Roles
A prevalent misconception in task management lies at the root of much of the apprehension surrounding AI. The oversimplified notion that mere status meetings and task listings qualify individuals to manage projects is flawed. Project managers are entrusted not only with tactical responsibilities but also with exerting control over teams, projects, deadlines, and budgets that extend beyond their immediate purview.
Where does this authority stem from? It hinges on reliable information and insights. AI serves as an invaluable tool in furnishing project managers with the necessary data to effectively establish deadlines, allocate resources judiciously, and anticipate potential issues at an early stage.
For instance, project managers often set meeting objectives, list attendees, and compile post-meeting notes. This wealth of information can be effectively managed by an AI assistant like Copilot in Microsoft Teams. Copilot can track attendees and absentees, alerting you early on if a key client misses a meeting. By identifying such risks in advance, project managers can avert a myriad of future problems. Moreover, Copilot can track crucial decisions made during meetings, aiding project managers in evaluating the meeting’s cost against its value.
AI empowers project managers to concentrate on high-value tasks such as collaborating with stakeholders and mentoring their teams, thereby alleviating the administrative burden of task management. Tools like Copilot can transcribe and summarize status meetings, enabling project managers to avoid spending hours on low-value tasks.
“AI affords project managers the opportunity to reclaim time so they can focus on leading teams and maximizing human potential.” According to Peter Taylor, author of “AI and the Project Manager: How the Rise of Artificial Intelligence May Change Your World” and Vice President of Global Project Control at Cerdian, this shift will undoubtedly yield superior outcomes, fewer errors, increased motivation, and enhanced success rates.
Leveraging AI for Immediate Benefits
To harness the benefits of AI without delay, project managers should first focus on data analysis and reporting, areas where significant time is often expended for marginal returns.
AI tools like Microsoft’s Copilot can assist project managers in streamlining project management tasks, thereby freeing up time for more critical functions.
Existing AI tools, including Microsoft’s Copilot, can swiftly repurpose data such as user stories and financial reports by summarizing meeting notes. This eliminates the need for manual re-entry and repurposing.
GenAI tools like ChatGPT can aid in crafting personas and defining criteria. Some project managers already leverage ChatGPT prompts in Excel spreadsheets to extract acceptance criteria, which can then be imported into JIRA, an agile project management tool. ChatGPT can also help repurpose existing content like industry standards, regulatory documents, and training manuals, saving considerable time.
While project managers may need to refine the output generated by AI tools, starting from an existing foundation can save them substantial time. Taylor recommends that project managers familiarize themselves with the current and potential capabilities of AI to swiftly integrate these tools into their workflows. To gain insights into the practical applications of AI in project management and beyond, he advises professionals to “learn, explore, engage in discussions, do everything you can.” It’s about maintaining an open-minded approach and actively seeking ways in which AI can enhance task management. If your organization has yet to delve into AI, initiate discussions to kickstart the process.
Embracing New Technology, Old Narratives
With every new technological advancement, concerns inevitably arise regarding its impact on employment. When Agile methodologies were first introduced, some predicted the obsolescence of project management. However, in reality, project management evolved to become more streamlined.
When considering the integration of AI into project management, focus on enhancing your processes rather than fixating solely on the technology itself. Tools merely expedite inefficient processes by automating them. How can AI illuminate the core operations that drive your business? In what ways can it aid in forecasting and enhancing project outcomes? Where do project professionals currently expend a significant portion of their time on low-value tasks? In essence, prioritize improving your operational efficiency over investing in the latest tool (which will inevitably evolve).
Project managers need not fear AI. Regardless of the insights AI may provide, professionals will still need to interpret and comprehend the data to make informed decisions for the future. AI is poised to be a potent—and indispensable—tool for the success of project and program management.
