PM Trends for 2022
Interview with Dave Garrett
Chief Strategy and Growth Officer
Project Management Institute
Pennsylvania, USA
Interviewed by Ipek Sahra Ozguler
International Correspondent, PM World Journal
Istanbul, Turkey
Introduction to the interviewee
Dave Garrett, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, drives PMI’s growth strategy by working across the organization to define, test, and deliver solutions that enable individuals and organizations to create impact and propel change.
Dave was the co-founder, President and CEO of ProjectManagement.com (formerly Gantthead.com), an online community for project professionals, established in 2000 and acquired by PMI in 2014. Since joining PMI, he has held several leadership roles, including dual role as Director of Digital Presence and CEO of ProjectManagement.com. Dave’s passion for project management led him to serve in multiple volunteer positions for PMI prior to becoming employed by the organization. Earlier in Dave’s career, he also created Project Pain Reliever, a just-in-time handbook for managing projects and has published and bylined dozens of articles related to project management, technology trends, and more.
Interview
Ipek Sahra Ozguler (Ozguler): First of all, thank you for accepting an interview request from PMWJ about Trends in Project Management. What are share the key project management trends for 2022?
Dave Garrett (Garrett): Thank you for having me. Project management is a rapidly evolving field, and this year is no different. At Project Management Institute (PMI), it’s our job to identify and understand the key trends that project professionals and changemakers alike should keep top-of-mind as they aim to adapt and thrive in the year ahead.
The skillset required of project professionals is never static – rather, as the workplace transforms, so too must the most highly sought-after project management skills. Project managers are increasingly tasked with driving change within their organizations and turning complex and ambitious ideas into reality. For this reason, interpersonal skills such as collaborative problem-solving, communication and flexibility have become just as important as business acumen and technical skills. At PMI, we call interpersonal skills “power skills” because they are essential at all levels of employees in an organization.
Project managers who are dedicated to creative problem-solving, communicating effectively, and using agility to offer flexible solutions when needed are the key to successful collaboration across the enterprise. This is especially true as organizations seek to break down siloes, encourage cross-functional teams, and make remote-first and hybrid work the new ways of working. Remote work can provide more flexibility and autonomy, but it can also make it difficult for employees to find a sense of balance within their personal and professional lives. Project managers must lead with empathy, making sure their team prioritizes their mental well-being and managing expectations to keep productivity high without burnout.
Expertly selecting and tailoring practices and methodologies is another way project managers can help their organizations adapt to change. Now more than ever, it is critical that project managers invest in their professional development through upskilling and reskilling so they can master these new ways of working. Becoming familiar with a broad range of approaches and becoming certified in those that are key to help project managers on their path to gaining new business, technical, and power skills.
These trends have transformed the workplace in the past, but today they’re shaping up in new ways and with new implications for project professionals and organizational leaders. Reexamining how we live and work has led to an interesting and important conversation on how the role of project managers within their teams and organizations will evolve in 2022 and beyond.
Ozguler: Why is the certification so important?
More…
To read entire interview, click here
How to cite this interview: Ozguler, I.S. (2022). PM Trends for 2022: Interview with Dave Garrett; PM World Journal, Vol. XI, Issue III, March. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/pmwj115-Mar2022-Ozguler-Interview-with-Dave-Garrett-pmi.pdf
About the Interviewer
Ipek Sahra Ozguler
Istanbul, Turkey
Ipek Sahra Ozguler graduated from the Istanbul University, Turkey with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering and from Middle East Technical University, Turkey with an MSc degree in Software Management. As a project manager, she has more than 13 years of experience in various areas such as portfolio management, program management, project management, software management, business analysis. She became a certified PMP in 2012 and a certified SCRUM Master in 2014.
She has gained broader insights in a variety of projects across manufacturing, defence, FMCG (Cola Cola), insurance (Euler Hermes), audit (Deloitte), telecommunication, aviation and finance sectors. In addition, she has been working as an international correspondent for the PM World Journal since 2014.
Ipek is the creator and editor of the highly acclaimed book, The Perspective of Women Project Management Professionals, interviews with leading female PM experts and professionals around the world. The book was published in March 2020 and is available here.
Ipek is based in Istanbul,Turkey and can be contacted at ipeksahra@gmail.com. Her portfolio is published at the http://ipeksahra.strikingly.com/ and https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/ipek-sahra-ozguler/.
