As we head into a post-pandemic world, it is clear that modern work styles have well and truly evolved. Projects now move at an extremely quick pace as communication has become seamless even across different countries. Additionally, work can now be carried out in the comfort of employees’ own homes.
If you are a project manager or a project team member, it is vital for you to know the new project management trends for 2022. With such knowledge, you can upgrade your skills and prepare yourself for the unexpected.
Learn about the project management trends which are here to stay today!
1. Continuation of Work-From-Home (WFH) arrangements
Facing the pandemic has shown that a physical office is no longer necessary for businesses to carry on as usual. Many of us have gotten used to the WFH rhythm, and it is a trend that is here to stay.
Perhaps, as the Covid-19 situation improves, there will be more of a hybrid style surfacing, such as employees being given the choice of WFH and going to the office. Or, employers may implement split teams arrangements with different teams taking turns to go to the office.
WFH has proven that online meetings have many benefits for employees, such as saving time and money from commuting, having more quality time with loved ones, and even increasing productivity levels. For employers, it is also beneficial as there is higher employee job satisfaction and lower overhead costs such as reduced electricity usage in the office.
Thus, WFH is likely to continue in the future regardless of the Covid-19 situation. It may even evolve in future to a completely online working arrangement!
2. Technology advancement will become more important
With the increasing digitisation trend, it is clear that companies will need to keep up with technology advancements to stay relevant and competitive.
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning in business have helped to increase operational efficiency by leaps and bounds. An example of such technology innovation can be seen in the fashion industry, where AI is able to map clothes onto people’s bodies without having to physically try them on. This helps customers to try on clothes within seconds, increasing the chances of impulse buying and thus raising sales.
Additionally, the worldwide AI software market will reach $62 billion in 2022 according to Gartner. As the world relies increasingly on such technology, companies that do not keep up with such workflow automation methods will be left behind and may lose their customers to more tech-savvy firms.
This means that project managers will now need to factor in the use of AI in their end products, and even use AI in their work processes to keep up with the high level of efficiency required. Perhaps, there will be more AI-related features added to existing project management tools, which project managers can take advantage of.
3. Use of cloud storage systems
Compared to traditional methods such as keeping physical documents in filing cabinets, digitalisation is key in today’s fast-paced business world. While some companies are still storing their files in the intranet system or company shared drives, such methods are now becoming obsolete as they are inconvenient and difficult to scale.
Instead, many companies are now consolidating their information and documents using cloud storage systems. Simply put, cloud storage allows users to store data on the Internet without having to buy and manage an internal data storage infrastructure. Examples of common cloud storage systems include Google Drive, OneDrive, and many others.
As using cloud storage systems has many benefits such as low costs, accessibility and convenience, it has become the norm for many companies and will only continue to become more important in the future. Learn to stay ahead with the cloud, and ensure that your information is secure online!
4. Bigger focus on soft skills
With the increasing talent pool, it is safe to say that many employees are now equipped with high-level technical skills. For example, an increasing number of employees have good coding knowledge as well as how to use different business software.
Yet, despite the importance of such hard skills, it is sometimes more important in project management to have good soft skills. These could include communication, teamwork and good leadership skills. When soft skills are mentioned, they are usually framed as less important compared to hard skills, but they are just as important in generating a good project environment.
As a project manager or project team member, such soft skills are essential to communicate with your colleagues and subordinates. If not, you could find yourself having a difficult time working with others as you are unable to manage them well.
By improving your soft skills and ensuring that you take the time to get to know your team members, you could improve your work performance and even build a high-performing work culture!
5. Increased emphasis on work-life balance
The pandemic has taught us that health is wealth, and employees are increasingly more focused on good work-life balance. They prioritise its importance, and if the company is unable to provide it, it could be a huge factor as to why employees leave.
Apart from the basic requirements such as discouraging long overtime hours and creating a healthy work environment for employees, project managers can also look into implementing activities to improve work-life balance. For example, you can invest in more team-building activities for your project members, arrange training sessions for your team, and conduct regular one-on-one check-ins to ensure that high employee satisfaction is maintained.
On an employee level, you can prioritise a good work-life balance by planning time for leisure activities outside of work, starting a new venture or hobby, and spending time with your family. Additionally, with the implementation of WFH, it can be hard for employees to draw the line between working and non-working hours. A simple tip would be to mute work notifications outside of working hours, which would greatly help to reduce the stress of needing to be ever-present online at work.
Other ways to improve your work-life balance and your overall working experience could be to find ways to be more productive and efficient at work. For example, you can find ways to work smarter, not harder, make a productive weekly work plan template, and even learn how to up your resource levelling game for your projects. Also, if you often find yourself being bored at work, this could be an indicator that you are not performing your best due to an underlying reason!
What these trends mean for you
Whether you are a project manager or a project team member, these upcoming trends will affect you one way or another. To be prepared for them, it is important that you are aware of these trends and ways to take advantage of them. With companies becoming increasingly competitive, one way to stay prepared is to have a robust business management system and focus on integrating new technology into your business to help you become even more productive.
For example, making use of Tessaract’s all-in-one business management software means that you can automate tedious tasks, conduct secure digital signing for clients, store documents securely with the cloud, and many other ways to power your business.
Learn more and get prepared for these trends today!
