​I was delighted to be invited by the Mid-West PM forum to join the panel at their most recent event. The event was centred on “The Future Project Manager” and was hosted by the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick

I was joined on the panel by Director at Casseo; Elizabeth Doyle and Dr.John Lannon of UL on the invitation of Ross Redmond, Mike Lynch and Joe Hickey from the Mid-West Forum.

The Mid-West PM Forum’s “The Future Project Manager” Panel

Project Management is an industry which has seen huge changes over the last few years, so it is great to see groups such as the Mid-West PM Forum encouraging open discussion about what the future may hold.

As we try to plan for an unforeseeable future, there are many steps we can take to ensure that we are best prepared for what might be thrown at us, read below to see my top tips to be best prepared for the future of Project Management.

Tip 1: Don’t wait until it’s too late to build your network

This was the key message that I talked about during the panel discussion. Invest your time in building up a strong network; make it part of your daily/monthly/quarterly plan. Make sure you are regularly in contact with like minded professionals and that you are consistently expanding your network.

Tip 2: Reach out to your local Project Management groups

Groups such as the Mid-West Forum can prove vital in predicting the future! Nothing gives a clearer picture of what direction Project Management is going in than getting a room full of PM professionals together and encouraging an open discussion. At the panel discussion last week we heard from professionals from various industries; they discussed and shared their challenges, trends and common themes, which was eye opening!

Tip 3: Invest in your development

One top tip is to continually invest in your professional and personal development, keeping an eye on trends and making sure you invest in future-proofing your pm career. As new technologies and project management tools are developed there will be a shift in the what is required from the PM. There will be a greater value on skills such as negotiation, stakeholder/people management and communications in general. EQ will be a major focus for hiring managers going forward and coincidentally will be the topic for the next mid west forum to be announced. To keep updated on the Mid-West PM forum by clicking here!
If you are a Project Management professional and would like to learn more, contact me today!