Project management is dead. Long live project management
- neilstevens
- Nov 10, 2015
- 2 min read
I read recently that “Project management doesn’t work”. Apparently a new CEO said this in an interview. So it’s official.
Of course, the speaker wasn’t really saying we should ignore project management. He argued that it doesn’t work because people just do not use it as they should. So he was advocating a new way of working that is all about increasing visibility, not just reporting into the system.
An interesting view and I think one that would resonate with a lot of people in the NHS and public sector; struggling to get buy in for their complex projects, and then drive sustainable change once they have the buy in. We have all been there.
So maybe we need to jettison the phrase project management and just promote the things that work?
For a project to be successful you need:
Alignment – the programme and project activities must be in sync with the organisation’s strategic objectives. If not, you are pushing at a locked door. But if you manage the correct linkages, then you will save time and money as well as delivering the objectives you need.
Focus – where can changes be made which will maximise your chances of getting the transformation you need and delivering the outcomes your organisation requires. So simplify governance from a very complex multi layered beast to a far clearer more directed and useful system.
Visibility – you need to see the risks and issues clearly, and know who and how to get them resolved. And by making sure that you are planning quickly and reporting openly and accurately you make progress faster and with more buy in.
Independence – of course you are signed up to organisational goals but for a project to be really successful, you have to retain an independent mind on benefits and how they are realised.
Expertise – all too often, we add project management onto someone else’s job role. It is a key skill and needs trained and experienced people to make it happen.
The first step is a backward one! Take a step back and have an honest assessment of where you are. A diagnostic approach to your project management will be absolutely worthwhile in the medium term, setting up the framework that can then allow your projects to really accelerate and start delivering benefits.
So, project management does work, but only when it is properly understood and implemented. Without that perspective, your teams will work increasingly hard, but achieve increasingly little.
This perspective resonates, especially the emphasis on visibility and alignment over rigid processes. Clear communication seems just as critical as structure. It even makes me think how clarity applies elsewhere sometimes teams ask if they should pay someone to write my product descriptions, like using PayssomeoneTo, to improve understanding and outcomes.
This resonates with many real-world projects where tools exist but behaviors don’t change. The emphasis on visibility and alignment feels especially relevant in complex environments. It’s similar to how people debate whether a manuscript editing service actually helps often the value depends on how it’s used. I’ve seen discussions where Academic Editors are mentioned more as a support for clarity than a solution in themselves.
I really connected with your take on how project management is evolving and why adapting our approaches matters in a world that moves fast, because it reminded me of a time I struggled to juggle complex tasks and shifting expectations. Back then I leaned on WGU performance assessment assistance service to stay on track with my assessments while I worked through new challenges, and that support made navigating change feel manageable. Your insight highlights how thoughtful support and flexible thinking can keep both projects and personal goals moving forward.
This take on how project management has evolved is really thought provoking, especially when it challenges old assumptions and pushes us to think differently. I remember a term so packed with deadlines that I even wondered if I should hire someone to take my online Management class just to stay on track. Your post makes it clear that adaptability is key in our field.
Thank you for sharing this thought-provoking perspective! I liked how you emphasized the evolution of project management practices in response to changing business needs. It's true that staying rigid with outdated methods no longer works in today's dynamic environment. Flexibility, real-time collaboration, and streamlined workflows are key. That’s why many teams are now turning to advanced project management software.