✪ The future is project-driven – by the adaptive project professional! ✪

Are you familiar with the "project economy"?

No?

Well, you should, because as someone reading this article here on mp4pm.club, you most likely have something to do with projects and project management, right?

And even if this should be only marginally the case - because you are, e.g., in the Business analysis active or similar - I recommend urgently to read further, because in your sphere of activity the topic "Project Economy" will be dominant for the following years.
(to learn more about the project economy click on this link or the image, which brings you to the Article by Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, who is one of its originators ...)

I will go into more detail, but first, I would like to briefly explain all this has to do with MP4PM.club.

Those of you who have known MP4PM.club for a while now, probably  know that "MP4PM" is or was an acronym for "MindmaPping for(4) ProjectManagement".

The intention of MP4PM.club was - as a longtime user and mind mapping enthusiast that I am - to demonstrate and support the PM community to use mind mapping methods and tools beneficially in their daily work, especially in the field of project management.

This focus has changed over time ...

And in the last year, two essential factors came together, which led me to readjust the focus of "MP4PM.club", but of course, without neglecting the topic of mind mapping. That means mind mapping will remain a focus of MP4PM.club, for sure.

What were the two factors:

1. On the one hand, it has become apparent that the niche of - let's call them "mind mapping power users" - who come from the project management environment is probably tiny. To successfully build up and run such a community like MP4PM.club, you need several hundred, ideally at least 1,000 members.

2. Then, there was a significant change in 2021, in which I even had the honor to be directly involved.

The "PMBoK Guide - 7th Edition" was published. (if you don't know what that is, you can look it up HERE or click on the Image).

The new PMBoK Guide now follows a principles-based approach instead of the previous process-based approach.

The original concept for "MP4PM.club" was based on providing corresponding mindmaps, tools, and templates for as many PM processes and their inputs, outputs, and tools&techniques as possible.

The intention, content, and structure of the new PMBoK Guide 7th Edition require a completely different approach.

Besides some other aspects, these are the two main reasons for the new orientation of "MP4PM.club", starting with the acronym, which from now on stands for

"Method Power for(4) Project Management"!

In addition to the 12 pm principles and the 8 performance domains of the new PMBoK guide, the third part, the so-called "Models, Methods & Artifacts," is one of the essential structural elements.

As the title suggests, this section lists and describes the most relevant "models, methods, and artifacts" used in the project lifecycle without claiming to be exhaustive. And this is entirely independent of the project management approach selected in each case!

To learn a bit more about the different structural elements of the new PMBoK guide click on the related tab:

 With "MP4PM.club," we are now pursuing the approach of providing you with a comprehensive, high-quality, and practicable toolkit for each of these "Models, Methods & Artifacts."

If you want to see an example of how that will look like and feel, you can downlaod our brandnew Business Case Toolkit now:

In addition to mind maps, templates, graphics, and instructions, it contains everything that makes your daily work and the application of these "Models, Methods & Artifacts" easier and possible.

More about that later, but now finally, back to the title of this article and what it's all about: 

"The future is project-driven ... "

That is excellent news for all those already working in the project environment - e.g., project managers, project staff, change managers, sponsors, CEOs, and many more.

 And for all who want to orient themselves professionally in this direction, whether as a beginner or as a career changer!

This part of the title also implies that the share of operational work will continue to decrease.

And the trend continues! If one believes various studies such as ... the number of projects, the investments in these and thus also the number of jobs in the project environment will increase dramatically in the next few years, without an end to this trend being foreseeable today.

The new, so-called disruptive technologies such as Data Science/Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotics, and BlockChain - to name just a few examples - will further strengthen and accelerate this trend.

Operational tasks will be increasingly automated. Many job descriptions in the operating environment will disappear entirely or change massively.

"But the automation thing also applies to projects and project management!" ... some of you might say, and yes, that's true ... to some extent. Specific routine tasks will be done by machines, automats, or robots. However, the aforementioned technologies usually only support and do not replace them in this context!

Project business is a people business! And it will remain so. Creativity, intuition, empathy, motivation ... all the so-called soft skills - or recently also called "power skills," which are absolutely necessary to successfully master project challenges, cannot be replaced by any machine or artificial intelligence. At least not in the foreseeable future ...

So we are - if we follow Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez ... we are in the midst of a "project revolution" which will ultimately lead to a "project economy."

And this brings us to the 2nd part of the title of this article:

" ... by the adaptive Project Professional!"

The attentive reader will notice that it is not called "Project Manager" and not "Project Leader."

And this was chosen deliberately because the "Project Professional" of the future - often and in many organizations, this is already the case today - fills the most diverse tasks and roles.

Besides the typical functions of a project manager, these are also tasks of a business analyst, a change manager, a business person, a data visualizer, a servant leader, and many more ... ultimately every role, every task, which the specific project situation demands of them!

The PMI has recently updated its so-called "Talen Triangle" and adapted it to the current and future requirements. And this illustrates quite clearly the requirements for the "adaptive project professional" of the future.

And this brings us to the "adaptive" from the title. Being "adaptive" means being adaptable, flexible, adaptive, and "open-minded." It means having all the skills that enable a "project professional" to act in the best possible way in the specific project situation to generate the required added value.

This will probably be the most essential characteristic and requirement for future project professionals.

With "MP4PM.club," we want to offer you a platform, a community of like-minded people, providing numerous high-quality toolkits for the "Models, Methods & Artifacts."

We want to enable a direct, professional exchange and hopefully contribute to the project-determined future to the advantage of all of us!

We want MP4PM.club becoming the Home of the "adaptive Project Professional" !

If you like to join us please go to www.mp4pm.club and put your name there to the list, so you get notified as soon as we re-open the doors! 

Hope to see you there! 

Markus