By Henry Brown

Each year brings new trends in project management that should be of interest to small business owners. There is no denying that 2018 was an interesting year in the world of projects, with many new trends coming to the fore and technological advancements shaping the way we go about our work. We expect 2019 to be much of the same. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best project management trends you should be watching out for over the next few months and the rest of the year that will help you do a better job of moving your small business forward.

-The growing importance of collaboration – It is have never been more important to collaborate on projects than it is now. Teams are getting bigger and more widespread, which makes it critical for project managers to know how to bring people on the journey correctly and engage stakeholders. This not only includes dealing with your own team and remote workers but you are going to need to know how and when to outsource correctly. For example, if you are creating a new piece of software, you may need to engage a marketing agency to create an audience and ensure the software sells well. If you don’t have marketing personnel in-house, outsourcing is often much more effective. The best project managers also need to know how to manage change too. Change management and project management have become one.

-The growth of project management apprenticeships – Project management qualifications are critical. However, businesses value experience, and this is where project management apprenticeships come into play, enabling you to get the accreditation you need as well as real-life experience. It’s likely that we will see more aspiring project managers go down this route. After all, nothing prepares you better for managing a project than being in the thick of the action. This is especially the case when you consider the fact that most people end up in this position without intending to get there.

–Emotional intelligence – Project managers need to boast a wide range of skills, but emotional intelligence is becoming the most importance. Emotional intelligence features three key skills: emotional awareness, the ability to manage emotions, and the ability to harness emotions and apply them to tasks. These are essential skills when you’re managing a team that is moving a project forward under a tight deadline and facing other pressures.

-Non-traditional collaboration tools will gain more popularity – We are already starting to see a shift to collaboration software instead of using existing project management software. Businesses are looking for tools that are going to help them apply change management within the workforce and collaborate effectively. When looking for tools, you need to think about your workforce dynamic and what is going to benefit you specifically.

-Agile project management will become more accepted – At the moment, agile project management seems to be widely accepted in the world of software development, but not so much so outside of it. However, this is set to change. In fact, we have already started to see agile project management creep into all industries, from construction management to graphic and UX design.

-Blended methodology – Agile management leads perfectly onto the next part: blended methodology. Project managers are becoming less and less inclined to commit to one approach, be it agile, waterfall, or something else. Instead, more project managers are opting for a blended approach, which takes features of various methodologies and blends them together in a manner that is right for the project and the business.

-Big data – Last but not least, it would not be right talking about project management trends without mentioning big data. We have already seen how big data is a game changer for businesses and projects, and this is only set to become even more so the case. The only way to move forward and achieve better things is to assess a wealth of project data in the most efficient manner, which is why choosing the right software is critical.

As you can see, there are many exciting project management trends to watch in 2019. If you are in charge of managing projects at your small business, keep up to date with everything that is happening so you can make sure you and your team are ahead of the game.

_______

Henry Brown is an online marketing executive. When he isn’t talking shop, he’s roaming the streets of London, uncovering the extra-ordinary in the ordinary.