After the past couple of years of disruption, 2022 has been a year of trying to rebuild and futureproof organisations. We’re close to wrapping up another year supporting our clients navigate their project challenges, and we wanted to share some of the key themes that we have noticed along the way.
1) Most Popular Project Names in 2022
We love a good project name and this year we have seen some very creative naming. The most popular project names have inspirational titles like “Phoenix”, “Voyager”, “Horizon” and “Evolve.”
2) Most Common Challenges in 2022
No project ever runs smoothly, and we have tackled a fair few challenges throughout the year. The most common have been issues with the SI partner not performing as expected, a lack of skilled project resource, trying to balance projects alongside BAU (business as usual) and underestimating the complexity of the monster that is data.
3) Governance becomes a priority
We have been saying for years that establishing “just the right” governance at the start of the project is a key component to successful project delivery. This year we have seen more organisations actively plan their governance framework for project delivery, making sure the right authority and accountability is there for outputs to thrive.
4) Remote project teams are the new normal
Very few organisations have returned to full-time on-premise ways of working. This means that project teams can be dispersed and connected via technology, without the worry of a slip in delivery. Productivity hasn’t suffered as a result of remote working.
5) Increase in Hybrid Methodologies
This year there has been a noticeable increase in multiple project methodologies being used in one portfolio process. Blending methodologies allows you to get the best of both, such as the rigour of Waterfall and the flexibility of Agile. As long as Project Managers stay true to the treatment of each, they can co-exist successfully together.
6) PM tools aren’t a silver bullet for project delivery
Project Management software was big business in 2022 as larger organisations invested in the tools to track and manage their projects. The project management software market is estimated to reach $9.81 billion by 2026. But a word of warning, the projects still need to be driven by actual project managers. Tools like Monday, Asana and Trello prove to be firm favourites, but without structure and consistency of data entry and user adoption you will not be able to reap the benefits of these tools.
7) Leaders understand the need for EQ and soft skills
The transition to hybrid working has made the need for emotional intelligence (EQ) more pronounced. Wellbeing is taken more seriously and according to a Gallup survey “workers who reported feeling uncared for by a boss were 69% more likely to look for a new job, or report suffering from burnout.” A high EQ is even featuring as a requirement on job specs for leaders now.
8) Pressure grows to accelerate digital transformation
Legacy systems can hold back organisations, both in terms of customer satisfaction, losing out to competitors and by causing issues of employee retention. In a report on the state of digital adoption, “67% of enterprises are under ‘incredible pressure’ to accelerate digital transformation.”
9) More organisations are seeing the value of a PMO
We have worked with multiple clients this year to set up a PMO which enables them to deliver their project portfolios more smoothly. What was once seen as a cost centre is now being considered highly valuable within the organisation.
These are our observations from 2022. If Nine Feet Tall were on Mastermind, we think we’d do pretty well on our specialist subject of project delivery! We can’t wait to get stuck into the new year and support our clients to deliver their projects. If you have any project challenges you’d like to speak to us about, get in touch today.
Sources
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20221005-eq-why-leaders-are-looking-for-emotional-intelligence
https://www.walkme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/WalkMe-state-of-digital-adoption-2022.pdf
https://truelist.co/blog/project-management-statistics/
