How do we reach Generation Z people and involve them more in projects and project management?

During the last couple of months we increasingly see young people, people of the Generation Z, to express their opinions and desires about the future developments. A good example is Greta Thunberg, a Swedish schoolgirl who, at the age of 15, began protesting about the need for immediate action to combat climate change and has […]

The impact of digital technologies on plant engineering and construction projects

Recently, PwC and the German Large Industrial Plant Manufacturers´ Group of VDMA published a benchmark report on digital business models in plant engineering and construction in an international comparison. It was done in the light of urgent need of improvements for the European business models as the players in Germany and other European countries lagging […]

Martin Sedlmayer: Make the ICB 4.0 your permanent companion and never stop learning

This material was originally published in the Chinese Magazine PM Review PM Review: Why did IPMA introduce ICB 4.0? In what context was ICB 4.0 introduced? What is the significance and necessity of publishing ICB 4.0? Martin Sedlmayer:The IPMA Individual Competence Baseline is a global standard which describes distinct competences required to successfully deliver projects, […]

Do the spoken language differences affect project thinking?

The number of languages spoken today across the globe is estimated to be over 7000 (based on various internet sources). Language is a powerful mechanism that enables people to connect, collaborate and co-evolve. In hindsight, languages play a pivotal role in bringing clarity of thoughts, actions and serve as a catalyst for people to move […]

Increase project leadership, decrease project management and your project success rate will skyrocket!

by Tero Kyckling The root causes for most project pitfalls are people originated. That is hardly any news, but providing a working solution to catching the emerging people issues early for targeted corrective actions is big news. The project management focus is on tangible, measurable deliverables such as spent hours, delivered code lines, moved gravel […]

Unleashing human potential – antecedents, potentials and threats

In modern times it is often demanded that the human potential should be let off the leash. The Manifesto for Human Leadership for example postulates “Unleashing human potential over employing human resources” and states the following: “Whoever sees organizations as machines and treats humans like cogwheels in them must not complain that people only work […]

Stuttgart 21 – a mega project in the heart of Swabia

Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. As understood in the modern ethnography roughly coincides with the Swabian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire as it stood during the Early Modern period, now divided between the states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Stuttgart is the capital of Baden-Württemberg and place of one […]

Projects and project management in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is a country in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Kyrgyzstan to the northeast, Tajikistan to the southeast, Afghanistan to the south and Turkmenistan to the southwest. The area nowadays called Uzbekistan has a diverse cultural heritage due to its storied history and strategic location. The first settlers were Eastern Iranian nomads, […]

Clickworkers – people working remotely on projects

The availability of powerful information and communication technologies is changing work arrangements. Business-to-Consumer (B2C) and Business-to-Business (B2B) platforms enable collaboration in order to realize products, projects & services. People may work from home, from a co-working space in another town or from the beach. They do not necessarily need to be together with all other […]

Entering the era of “projacting”

Yes, it´s a new word and may sound “strange” at the very first moment. However, I want to offer an alternative to “project management”, as “management” is outdated, old-fashioned and pretty distant to the object of the project. But let´s start the discussion… The term “project” isn´t new. The Oxford Online Dictionary offers several definitions, […]