Project Management - What is the Next Major Milestone?

Project Management is no dusty relic of the past. Rather, Project Management continues to grow, evolve and influence individuals.

Looking at the modern history of Project Management, we can note several key milestones, including:

• 1917 – Henry Gantt created the Gantt chart
• 1958 – The US Navy developed the Program Evaluation Review (PERT) for its Polaris project
• Late 1950s – The Critical Path Method (CPM) was developed
• 1989 – Earned Value (EV) came to prominence in Project Management
• 2001 – Agile, as a project style, was codified

Of course, there were many milestones in between these, and the history of project management is still being written.

I wanted to share my thoughts as to what the next possible major milestone in Project Management could be – the blending of technology and neuroscience. This involves delving into complex human behaviour and ultimately working to understand the thinking patterns of peers and clients equally.

Neuroscience allows us to have a better understanding of how individuals in an organisation will respond to change, therefore allowing a Project Manager to adapt their leadership style to suit the team. It will also permit greater visibility of impediments to teamwork and resistance to change.

Combining neuroscience and technology will give us superior, advanced decision making, as well as harmonious, high performing teams with the ability to identify client needs while delivering successful outcomes.

By understanding the thinking patterns of teams and clients, we will be able to leverage that knowledge in a positive way in business.

What other advancements in Project Management have you seen that could drastically change the current ways of working?