Author: Carlos Martinez Arteaga, PMP

Dear members and newsletter subscribers,

Well... it's time to say until next time :). This will be my last editorial for a while.

I has been almost 3 years of doing editorials for our Chapter's newsletter and I feel that I would like to do something else, not sure what, but different, and I also need time to think on what to do...

I have shared with you some of my thoughts, personal matters and in some cases things that you should not miss.

The editorials were written in different parts of the world, different timezones, on a bed, in a quiet room, at the beach...

It has been quite rewarding, as I had never before written an editorial, and in the end I got the hang of it, at least words came out easily.

We are in a double year, 2020, this can mean only that whatever we do this year will impact others twice as much.

There I leave it! Until next time.

Cheers,

Carlos

Author: Adi Muslic, PMP

Goodbye 2019, Welcome 2020!

We are already well in the new year with new objectives to achieve, targets to meet, or wishes that we would like to see realized in 2020. You certainly spent some time thinking about what you wanted to change or improve in the new year or even more, in the new decade. How far in the future did you actually go with your thoughts? This would depend on whether the objective is achievable in a short time or not. It could be a month effort, for example, getting training completed or several months, like getting a certification. Or it could be something that you plan to achieve in 5 years.
Typically longer-term objectives will also depend on the environment that we are working or living in. We need to be aware of the changes that may impact our long term objectives, business or personal, and be able to regularly adjust our objectives in relation to the environment around us.

There were many important changes in the world around us in 2019. There will be even more in 2020. Just thinking about the new virus threat that is suddenly changing lives and plans and may become the most important event of 2020. Keeping up with the latest news and all other kinds of information made available to us takes a lot of effort and has a certain impact on our private and professional lives. Keeping the right balance is a great challenge. Selecting appropriate resources to be informed and finding the right references to compare to is the key to remain competitive or simply survive in the fast-changing world.

We have seen many changes in the Global PMI organization as well. It is a clear sign that the association is set to remain the global reference in project management and will keep influencing the way other organizations achieve their profit or non-profit objectives.
Swiss chapter is actively participating in this change and has been preparing a lot of exciting events. The most important one is the annual conference. This year's conference might be exceptional. You will find why in the Message from the Board.

Wish you a healthy and successful 2020.

Best regards,

Adi

Authors: Mariia Borsuk / Lenka Pincot PMP, PMI-ACP, PMI-PBA

Navigating the Digital Era: How Project Managers Enable Sustainable Growth?

In the fast-paced world of digital advancements, project managers are becoming pivotal navigators, steering organizations toward sustainable growth. PMI Switzerland's strategy is designed to help you smoothly sail in the modern business environment. Renowned for our commitment to equipping professionals with essential skills and knowledge, we ensure project managers are not mere participants but leaders in the digital revolution. Lenka Pincot, Chief of Staff to the PMI CEO and an expert with 20 years of experience in connecting business strategies to IT innovations enlightened the topic and shared invaluable insights in the recently hosted event.

Challenges of the Digital Era

The speaker guided the audience through the challenges brought forth by the digital era, such as long-term strategy foresight amidst rapid technological changes, management of constant transformation, and ensuring effective communication and collaboration in a global environment. Lenka highlighted the importance of understanding and adapting to global contexts, making strategic adjustments, and efficiently increasing value for customers, partners, and the community to address these challenges. “Transformation became a new norm,” – emphasized she.

The Evolving Role of Project Managers

The presentation continued with delivering a thorough overview of how evolving challenges induced the transformation of the project manager role: it is not confined to traditional task management anymore but requires a blend of project management skills and new-age strategic capabilities, such as collaborative leadership and problem-solving. Lenka mentioned - “tackling what is on top of the CEOs’ minds can boost career opportunities,” and as research shows, helping organizations navigate through digital disruptions and geopolitical and economic changes is a priority.  In light of this, Lenka also emphasized the imperative of embedding agility within teams and organizations to be able to respond to the challenges of the Digital Era.

Embracing Emotional Intelligence

While recognizing the  plethora of advantages AI provides us, the speaker underscored - “digital technologies can bring a lot of value, but the more we use them, the more we need to care about being human.” A number of human aspects, such as lack of leadership and communication, poor engagement with stakeholders, unrealistic expectations, and inadequate vision, all lead to project failure. Emotional Intelligence (EI) remains irreplaceable in project management.

Conclusion: A Convergence of Technology and Human Expertise

While project managers must harness their EI to navigate through the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital transformation, Lenka stressed, that the true power lies in the collaboration between technology and human professionals. The event underscored the significance of reimagining strategies and provided a roadmap for project managers to gain a competitive edge and thrive in the Digital Era.