Topics that will be trending in Project Management in 2025

I don’t have a crystal ball. I have no knowledge of what topics will trend in 2025 and what topics will not. But I do talk to a lot of people. And I probably read more about project management than 99% of the population. So I have my thoughts.

First, let’s start with the topics that I think will not be trending in 2025

1. Artificial Intelligence. I do think AI has a role to play in project management. There are some decent use cases, such as analysing requirements documents, or looking for contradictions or gaps in test cases. It’s just that I think the use cases are defined and I think 2025 will be a year for incremental improvements on the existing use cases. That and a bit of fatigue. I don’t see this as being a big talking point in the year ahead.

2. Remote Project Management. More of us will be office-based in 2025, whether we like it or not. Add onto that change, the experience we now have with leading remote teams and leading projects remotely, and this will become less of a talking point. It moves from novel, to normal.

3. Using project management software and tools. Of course this is still important. But over the last few years the ‘gaps’ in the market for different tools has been filled. We now have good tools for portfolios, serious project tools and casual project tools and tools for all major methodologies. I think the market has responded to the gaps, as all free markets do. There may be some consolidation in the years to come, but for now I think tools will become less of a problem for project teams and therefore less of a trending topic in 2025.

So, what will be trending in 2025?

1. The skills gap. As we awaken from our economic slump, as the great resignation and the great lay-off both recede and we start the great re-employment, there will be a fight for the best talent and a recognition that the project management capacity in the marketplace does not have the skills needed for the roles that are available.

2. Product Management is not Project Management. The retreat from project management and the belief, expectation, or hope that we can deliver projects with Product Managers, will come to a head in 2025 with some sizeable failures and more organisations re-introducing project management as a discipline.

3. Expanding the role of the Project Manager. Moving from executing projects well, to delivering on business outcomes, the role of the Project Manager will grow in influence in the Board Rooms. Project Managers will be involved in more of the big conversations and the big decisions and will be trusted more with delivering project outcomes, not just running project processes. The role of Chief Project Officer will become more visible.