Unlocking the Power of Project Management GenAI Trailblazers

Leaders in the technology industry are at the forefront of the GenAI revolution. AI startups in India received US$7.73 billion in funding between 2013 and 2022. That infusion is fueling investment in AI-based products and services — and job growth for tech-savvy project professionals. By 2027, AI and automation are projected to create 4.7 million new tech jobs in India and require 16.2 million workers in the country to reskill and upskill, according to a report by ServiceNow and Pearson.

As project professionals play a pivotal role in digital transformation, it’s important to understand the current landscape of GenAI adopting in this field. An overwhelming majority of project managers believe that GenAI will have at least a moderate impact on their profession. Moreover, we’re seeing a growing number of project managers using GenAI extensively. High adopters – those who use GenAI for 50% or more of their projects – have increased by 86% since January 2024. Today, roughly two out of every five project professionals use GenAI in more than half of their project work and they’re beginning to stand out for their innovative leadership.

This growing cohort of GenAI ‘Trailblazers’ is able to maximize adoption to elevate their performance, navigate complex work, and usher in GenAI across their teams. By shining a light on this group of high adopters, organisations can find out where project professionals are seeing the most gains and learn how to strengthen the adoption of this burgeoning technology.

What does it look like to be a GenAI ‘Trailblazer’ in project teams?

Organizations that encourage GenAI adoption see an increased use of GenAI among project professionals, setting the stage for transformative and positive outcomes.

• Trailblazers are more productive - 93% of trailblazers versus 58% of low adopters or “explorers” benefit from GenAI in this way. They are also more likely to use it to elevate their problem-solving (89% vs. 46%) and are more effective (88% vs. 50%) by using GenAI. 

• High adopters are strengthening their interpersonal skills – which PMI calls “power skills.” With GenAI, they are boosting collaboration (83% of trailblazers versus 32% of explorers) and creativity (84% vs. 44%). 

• Using GenAI, high adopters are seeing other project improvements, including project scope (87% trailblazers versus 34% explorers), scheduling (85% vs. 46%), cost (85% vs. 42%) and quality management (91% vs. 40%).

This same study also found that Trailblazers use GenAI for more complex tasks, such as data analysis, planning, and risk management. High adopters are three times more likely to strengthen their skills with GenAI than Explorers – those who use the technology in 1- 15% of their project work.  High adopters also recognize the importance of actively advocating for organizational adoption, so they are key players for encouraging enterprise-wide take-up.  

Leveraging Prompt Engineering

Trailblazers are already mastering the critical skill of prompt engineering - the key to unlocking the full potential of GenAI. Prompt engineering makes it easy to have productive conversations with GenAI but you need to learn how to hone prompts to get the results you desire. Prompt writing, programming and logic are critical skills in helping GenAI understand the task at hand and using it to augment project management activities. Prompt engineering is now being recognised as a critical skill for unleashing the potential of Generative AI.

The emphasis Trailblazers place on prompt engineering and advanced GenAI usage suggests a strategic understanding of the technology’s capabilities and their focus on developing new skills and competencies. These actions underscore the importance of proactive engagement and self-awareness for skill development to maximize GenAI’s transformative potential in project work. Targeted upskilling in prompt engineering will help to bring Explorers on board.

The Transformative Power of GenAI

With greater proficiency in prompt engineering, project professionals can leverage GenAI across a variety of tasks to automate, assist, and augment their project work. The productivity gains will  free up project managers to become strategic contributors within their organizations, enablers of successful projects that create value now and in the future.

There is no doubt that GenAI is transforming every industry – and what we are witnessing is more than a passing trend. With the rise of adoption at the individual level, project professionals will be key players in helping organizations implement this disruptive technology. Project managers have long been at the nexus of change and disruption. Their value as action-oriented agents of change has never been more important. Forward-thinking organizations must take note of this growing cohort of trailblazing project professionals, who are seizing this moment and ready to lead in this era of GenAI.

By Amit Goyal, PMP, Regional Managing Director for South Asia, Project Management Institute