We all recognize that AI is a game-changing force—and certainly one to harness. While its utility varies according to industry and purpose, AI’s capacity to automate tasks, provide data, and forecast trends has endless potential to revolutionize how we work. The possibilities are exciting, and AI will continue to command our attention—likely forever. That said, we can’t overlook fundamental controls. It’s still imperative to have the disciplines of project management and process improvement embedded in your operations.
I talk to a lot of employers in Tampa Bay. Inevitably, the conversation turns to employee skill sets. “What do you find lacking in the current workforce?” I’ll ask. They tell me two traits—critical thinking and discernment, which, mind you, aren’t innate strengths of AI. I remind them that project management and process improvement professionals constantly depend on their knack for both. Regardless of AI’s immense promise, human, intuitive qualities are still necessary to steer an organization in the best direction.
Here's some of what project managers bring to the table that AI tools can’t. If you know anything about project management, its dependence on the human element is inescapable. AI can crunch numbers and submit projections. However, it can’t negotiate stakeholder expectations, maintain team cohesion, and know when to adjust as obstacles arise. These roles require a trained project manager, one equally proficient at supervising moving parts and managing human relationships. That takes critical thinking and discernment.
Similarly, process improvement professionals have unique assets that AI won’t replace. Enhancing efficiency without a compromise in quality is at the heart of process improvement. AI will produce useful data and discover waste, but PI professionals have the insight to accurately interpret facts and figures so that decisions are arrived at through deliberation. They can oversee change in an organization by balancing technical advantages with human ones. Again, that takes critical thinking and discernment.
AI is undoubtedly a disruptor. And it’s smart to have a basic understanding of it and keep tabs on its evolution. But you need project management and process improvement personnel girding your strategies and operations. Delegating tasks to AI without critical thinking and discernment will lead to miscalculations and costly errors. It’s especially important now, in a time of complexity and rapid change. Keeping project management and process improvement principles at the core of your everyday function will yield better decisions and better results.
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