Why Project Management isn’t Going Away (Sorry AI)


Welcome to our weekly newsletter!

29 June 2025

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Hey friend,

So I was walking in the rain (I'm like a duck it seems) and I was thinking about how to learn better. Specifically with audio. The only real form of audio learning is podcasts and ebooks. On-demand learning is now easier than ever with ChatGPT and its friends. But mostly in the written word. YouTube is there for video but nothing great exists for audio. Got any suggestions?

Some Thoughts

The most important project management skill is really a fluid concept. At the beginning of your career whats most important is technical skill. When you progress, its interpersonal skill. Some might call them soft skills. The saying really is true "every problem is a people problem". Its too bad that people-skills are often left out of our formal training.

What you will learn this week:

🤖 The reason project management remains in-demand

🦾 The skill stack of an AI-Era project manager

🦿 How to leverage and not to live in fear


Why Project Management isn’t Going Away (Sorry AI)

Let’s begin with a story.

In Medieval Europe, from the 9th to 15th Century, rich lords owned land.

They had hordes of farm workers working their land.

However, things changed.

Farming became more mechanised. Labour wasn’t as needed anymore.

The tractor was invented.

Suddenly, nobody would have farm jobs anymore.

What were they all to do?

Panic. That’s what they did.

But then the Industrial Age happened.

Wealth was taken out of the hands of the lords.

You didn’t need acres of land anymore, just a small factory.

Workers found new work in these factories.

And it wasn’t just the lords who were rich now.

Anyone could be rich.

Sound familiar?

…

The same thing has happened multiple times in history. From Medieval Europe to the Internet Revolution and now with the growth of Artificial Intelligence.

Wealth has been transferred from the privileged few to the masses; several times.

...


You might enjoy this:


Postscript

What you water, grows. As I have more and more conflicting demands, I find that I naturally achieve less in each of them. My Substack newsletter grows while my Instagram growth stalls. My work gets more productive while my exercise becomes less. Frustrating, but unavoidable. What are you currently avoiding/prioritising?

Until next time,

Jonathan (The Effective Project Manager)


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The Effective Project Manager

🌱Manage your projects better, in less time. 🥇Live a life free to do what you love.

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