The AI Shift That’s Leaving Traditional Project Managers Behind
And Why 99% Are Playing the Wrong Game
The agency world is in the middle of a seismic shift, and most PMs are still relying on outdated processes.
They’re like Nokia planning their latest retro phone while Apple is unveiling the iPhone. If you’re still approaching project management the same way you did five years ago, you’re already behind. Way behind.
So what’s the game that 99% of project managers are playing?
It’s the game of grinding it out: spending hours juggling spreadsheets, manually chasing status updates, agonizing over resource allocations, assembling Gantt charts through sheer force of will (and lots of caffeine).
Don’t get me wrong—there’s value in hard work.
But it’s not the only way anymore. And it’s definitely not the smartest way.
The real game—the one that’s going to separate the project managers who thrive in the coming years from those who get left behind—is AI-assisted project management.
Now, I can already hear some of you protesting:
“But isn’t that cheating? Isn’t that letting AI do all the work for me?”
No. And no.
AI-assisted project management isn’t about handing your job over to a machine. It’s about leveraging technology to amplify your expertise, your strategic thinking, and your delivery capacity.
Here’s the thing:
AI is only as good as the prompts you give it.
And that’s where 99% of people drop the ball. They treat AI like a magic wand, expecting it to create the perfect solution—or they ignore it altogether, hoping it’s just a passing fad.
Both approaches are dead wrong.
The PMs who are going to win in this new landscape are the ones who learn to work with AI, not against it or in spite of it. They’re the ones who will master the art of prompt engineering—using AI-driven insights to optimise project plans, quickly identify risks, and streamline reporting.
Speaking of winning, here are a couple of recent articles to get you started (in case you missed them):
6 ways I Use ChatGPT to SPEED UP my Projects
19 years of Digital Project Management resources to help you up-skill
How to fast-track your career as a digital project manager
Keep an eye out for loads of prompt-engineering-pm-goodness coming your way soon.
Enjoy your weekends 👊