Continuous improvement trends for project management in 2023

Whilst continuous improvement may well be the most talked about topic in the board room, it is something that project teams are still struggling to deliver in the form of self-sustaining improvements and initiatives. 

With this in mind, we asked Parallel Project Training to put together a list of some of the trends project management teams should be considering for 2023.

Governance will be of key importance

Increasingly, project management teams are recognising that initiatives for continuous improvement are not something that is naturally self-sustaining. They only continue to run if the business prioritises them. 

Whilst the usual way to make sure that operational initiatives are given importance is to look for executive sponsorship, this is not sustainable. It is important to move towards new projects rather than look after the same ones all the time. Rigorous governance should be used for the initial delivery of each project. This will allow for the continual monitoring and updating of the metrics. 

Leadership behaviour is essential

The resistance to change is natural, but continuous improvement demands that change takes place. In order for a change program to be successful, it must start at the top, and leaders much encourage “good” behaviours in order to improve goal attainment. 

The management position is likely to shift from simply supporting the concept of improvement to actually understanding it through things like investing in appropriate training, actively engaging in initiatives and investing in operational solutions that will help produce a higher quality of work. 

Better understanding of project management methodologies

Continuous improvement is rising on the corporate agenda, which means that those methodologies linked to delivering will be high on the list, not just in project management but everywhere in business. 

Organisations will be hoping to standardise with one single methodology rather than each team using their own. It doesn’t matter which methodology they use but rather that they all use the same one, so finding an approach that works for the whole organisation is a must. 

Drawing strength from diversity

Whilst everything we have already mentioned will be important for continuous improvement, there is one significant area that must be focused on in 2023. For a project to be delivered in the most successful manner, a project will need more diversity, a range of stakeholders, from a range of backgrounds, and different levels of experience. A diverse range of perspectives will have a valuable impact on the decisions made within a project. 

Sustained CI efforts from each individual practitioner

It doesn’t matter what tools and methodology are to be used. It is important that ROI is driven as a result of training for staff. Courses for project managers are a good way of supporting project management methodologies and skills within an organisation. Good training is essential if a company wants to achieve maximum success with all of the initiatives that they undertake. 

Whether you are training members of your project team in how to better use the skills and knowledge that they already have or are seeking training that will give them new knowledge and skills, training is certainly one of the big trends for 2023.