PMI Zone No 50E International Edition, October 2025 - Project Management Quarterly

PROJECT MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE POLAND CHAPTER QUARTERLY | WWW.STREFAPMI.PL | OCTOBER 2025No 50E
ISSN 2353|3137
SPECIAL INTERNATIONAL EDITION
Celebrating
of Strefa PMI
Magazine
50 Issues
12Years
SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
Platform for a Future-
Ready Enterprise
Hesham Hamdy
The Hidden Engine of
Project Success: A Robust
Benefit Management Plan
Krutibas Biswal
Empowering Project
Leadership with AI:
Lessons from the Field
Daniela Chiricioaia
“Nice Kid, But It'll Never
Work”: How Challenge
Fuels Project
Transformation
Interview with Beth Ouellette
When the Project Relies
on You: The Hidden Risk
of Heroic Leadership
Maru González
S. 12
S. 6
S. 36
S. 22
S. 50

Meet our team
Marcin Wilczak
Editorial Section Lead
Łukasz Pawelec Julia Janiszewska Malwina Szopa
Editorial Section Lead
Iwona Heyen
Zuzanna Dobrochłop
Editorial Section Lead
Aleksandra Turek
Kamila Czerniak
Editor-in-Chief
Mateusz Szymborski
Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Małgorzata Tobis
Marketing Lead
Ewa Bednarz
Editorial Coordinator
MANAGEMENT TEAM
Paulina Kostrzewa-
Demczuk
Editorial Section Lead
Marek Wąsowicz Anna Swatek Michał Barcik
Editorial Section Lead
KNOWLEDGE ZONE
STUDENT ZONE
REVIEW
ZONE
INTERVIEW ZONE
Maria Wilczyńska Katarzyna Adamczak
MARKETING
PRACTICE ZONE
Bartłomiej Rączka Krzysztof
Koperkiewicz
Wojciech Radziwon
PORTAL & IT

KAMILA CZERNIAK
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
MATEUSZ SZYMBORSKI
DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
It is with immense pride and great pleasure that we present
this dedicated, English-language special edition of PMI Zone.
To celebrate 12 years of continuous publication and 50
issues, we wanted to mark this milestone in a broader, more
meaningful way. This special international edition was created to
share our journey, insights, and experiences with the global
project management community, going beyond our local
readership. It is our way of connecting with colleagues from
around the world, fostering collaboration, and highlighting the
diversity and richness of perspectives that make the PMI com-
munity truly exceptional. Discover our story on page 60. “From
the First Page to the 50th: A Visual Journey of PMI Zone”.
Our cover story, Maru González’s “When the Project Relies
on You: The Hidden Risk of Heroic Leadership” (p. 6), provides
a compelling and necessary perspective on why leadership
must transition from individual heroism to building robust,
resilient, and truly scalable systems.
In the Knowledge & Practice Zone, we delve into the es-
sentials of contemporary project execution and strategic value
realization:
• Hesham Hamdy provides a definitive blueprint for sustaina-
ble organizational agility in his article, “Agile at the Core:
Building Future Proof Project Platform for a Future-Ready
Enterprise” (p. 12), focusing on establishing foundational
structures for continuous adaptation.
• The pursuit of measurable, enduring impact is championed
by Krutibas Biswal, whose article, “The Hidden Engine of
Project Success: A Robust Benefit Management Plan”
(p.36), shifts our focus squarely to outcome-driven value
and strategic realization.
• We also explore the rapid convergence of technology and
human skill with Daniela Chiricioaia’s “Empowering Project
Leadership with AI: Lessons from the Field” (p. 22), which
outlines practical applications for enhancing clarity, acce-
lerating work, and strategically leveraging tools like Copilot.
Finally, we offer a powerful dose of personal and professional
inspiration through our featured interview. In “‘Nice Kid, But It’ll
Never Work’: How Challenge Fuels Project Transformation”
Beth Ouellette shares profound insights (p.50), on embracing
initial skepticism and utilizing challenges as the true engine
for both project and leadership evolution.
We warmly invite you to immerse yourselves in these pages,
engage with these influential global voices, and utilize this
collective knowledge to learn, unlearn, and relearn your path
to transformative, shared success.
Happy reading!
Dear Readers,
“Operations keep the lights on, strategy provides
a light at the end of the tunnel, but project
management is the train engine that moves
the organization forward.”
Joy Gumz
PHOTOS:
Agnieszka Wanat, PMI Los Angeles Chapter, archives PMI PC,
stock.adobe.com, Ideogram, ChatGPT
DESIGN AND GRAPHICS:
Anna Bar – cyklopia.pl
CONTACT:
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slideshare.net/StrefaPMI

Table of Contents
KNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
6 When the Project Relies on You: The Hidden Risk
of Heroic Leadership
Maru González
8 Navigating Complexity: What Project Managers
Can Learn from Baroque Governance & Transversal
Citizenship
Casey LaFrance
10 Antifragility: Tool of Tomorrow’s Project Manager
Petr Holášek
12 Agile at the Core: Building Future Proof Project
Platform for a Future-Ready Enterprise
Hesham Hamdy
14 Leading with Agility. Empowering Distributed, Cross-
Functional Teams in the Hybrid Era
Sharanya Kuruganti
16 The BA-PO Power Duo: Collaboration Models
That Work
Nastassia Shahun
18 One Size Does Not Fit All: The Tailoring Imperative
Adenike Teluwo
20 The Revolutionary Paradigm: Business Acumen,
Artificial Intelligence, and Project Management Office
Sara María Meneses
22 Empowering Project Leadership with AI: Lessons
from the Field
Daniela Chiricioaia
24 CPMAI Certification: The Strategic Advantage
for AI Project Leaders in 2025
Markus Kopko
26 Rethinking Project Knowledge Management
in the Digital Era
Priscila Z. Vendramini Mezzena
28 Production and Supply Networks Management
in the Industry 4.0
Leonilde Varela, Gaspar Vieira, Miguel Ângelo Pereira
30 The Sustainable Project Manager: Why Every
Organization Needs One Yesterday
Ewa Bednarczyk
32 The Tower Game: An Innovative Approach
to Teaching Project Management and Sustainability
Felipe Moraes Borges, Marcelo Quintão
36 The Hidden Engine of Project Success: A Robust
Benefit Management Plan
Krutibas Biswal
39 The Power of Intuitive Task Management:
Transforming Project Workflows for Maximum Team
Productivity
Vinay Vijay Raut
42 Quality Management in IT Projects
František Šofranko
44 Building Bridges, Not Walls: Contracts for Project
Managers
Youssef Mouzahem
INTERVIEW ZONE
46 Quo Vadis World? The Art of Unlearning: Mastering
Adaptability in the AI era
Interview with Dr. Peter Stark by Iwona Heyen
50 “Nice Kid, But It'll Never Work”: How Challenge Fuels
Project Transformation
Interview with Beth Ouellette
PMI ZONE
54 Project Management for a Greener Tomorrow:
PMI-LA’s Journey at the Intersection of Sustainability
and Innovation
David Doan
56 PMI Poland Chapter – Power in Numbers, Passion
in Action
Joanna Adamska, Edyta Sikora-Piwaruń, Kornelia
Hendżak, Aleksander Adamski
60 From the First Page to the 50th: A Visual Journey
of PMI ZoneI
REVIEW ZONE
62 A Fast, Hands-on Introduction to Agile and Scrum
Markus Kopko
62 Embedding Sustainability into the Project DNA
Casey LaFrance
63 Upstream Thinking: A Mindset Shift for Project
Managers and Operational Leaders
Rex Arguelles
63 How the f*ck to be Agile?
Rob Sandberg

You’re committed. You know your
business, your stakeholders, and your
team. You take ownership. You push
things forward. And when deadlines
loom, you step up. But what happens
when everything depends on you? If
progress stalls whenever you’re un-
available, your leadership might be
your project’s greatest risk. This is
more common than we like to admit,
especially among capable, well-inten-
tioned project leaders. It’s not a people
problem. It’s a system problem. And
more importantly, it’s a leadership
challenge.
What Project
Leadership Means
We often discuss project management
as a process – tools, schedules, delive-
rables. But project leadership is about
much more. It’s about:
• Setting direction amid uncertainty;
• Enabling others to act with clarity and
confidence;
• Building trust, alignment, and acco-
untability;
• Delivering value consistently – not just
results.
True project leaders create environ-
ments where workflows and people
grow. Not where everything routes thro-
ugh one person. And yet, many leaders –
especially high performers – fall into the
same trap: they “become the system”.
Every decision, update, and fix goes
through them. Eventually, they become
indispensable… and exhausted.
Why a Project System
Matters More Than
Heroic Effort
Let me share something personal. Early
in my career, I thought the best way to
lead was to lead by example, relentlessly.
I wanted to be the most committed per-
son in the room, the first to show up, the
last to leave. I was determined to prove
that I could handle anything. I worked
12-hour days, skipped breaks, answered
emails at midnight – all in the name of
professionalism and responsibility.
At first, it seemed like it was working.
Projects got done, and I earned a reputa-
tion for being “reliable” and “profession-
al”, two important words for me, part of
my values. But slowly, the cracks began
to show. I was drained. My team became
passive, waiting for my direction. And
progress stalled the moment I wasn’t
available. That’s when I realized: this
wasn’t leadership – it was survival.
It’s dangerously easy to confuse com-
mitment with excessive self-sacrifice. But
there’s a cost. Working at full capacity
every day isn’t a badge of honor – it’s
a warning sign. It’s not scalable. And over
time, it’s not even productive.
SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
When the Project Relies
on You: The Hidden Risk of
Heroic Leadership
—Maru González
KNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
6

International project leadership expert with
30+ years of experience accelerating results
in over 300 organizations worldwide. She
holds several PMI certifications: PMP, PBA,
ACP, PgMP, DASSM. She was the PMI Chapter
Bajio Co-founder. As a business owner, she
is the co-founder of Avanza Proyectos, a con-
sultancy firm in México, a bestselling author,
and a LIMC alum. She inspires leaders to turn
projects into engines of transformation.
Maru
González
That’s when I learned: true leadership
is not about doing more – it’s about
building systems that enable more to
get done without you.
The Power of a Project
System
Let’s be clear: great project leaders aren’t
the busiest. They’re the ones who build
structures that sustain performance –
even when they’re not around.
Phil Jackson, a legendary NBA coach
known for leading some of the most tal-
ented and challenging teams in sports
history, including the Chicago Bulls and
Los Angeles Lakers, in his book Eleven
Rings: The Soul of Success (2013), re-
flects: “My job was to make each player
the best version of themselves, not to be
the brightest star in the room”. Leadership
isn’t about being the center of attention,
but about creating the conditions for
greatness to emerge in others. In proj-
ect environments, the same principle
applies: we succeed not by controlling
everything ourselves, but by building
a system where everyone can contribute
their best, consistently and collaborative-
ly. That’s where a project management
system makes all the difference.
A well-designed system helps you:
• Clarify who does what and by when;
• Track progress and risks in real-time;
• Empower the team to solve problems
without waiting for approvals;
• Integrate new team members faster;
• Make data-driven decisions, not just
gut calls;
• Free up time to lead strategically, not
just manage tasks.
In short, a project system turns “your
personal way of working” into a shared,
repeatable, scalable method. It’s the
foundation that enables leadership, not
a substitute for it.
Five Building Blocks
of an Effective Project
System
Creating a system doesn’t mean ad-
opting a massive software suite or writing
a 100-page manual. You can start sim-
ple, and scale as needed. Here are five
essential components:
1. A Clear, Simple Workflow. Define
your basic project lifecycle. For exam-
ple, the basic one: Initiation, Planning,
Execution, Monitoring, Closing. Avoid
overengineering – focusing on clarity. Use
visual tools like Kanban boards, dash-
boards, or flowcharts. There is a great
variety of cloud-based platforms you can
use. The most important part is having
a shared process. Tip: Keep templates
light but useful. Meeting agendas, task
lists, and risk logs – standardized formats
make collaboration smoother.
2. A Shared Language for Collaboration.
Ensure that everyone – team members,
stakeholders, even vendors – under-
stands how your team works. Define
terms, roles, deliverables, and timelines
in a consistent way. This alignment reduc-
es confusion, limits scope creep, and fos-
ters trust. What does “done” mean in
your project? What counts as a “risk”?
A common language reduces rework
and misinterpretation.
3. Visible and Accessible Information.
Centralize your project’s information in
one place. Everyone should be able to
see:
• What’s in progress?
• Who’s responsible?
• What’s next?
• What’s at risk?
This doesn’t just support coordination – it
encourages ownership. Avoid Scattered
documents across emails, personal fol-
ders, or private chats. What’s invisible
becomes a bottleneck.
4. Regular, Lightweight Check-ins. Es-
tablish recurring rituals for alignment.
Weekly 15-minute stand-ups, milestone
reviews, or biweekly retrospectives can
do wonders. The key is consistency and
focus. Use meetings to resolve issues,
unblock tasks, and celebrate wins, not
just to report status. One tip: Keep a fixed
agenda and timebox discussions. Dis-
cipline in meetings creates discipline
in execution.
5. A Feedback Loop for Continuous
Improvement. Your system should
evolve. Collect input regularly: What’s
working? What’s unclear? What’s slow-
ing us down? Make space for learning.
When people contribute to improving
the system, they take ownership of it.
Periodic retrospectives help identify blind
spots – and build a culture of collabora-
tion over blame.
Signs You’re
on the Right Track
How do you know your system is working?
Here are some clear indicators:
• Tasks move forward even when you’re
on vacation;
• Project progress is visible to all sta-
keholders;
• Team members make decisions con-
fidently, within boundaries;
• New hires integrate quickly, without
constant handholding;
• Less time spent chasing updates or
clarifying scope;
• More time spent thinking ahead, less
firefighting;
• Everyone enjoys the project and the
learning, and the challenges.
If you’re seeing these signs, your leader-
ship is scaling. If not, it’s time to ask:
what’s missing from your system?
Ready to Lead
Differently?
If your project stalls when you’re not
around, it’s not a reflection of your team –
it’s a signal that your system needs work.
Great leaders don’t just solve prob-
lems. They design environments where
problems are solved without them.
A final tip: don’t ask, “What do I need
to fix today?” Ask, “What would this
project look like if it didn’t depend on
me?”. Focus on only doing what you can’t
delegate. That’s where real leadership
begins.
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 7

In a world where projects increasingly
cross sectoral, institutional, and juris-
dictional boundaries, effective man-
agement becomes an art of navigating
complexity. Unfortunately, modern
project environments can be compared
to baroque governance–full of winding
corridors, layered procedures, and cer-
emonial approvals. To succeed in fields
like public administration, healthcare,
or nonprofit work, project managers
must go beyond technical tools like
Agile or Lean. They must also develop
transversal citizenship–the ability to
bridge cultures, disciplines, and com-
peting priorities. So how change-mak-
ers can become value architects in
a world shaped by “wicked problems”
and “systemic uncertainty”?
Baroque governance describes a sys-
tem in which decision-making feels like
moving through a grand but convoluted
palace, full of overlapping authorities,
rigid protocols, and ceremonial layers
of approval. This dynamic is common
in large U.S. organizations, particularly
within government, higher education,
national nonprofits, and heavily regulated
industries [1].
Layers and Overlap
Multiple procedural layers, overlapping
jurisdictions, and ceremonial rituals of
approval can impede even highly moti-
vated teams. These complexities are not
merely bureaucratic obstacles; they em-
body historical legacies, competing man-
dates, and multiple centers of inﬂ uence.
In the United States, projects frequent-
ly span federal, state, local, tribal, and
private-sector boundaries. Navigat-
ing these environments requires project
managers to serve as translators be-
tween governance languages, moving
SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
Navigating Complexity: What
Project Managers Can Learn
from Baroque Governance &
Transversal Citizenship
—Casey LaFrance
Tab. 1. Examples of boundaries and their impact on PM work. Own work
Governance Layer
Example in U.S.
Projects
Potential Impact on
PM Work
Federal mandates Federal Highway
Administration
infrastructure rules
Limits ﬂexibility in design,
requires federal
compliance checks
State policies State data privacy lawsMay require unique data
handling protocols
Local ordinances Zoning and land-use
approvals
Adds permitting delays
and public hearing
requirementsKNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
8

Dr Casey
LaFrance
Program Manager, Professor of Political
Science at Western Illinois University, and
co-owner of AGIL3 Enterprise Coaching &
Value Stream Solutions. With 20+ years of ex-
perience in project, change, and Agile manage-
ment, he is a certified PMP, Disciplined Agile,
Scrum, Lean, and Green Project Management
professional. A recognized scholar-practitioner
and global expert on sheriffs, Dr. LaFrance
integrates systems thinking, sustainability,
and human-centered leadership into training,
research, and consulting.
ﬂuidly among technical standards, stat-
utory requirements, and cultural expec-
tations.
Transversal Citizenship
Transversal citizenship is the capacity
to move across cultural, institutional, or
disciplinary boundaries [2]. For U.S. pro-
ject managers, it often involves working
beyond the familiar sector or methodo-
logy to engage with stakeholders whose
priorities differ signiﬁcantly. Examples
include reconciling the objectives of en-
gineers, environmental advocates, and
city councils on public works projects,
or bridging the gap between software de-
velopers, compliance teams, and patient
advocacy groups in health IT initiatives. In
such cases, the project manager acts as
a boundary spanner, integrating diver-
gent viewpoints into coherent, actionable
strategies [3].
Confronting Wicked
Problems
Many contemporary U.S. projects face
wicked problems–issues without clear
deﬁnitions, that evolve rapidly, and resist
permanent solutions. Climate adaptation,
large-scale digital modernization, and
social equity initiatives all exemplify this
category.
Traditional incrementalism, once
a safe means of managing political and
organizational risk, often fails in such
contexts. Adaptive governance and rapid
learning cycles, supported by Agile, Lean,
and design thinking, enable system-level
value delivery through experimentation,
feedback, and iteration [4].
Beyond Bounded
Rationality: AI and
Systems Thinking
While human decision-making capacity
is inherently limited [5], tools such as ar-
tiﬁcial intelligence, simulation modeling,
and scenario planning can extend analy-
tical reach. These tools can identify weak
signals, map interdependencies, and
process large volumes of unstructured
data–capabilities essential for projects
drawing from dispersed data across agen-
cies and private partners.
However, technology alone is insuf-
fcient. Effective application requires
systems thinking, digital ethics, and
cross-cultural negotiation skills to en-
sure decisions are equitable and sus-
tainable [6].
From Delivery to Value
Stewardship
Frameworks such as the PMBOK® Guide
and the PMO Value Ring emphasize that
the ultimate goal is not only delivering
projects on time and within scope, but
creating enduring, measurable value
[4, 7]. In complex U.S. systems, project
closure is one event within a longer value
lifecycle. Modern project management
thus parallels product management,
requiring ongoing stewardship of deli-
vered value as conditions evolve.
Conclusion
Mastering navigation of “baroque gover-
nance”, cultivating transversal citizen-
ship, and leveraging adaptive methods
alongside advanced analytical tools po-
sitions project managers as strategic
leaders. The challenge is substantial, but
so is the opportunity: to deliver not only
successful projects, but lasting beneﬁ ts
in an interconnected, rapidly changing
environment. The interplay between
these competencies aligns closely with
the PMI Talent Triangle. The complexity
of funded programs and cross-border
initiatives requires sophisticated ways
of working, including Agile, Lean, and
systems thinking, to address overlapping
regulations and procedural layers. The
ability to act as a cultural and institu-
tional bridge demonstrates advanced
power skills, enabling project leaders
to manage multilingual and multisector
stakeholder environments with empathy
and inﬂuence. Achieving sustained value
in a policy-driven, transnational context
further demands strong business acu-
men, particularly in understanding strate-
gic priorities, funding mechanisms, and
long-term socio-economic objectives.
1. Kettl, D. F., The divided states of America:
Why federalism doesn’t work. Princeton
University Press, 2020.
2. Yuval-Davis, N. The politics of belonging:
Intersectional contestations. Sage, 2011.
3. Williams, P. Collaboration in public policy
and practice: Perspectives on boundary
spanners. Policy Press, 2012.
4. Project Management Institute. A guide to
the project management body of know-
ledge (PMBOK® guide) (7th ed.). Project
Management Institute, 2021.
5. Simon, H. A. Administrative behavior:
A study of decision-making processes
in administrative organizations, (4th ed.).
Free Press, 1997.
6. Meadows, D. H., Thinking in systems:
A primer. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2008.
7. P3M Data. PMO Value Ring methodology.
PMO Global Alliance, 2019.
Tab. 2. Examples of adaptive methods, their applications and benefits. Own work
Adaptive Method
Application in U.S.
Public Projects
Beneﬁt
Agile frameworks Coordinating multi-agency
disaster response
Speeds information ﬂow
and decision-making
Lean principles Streamlining grant
administration
Reduces waste in
processing cycles
Design thinking Reimagining public service
delivery
Improves user experience
for diverse populations
SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 9

The concept of antifragility has been
around for a couple of years but it re-
mains less well-known than concepts
like black swans which also originate
from fields of philosophy and statistics.
Imagine two projects facing the same
budget cut. Project A collapses im-
mediately. Project B not only survives
but finds new ways to deliver better
results with less money. What’s the
difference? Project B is antifragile.
Antifragility was first defined by philoso-
pher and former trader Nassim Nicolas
Taleb as an ability to thrive and grow
when exposed to volatility, randomness,
and stressors. Between antifragility and
fragility, there is also robustness, or
more recently, resilience. This ability
resists stressors and shocks, but it stays
the same (Taleb, 2012). A resilient project
is like a strong building in an earthquake
which doesn’t break, but it doesn’t get
better either. An antifragile project is
like the human immune system. Each
challenge makes it stronger for next
time. Taleb encourages us to invite more
volatility into our lives, societies and
projects. The first motivation is that it’s
an inevitable part of our existence; the
second is that with a good approach,
volatility can fix many complex systems
like the human body, companies and
organizations. In summary, Taleb states
that anything fragile dislikes volatility
(Taleb, 2012).
What Makes Projects
Fragile?
The link between antifragility and project
management might not be obvious at
first sight. But the most common chal-
lenges we as PMs need to deal with are
inflexibility, deficient response to change
and risk aversion. All three challenges
share one thing: fear of change. When
we let these problems build up in our
projects, they will become fragile very
quickly with all of the downsides of fra-
gility. Failing to face the volatility of these
fragile projects will end up with budget
overruns, postponed deliverables and
frustrated and demoralized team mem-
bers. These unpleasant consequences,
which harm your PM reputation and di-
sappoint project sponsors, are reasons
to take a deeper look at making your
projects more antifragile through the
following steps.
Beyond Agile: Use
The Advantage
of Antifragility
A good example of where you can start
being more antifragile is in projects ma-
naged using the Agile methodology. Agile
provides plenty of useful tools like daily
stand-ups, cross-functional teams, and
a focus on continuous improvement in
iterations which can be used for imple-
menting the changes we’ll explore next.
However, antifragility means thinking
a few steps forward and just being Agile
is not enough. Tomov says that the reac-
tivity of Agile doesn’t satisfy the need for
SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
Antifragility: Tool of
Tomorrow’s Project Manager
—Petr HolášekKNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
10

Program manager with 15 years of professional
experience in the IT industry based in the
Czech Republic. He joined PMI in 2019 and
currently serves as VP Programs for PMI Czech
Republic, where he oversees the chapter’s
Project Management mentoring program. Petr
is passionate about innovation in project man-
agement, driven by interdisciplinary thinking
and a holistic perspective. He is currently
completing his bachelor's degree in Philoso-
phy, deepening his passion for critical thinking
and lifelong learning.
Petr
Holášek
overcompensation required by antifragi-
lity. The project team needs to not only
respond to changes in customer requests,
but also partially predict them to produce
results that are better than expected
and earlier than expected (Tomov, 2019).
Build Options
and Think Modular
Start by identifying the most fragile points
in your projects. These places are the
ones most vulnerable to the effects of
volatility and randomness. So-called sin-
gle points of failure can be irreplaceable
decision-makers who insist on putting si-
gn-offs on every single decision. You will
have to create backup options for these
weak points. Optionality is what Taleb
refers to as the core of antifragility (Taleb,
2012). Strategies for creating optionality
vary by case. Push decisions down to the
people who do the work. That will lead
not only to faster decisions, but also to
more responsibility taken by the decision
maker. For example: Marketing manager
Marta managed two similar marketing
campaigns. Campaign A had one appro-
val path through the CEO. When the CEO
got sick, everything stopped. Campaign B
had three team leads who could approve
decisions. When problems hit, they ada-
pted quickly and delivered better results
than planned.
Since optionality is a core value of
antifragility, you should build your project
in a modular way. Building a modular
project means reducing complexity by
breaking complex systems into sub-sub-
systems with a lower level of interdepen-
dence (Ramezani & Camarinha-Matos,
2020). Another way to promote optionali-
ty is to keep the redundancy of possible
paths forward. This approach is closely
connected with project risk management
because creating alternative plans is
based on adequately performed risk anal-
ysis and mitigation. It’s fair to say that it
might become overwhelming sometime,
so you should add alternative paths only
to critical parts of your project where it
will add (or save) the most value.
Embrace Small Failures
to Prevent Big Ones
Although managing projects and building
processes with distribution, modularity,
and optionality in mind is crucial, the
most valuable assets on your project
are the people. Mindset shift needs to
happen on all levels and it’s critical in
making your project antifragile. You’ll
need to embrace uncertainty and change,
rather than avoiding them, by encouraging
your team to adopt a growth mindset and
remain flexible. The number one advice
on this is to maintain crystal clear com-
munication including both celebrating
success and acknowledging failures. The
team should spend time together during
daily stand-ups, where most of the time is
spent on brainstorming risks and action
items coming from recent team updates
or, more extensively, from past retrospec-
tives. The positive changes you’ll notice
should be an improvement in team mo-
rale, stemming from accepting failures
and mistakes as part of the progress.
Nothing is more fragile than a team ma-
naged purely from a position of power and
yelling at people for every mistake they
make. When your project team realizes
that sharing their failures and trying to
fix them in front of others is welcomed,
you’ll see much less frustration and even
better innovation rate, or similar metrics
based on the team’s ability to learn from
past mistakes and continuously try to
improve things. One of the primary chal-
lenges will be introducing new methods
for measuring success. Many traditional
metrics don’t allow failures.
As a project manager, you must take
ownership of this mindset shift and serve
as the primary advocate for this result.
You’ll need to work on overcoming risk
aversion within your teams and organiza-
tion and implement a higher risk appetite
into their DNA. To be clear, the change
of project management approach can be
very significant and implementing some
of the changes would not be possible in
some businesses with regulatory stan-
dards like construction, manufacturing
or aerospace.
Think Long-Term
and Build Alliances
Putting more emphasis on long-term
goals rather than short-term ones will cre-
ate some tension between you as an An-
tifragile PM and the company leadership.
Besides disorder and volatility, another
thing antifragility likes is time. It’s caused
by its non-linear nature where significant
upsides are usually seen after some time.
In today’s environment, driven by quar-
terly targets, it’s often more tempting to
steer leadership’s (and sometimes the
project team’s) focus on short-term gains,
away from a strategic focus. You’ll need
to get some allies for every successful
transformation. Creating an antifragile
community of practice (which may be
part of an Agile community) within your
organization, with presented success
stories and impact, might be a way to
get buy-in from senior leaders.
Antifragility as Your
New Tool
Antifragility is not just another way to
think about risk mitigation. We live in
turbulent times, where volatility is resha-
ping how we manage projects. This is one
of the main reasons why this powerful
concept may become one of the pillars of
the future of project management. Start
small: identify one fragile point in your
current project. Create a backup option
this week – and observe the impact.
1. Ramezani, J., & Camarinha-Matos, L. M.
(2020). Approaches for resilience and an-
tifragility in collaborative business eco-
systems. Technological Forecasting and
Social Change, 151.
2. Taleb, N. N. (2012). Antifragile: Things that
gain from disorder. Penguin Books.
3. Tomov, L. (2019). Is Agile Antifragile? Com-
puter Science and Education in Computer
Science, (1), 14–20.
SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 11

Organizations must hit performance
targets, respond to shifting customer
demands, and maintain speed while
transforming themselves for a future
leap that looks nothing like the past.
Traditional project management models,
built for linear delivery and functional
specialization, are increasingly out of
step with what modern markets de-
mand: continuous adaptation, real-time
response, and integrated value delivery.
The Dual Challenge:
Deliver Today, Evolve
for Tomorrow
A powerful reminder of this tension comes
from Unilever [1], one of the world’s larg-
est consumer goods companies. Facing
rapidly changing customer expectations,
Unilever recognized that their tradition-
al project model, built on fixed annual
campaigns, was no longer agile enough
to compete. Unilever began piloting Agile
marketing practices in 2018, starting with
their digital and media teams in markets
like the UK and India. By 2019–2020, Uni-
lever expanded the model across brands
and regions, creating cross-functional
marketing pods with sprints and iterative
campaigns. This included partnerships
with agencies and in-house teams.
The cross-functional pods brought to-
gether brand managers, creatives, data
analysts, and media buyers. These pods
operated in sprints, using customer data
and market feedback to test, learn, and
adapt campaigns in real time. As a result,
Unilever reported faster go-to-market
execution, higher engagement rates, and
stronger internal collaboration. Their suc-
cess showed that Agile is a scalable en-
abler of customer responsiveness and
business alignment.
As environments become more com-
plex, volatile, and customer-driven,
organizations can’t afford to separate
execution from future evolution. This is
where Agile and DevOps enter as new
operating philosophies.
Agile + DevOps as
Business Alignment
Engines
Bosch Power Tools Agile + DevOps-In-
spired Transformation Timeline [2]
2015-2016: Exploration Phase
Bosch Power Tools began experimenting
with Agile principles to accelerate prod-
uct innovation. Initial pilots focused on
increasing collaboration between engi-
neering and marketing, with early signs
of success in reducing development
cycle time.
2017: Formal Agile
Transformation Launch
Bosch launched a structured Agile trans-
formation program within its Power Tools
division. Teams were reorganized into
cross-functional squads that included
product managers, hardware engineers,
supply chain leads, and marketing. The
goal was to create iterative, custom-
er-driven product development cycles.
2018-2019: Embedding DevOps-
Inspired Practices
Bosch adopted several DevOps-inspired
concepts such as:
• End-to-end ownership: Teams became
accountable from concept through
production and feedback.
• Real-time customer feedback: Field
testing and live data shaped design
iterations.
• Integrated flow: R&D, production, and
go-to-market functions collaborated
continuously, reducing handoffs and
increasing delivery speed.
2020-2021: Recognition and
Scaling
The Bosch Power Tools model gained ex-
ternal recognition as a leading example of
SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
Agile at the Core: Building
Future Proof Project Platform
for a Future-Ready Enterprise
—Hesham HamdyKNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
12

Head of marketing, keynote speaker, and
podcaster, with two decades of leadership
experience in the pharma industry in the Mid-
dle East and Africa (MEA). He leads strategic
marketing & digital transformation at a leading
pharma company in MEA, with focus on cus-
tomer engagement, business model innova-
tion, and organizational agility. Anchored in
an academic and professional foundation:
he holds an MBA, PMP, a Certified Digital
Marketing Professional (cDMP). He is the
Platinum Winner at the AVA Digital Awards
2025 for Excellence in Digital Strategy and
Implementation.
Hesham
Hamdy
Agile in manufacturing. Their adaptation
of Agile and DevOps-style principles to
physical product development demon-
strated how traditional industries could
drive innovation by focusing on flow, feed-
back, and team autonomy.
Cross-Functional
Teams and the New
Operating Model
A contemporary approach requires
cross-functional, value-centric teams
aligned with outcomes rather than func-
tions. These teams design, build, deploy,
and learn together, fostering a faster
feedback loop, shared accountability,
and a connection between team de-
liverables and business progress. The
team becomes the focal point of value
creation, reducing approval cycles and
promoting continuous learning through
data, experimentation, and customer
feedback.
Culture, Mindset,
and Resistance Within
Agile threatens deeply ingrained assump-
tions in many organizations like hierarchi-
cal control, exposes inefficiencies, and
makes work more transparent. These
shifts can trigger discomfort, especially
among middle management, whose au-
thority may have been built on predict-
ability, control, and escalation channels.
Successful transformation requires
creating psychological safety: an envi-
ronment where asking questions, voic-
ing uncertainty, or proposing change is
encouraged.
ING Netherlands:
HR Reinvention
Through Agility [3]
In 2015, ING Netherlands encountered
a recurring challenge: as the bank rapidly
transitioned toward a digital future, one
of its core functions – Human Resources
(HR) – struggled to adapt. Recruitment
cycles were excessively slow, training pro-
grams were outdated upon their launch,
and internal mobility was hindered by rig-
id processes and siloed decision-making.
While other departments embraced Agile
methodologies, HR remained structured
around annual plans, linear projects, and
cascading approvals.
ING’s HR leadership made a decisive
decision: to transform themselves first.
They initiated a reorganization of the
HR department into squads, each with
a specific mandate such as recruitment,
learning and development, talent mobil-
ity, and people analytics. These squads
were cross-functional, comprising HR
specialists, data analysts, and digital ex-
perts. Each operated in two-week sprints,
incorporating regular standups, retro-
spectives, and demonstration sessions
directly adopting Scrum practices em-
ployed by the bank’s technology teams.
The transformation encompassed in-
creased the speed of shifting the mind-
set. For instance, instead of dedicating
six months to designing a new onboard-
ing program, the L&D squad launched
a prototype after a single sprint and
refined it based on feedback from new
hires. Recruitment utilized A/B testing
to optimize job postings, while data an-
alysts embedded within teams provided
real-time insights into engagement and
retention.
The transformation was not devoid
of challenges. Some HR professionals
found the absence of hierarchy disori-
enting, while others expressed concerns
about losing control. However, as squads
began to deliver results more swiftly and
garnered higher satisfaction from internal
stakeholders, cultural resistance gradu-
ally dissipated.
Within a year, ING’s HR function had
transformed from a back-office support
unit into a strategic catalyst for change;
empowering the bank’s broader Agile
journey and establishing itself as a model
for business units across Europe. Lead-
ers must model the mindset shift them-
selves moving from forcing directions
to coaching and mentoring. Cultural
transformation is considered the hard
core of sustained agility.
Making a successful
transformation
Adopting Agile and DevOps is a struc-
tured transformation. Here are six key
steps to begin the journey:
• Start with a Pilot – Select one busi-
ness unit or team with a strong appetite
for change. Use it to demonstrate value
before scaling.
• Form Cross-Functional Teams – Reor-
ganize around customer value streams
by blending roles from business, de-
velopment, and operations.
• Invest in Tools and Automation – Lay
the technical foundation with Contin-
uous Integration and Continuous De-
livery pipelines, and data dashboards.
• Redesign Governance and KPIs –
Shift from activity-based reporting
to outcome-focused metrics: speed,
value, learning, and customer impact.
• Develop Leadership at All Lev-
els – Coach managers to lead with
empowerment, not control. Build psy-
chological safety into team culture.
• Scale with Intentional Design – Use
frameworks like SAFe or Disciplined
Agile to expand based on organiza-
tional context.
These steps help balance business ur-
gency with a stable foundation for agility.
By tailoring approaches to each team’s
context, organizations ensure that agility
is adding a core value. The transition to
Agile and DevOps requires thoughtful
integration of frameworks, experimen-
tation, and continuous refinement.
References:
1. AgileSherpas. (2020). Unilever and the
rise of Agile marketing. https://www.ag-
ilesherpas.com
2. McKinsey & Company. (2020). Agility in
manufacturing: Lessons from Bosch Power
Tools. https://www.mckinsey.com
3. Langes, M., Schlatmann, B., & van der
Ploeg, P. (2018). ING’s agile transforma-
tion. Harvard Business Review. https://
hbr.org/2018/09/ings-agile-transformation
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 13

Have you ever thought about how Agile
leadership would look if the Agile Man-
ifesto were written today when teams
are spread across continents, connect-
ed only by screens, and collaborating
across time zones? But as project teams
have become global, cross-functional,
and remote-first, the ways we enable
delivery have had to evolve.
Agile Wasn’t Built for
This – But It’s Evolving
When the Agile Manifesto was written,
it assumed small, co-located teams
working in tight feedback loops. Today’s
teams are often spread across conti-
nents, working asynchronously, and
balancing competing priorities in mul-
tiple portfolios. Frameworks like SAFe,
LeSS, and Scrum@Scale give structural
guidance. Yet real success in distributed
Agile comes down to leadership that is
adaptive, empathetic, and intentional.
In modern project environments, Agile
leadership means creating conditions
for ownership and alignment, not mi-
cromanaging.
Agile leaders must:
• lead without authority, aligning diverse
stakeholders,
• design collaboration structures that
work across time zones,
• foster psychological safety without
physical proximity,
• adapt quickly to shifting priorities and
market conditions.
The Hidden Friction
in Distributed Agile
Teams
Global teams create frictions traditional
Agile didn’t anticipate:
• communication gaps from asynchro-
nous workflows,
• loss of shared context leading to mis-
aligned priorities,
• delayed decision-making due to time
zone differences,
• invisible work that reduces delivery
transparency,
• lower trust and psychological safety
in virtual settings.
Have you ever been in a dependency loop
that felt endless? Recently, I was leading
a program that relied on an external team
in another region for a critical delivery. On
paper, the timeline looked feasible. In
reality, every milestone slipped. Digging
deeper, I found the delays weren’t about
lack of effort, they were systemic. That
team was navigating multiple upstream
dependencies of their own, each requir-
ing separate delegations and approvals.
We addressed it by applying Agile prin-
ciples at the program level:
• shifted to shorter planning cycles so
blockers surfaced earlier,
• created a joint dependency board vis-
ible to both teams,
• established a weekly cross-team sync
focused only on blockers, not status
updates.
Within two sprints, the visibility alone
changed the dynamic, issues were raised
faster, secondary dependencies were
handled in parallel, and both teams re-
gained confidence in the delivery plan.
That experience reinforced a truth: what
looks like a team performance issue is of-
ten a system design issue and Agile, when
scaled with transparency and shared
ownership, can fix the system.
SOURCE: IDEOGRAM
Leading with Agility.
Empowering Distributed,
Cross-Functional Teams in
the Hybrid Era
—Sharanya KurugantiKNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
14

As a Senior Technical Program Manager, Sha-
ranya plays a critical role in delivering complex,
multi-year initiatives across engineering, prod-
uct, and operations. She has held TPM posi-
tions at multiple FAANG companies, driving
large-scale transformations and high-impact
programs. Working across organizations, she
defines, aligns, and delivers scalable ways of
working that accelerate innovation at every
level, helping organizations achieve strate-
gic goals and deliver exceptional customer
experiences.
Sharanya
Kuruganti
Empowering Teams:
Four Practices That
Work
In my experience leading large programs
across continents, empowerment isn’t
accidental, it’s designed. Four practices
make the difference:
• Codify Clarity Through Cadence –
bi-weekly planning tied to visible OKRs,
daily async updates for transparency,
weekly syncs to unblock teams, and
monthly retrospectives connecting
tech and business.
• Build Ownership with Transparent
Workflows – shared roadmaps, visible
boards, and public recognition streng-
then alignment and accountability.
• Align Roles Across Functions – joint
meetings define priorities, and clear
escalation paths specify who de-
cides, who contributes, and when
to escalate.
• Foster Safety and Inclusion Delibe-
rately – anonymous feedback, open
failure stories, and vulnerable leader-
ship build trust and learning.
What happens when everyone is build-
ing great features, but not toward the
same vision? I once led a program where
a primary customer-facing product relied
on contributions from five independent
component teams. Each team had its
own leadership and priorities, but they
all had to deliver functionality that would
integrate seamlessly into the same end
product.
In reality, each team’s roadmap reflect-
ed its own view of what mattered most,
with limited alignment to the overarching
product vision. The main product owner
often found themselves asking: “Why
are we building this?” and “How does
this improve the customer experience?”
Misaligned priorities led to fragmented
delivery, last-minute integration issues,
and a product experience that felt dis-
jointed to the end user.
Agile offered me a way to close the gap:
• Established a joint planning forum
where all contributing team leads and
the product owner aligned on custom-
er priorities before work entered team
backlogs.
• Adopted a rolling-wave planning ap-
proach at the program level.
• Created a shared value mapping exer-
cise linking every planned feature to
specific customer outcomes.
• Introduced cross-team demos every
two sprints for real-time context and
feedback.
Within a quarter, the tone shifted
from “Why are you doing this?” to “How
do we make this even better for the cus-
tomer?” Dependencies surfaced ear-
lier, priorities became clearer, and the
final product offered a more cohesive,
high-quality experience.
The takeaway? Agile isn’t just about
speed, it’s about ensuring that multiple
teams, each with their own priorities,
align toward a shared, customer-cen-
tered goal.
The Technical Project
Manager (TPMs) as
Agile Enabler
Unlike traditional project managers or
Scrum Masters, TPMs operate at the in-
tersection of technology, strategy, and
delivery. In distributed Agile environments,
TPMs:
• connect technical dependencies
across systems,
• translate strategic objectives into ac-
tionable delivery,
• provide cross-program visibility with-
out micromanaging,
• champion the cultural foundations
for agility.
In most programs, each team’s deliver-
able technically meets its acceptance
criteria, but the customer experience
still suffers because the pieces don’t fit
together seamlessly. This often happens
when integration points aren’t tested in
the context of the full workflow.
A useful shift is to make end-to-end
validation a shared milestone, not an
afterthought. For example, teams can
jointly walk through the full customer
journey during sprint demos, not just
their individual features. This makes gaps
visible earlier, encourages design adjust-
ments before code is locked, and sparks
conversations about how each change
impacts the overall flow.
When teams start seeing their work as
part of a shared journey, they naturally
anticipate dependencies, adjust pro-
actively, and collaborate beyond their
original scope. That’s when you know the
focus has moved from “my deliverable
is complete” to “our solution works for
the customer.”
Looking Ahead: The
Next Decade of Agile
Leadership
• What if AI flagged risks before they
disrupted delivery? Predictive planning
could turn uncertainty into opportunity.
• How would your culture change if every
process put people first? In distributed
teams, human-centered collaboration
is essential.
• Could coaching be driven by live de-
livery data? Retros would be fueled by
insight, not guesswork.
• What if you could shift effortlessly
between product, program, and plat-
form thinking? The leaders of tomorrow
will adapt their perspective to fit the
challenge.
The question is not whether Agile will
evolve, it’s whether we will evolve with it.
Empowerment Is the
Real Agile Advantage
Agility thrives where teams feel trusted,
aligned, and supported. For distributed,
cross-functional teams, creating those
conditions is the leader’s true responsi-
bility. Whether you’re a Project manager,
TPM, PMO leader, or Agile coach, the
mission is the same: Design systems
where people can do their best work,
anywhere in the world.
In doing so, we turn Agile into more than
a process, we make it a movement.
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 15

Have you ever found yourself wonder-
ing where exactly the responsibilities of
a Business Analyst (BA) end and those
of a Product Owner (PO) begin? Many
Agile teams struggle with blurred lines,
unclear responsibilities, and tension
between these two essential roles. Un-
derstanding clear collaboration models
can transform potential friction into
a powerful partnership, enhancing pro-
ductivity and project outcomes.
Why BA-PO Friction
Happens
Role ambiguity between BAs and POs
often leads to misunderstandings, redun-
dant tasks, or even conflicts. Both roles
interact closely with stakeholders and
are involved in defining product features,
which creates natural overlaps. Based
on experience across both corporate
environments and startups, friction usu-
ally arises when responsibilities aren’t
explicitly defined.
Common signs of friction include:
• Duplicate work (e.g., both roles refining
the same user stories).
• Missed requirements or gaps in com-
munication.
• Confusion among stakeholders regard-
ing points of contact.
• Reduced team efficiency due to un-
clear decision-making responsibilities.
Instead of guessing or relying on informal
expectations, teams benefit from ap-
plying structured collaboration models.
These models don’t just clarify who does
what – they also adapt to different team
setups and product complexities. Below
are three real-world-tested approaches
to make BA-PO collaboration work in
diverse project settings.
Model #1: Strategic-
Tactical Role Definition
In this model, the PO manages strategic
decisions by defining „why” and „what”
we build, including vision, roadmap, and
high-level prioritization. The BA focu-
ses on the tactical aspects – „how” to
deliver those strategic goals effectively,
managing detailed backlog refinement,
requirements specification, and ensuring
readiness for development.
In practice, the PO typically leads
stakeholder alignment, sets business
priorities, and owns the roadmap. Mean-
while, the BA translates high-level goals
into well-defined requirements, user sto-
ries, and acceptance criteria. While the
PO participates in key sprint ceremonies,
the BA takes the lead on backlog groom-
ing and works closely with developers
and QA.
Common artifacts created in this
model:
• Vision statements and product road-
maps (PO),
• User story maps, flowcharts, and ac-
ceptance criteria (BA),
• Epic breakdown sheets linking strate-
gic goals to development tickets.
SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
The BA-PO Power Duo:
Collaboration Models That
Work
—Nastassia ShahunKNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
16

Senior IT Business Analyst with over five years
of experience in business analysis, system
design, and digital product development.
She holds a Master’s degree in Informatics
and has led projects across FinTech, EdTech,
and eCommerce domains, specializing in
user-centric and data-informed approaches
to delivery. She contributes to the professional
community through writing, public speaking,
and mentoring initiatives.
Nastassia
Shahun
Strategic–tactical separation works par-
ticularly well in structured organizations
with stable team roles and long-term
roadmaps, such as large enterprises
or regulated environments. It levera-
ges each role’s strengths and provides
clarity, but may introduce rigidity if the
project context requires frequent pivots.
To prevent silos, it’s essential that both
roles align regularly and maintain open
communication.
Model #2: Dual-Track
Agile Approach
Dual-Track Agile emphasizes two pa-
rallel workflows: discovery and delive-
ry. The BA and PO collaborate closely
during discovery to validate ideas, test
assumptions, and prioritize items based
on real user needs and business goals.
Once these ideas are validated, they
move into the delivery track, where the
team builds and releases them incre-
mentally.
The PO typically focuses on shaping
the product vision, market direction, and
aligning strategic priorities. At the same
time, the BA identifies user problems,
explores solution options, and maps
out how ideas can transition into
implementable features. Discovery work
is ongoing, not a one-time phase, which
ensures a steady, insight-driven backlog.
This model is ideal for Agile teams
operating in dynamic environments such
as startups or innovation-focused teams
where requirements evolve quickly and
experimentation is part of the process.
Key activities typically include user inter-
views, problem framing, rapid prototyping,
and feasibility-based prioritization. Be-
cause discovery is ongoing, the backlog
remains insight-driven and tightly aligned
with customer value.
In practice, this model strengthens
collaboration between strategic thinking
and delivery execution, but it also de-
mands a high level of maturity and trust
across roles. Teams need time and space
to explore, test, and discard ideas, so
strong leadership support is essential.
Without clear boundaries and structured
routines, it’s easy for discovery work to
be deprioritized or rushed.
Model #3: Shared
Ownership Model
In this fluid model, BAs and POs maintain
flexible boundaries, dynamically sharing
responsibilities based on current project
needs and expertise. Unlike the struc-
tured splits in the previous two models,
this approach assumes a high degree of
mutual understanding and collaboration,
where responsibilities shift naturally de-
pending on workload, domain knowledge,
or availability.
For example, the BA might take over
backlog items during a sprint when the
PO is focused on a strategic workshop.
In another sprint, the PO may lead re-
finement sessions while the BA dives
deep into discovery analysis. This model
often works best when both roles are
co-leading ceremonies, planning activi-
ties, and even workshops – creating a true
partnership in delivery.
The model thrives in small, flexible
teams where role definitions evolve
organically. It’s particularly effective in
early-stage products or MVP initiatives,
where collaboration trumps formal
structure. Common artifacts include
shared dashboards (e.g., task boards
filtered by “current lead”), weekly sync
agendas to align responsibilities, and
collaboration notes in tools like Conflu-
ence or Notion.
Its strengths lie in adaptability and
responsiveness – teams can pivot quick-
ly without waiting on formal handoffs.
It also builds a deeper cross-role under-
standing that strengthens team cohesion.
However, the flexibility comes at a cost:
without frequent check-ins, tasks may
be duplicated or dropped. This model
demands strong communication hab-
its and doesn’t scale well in regulated
or compliance-heavy environments,
where role clarity is essential.
Practical Collaboration
Habits for BA–PO
Synergy
Clear and continuous collaboration is
the foundation of a successful BA-PO
relationship, regardless of the model you
follow. Several practical habits consisten-
tly improve alignment and effectiveness
between these two roles.
First, setting shared expectations
through tools like a customized RACI
matrix and a joint Definition of Ready
provides clarity on who owns what and
when a story is truly ready for develop-
ment. Weekly alignment meetings help
recalibrate focus, flag blockers, and re-
solve ambiguity before it affects delivery.
To ensure the backlog is always
in a healthy state, backlog health checks
are useful for reviewing readiness, com-
pleteness, and consistency. Pairing these
with collaborative boards (e.g., shared
Jira filters or whiteboards) helps visualize
who is leading each initiative.
Another essential practice is building
in regular reflection. Every few sprints,
dedicate part of your retrospective to
BA–PO collaboration dynamics. This
surfaces small issues before they turn
into blockers. In the same spirit, infor-
mal check-ins like Slack messages or
coffee chats can help build trust and
transparency.
Finally, co-leading planning and review
workshops keeps both strategic intent
and detailed delivery visible to the team.
These joint moments help align vision
with reality, and prevent misunderstand-
ings or duplicated efforts.
Wrapping Up: Turning
Collaboration into
Competitive Advantage
When aligned effectively, the BA-PO part-
nership is more than just role clarity –
it becomes a strategic asset. By clearly
defining roles, using structured tools,
and maintaining flexible but transpa-
rent communication, BAs and POs can
unlock higher productivity, better quality,
and improved team morale. Turn your
BA-PO duo into your team’s strongest
collaboration story.
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 17

Imagine every team member wearing
the same size suit to a project kick-
off meeting, absurd right? Yet, many
organisations impose uniform project
management methodologies across all
projects, regardless of size, complexity,
or risk profile. Tailoring challenges this
mindset. It advocates for customising
methodologies, tools, processes, and
life cycles to the uniqueness of each
project.
At its core, tailoring is a deliberate and
strategic process that ensures project
management approaches are tailored
to the exact needs of each project. It
promotes contextual relevance, boosts
efficiency, aligns outcomes with sta-
keholder expectations, and maintains
compliance with organisational and re-
gulatory standards.
Why Tailoring Is
a Project Managers
Superpower
Tailoring in project management is es-
sential because no two projects are
exactly the same, and each comes with
its own unique set of characteristics and
demands. Projects can vary greatly in
size, ranging from small, straightforward
initiatives to large, multifaceted programs
that require significant coordination.
Complexity levels also differ, with some
projects involving simple processes and
others requiring intricate planning, risk
management, and integration.
Additionally, the industry in which
a project operates often dictates spe-
cific compliance requirements, stan-
dards, and best practices that must be
followed. Stakeholder expectations can
also vary widely, influencing project pri-
orities, deliverables, and success criteria.
Furthermore, team dynamics including
skills, experience levels, communica-
tion styles, and cultural backgrounds
can significantly shape how a project is
executed. By tailoring processes, tools,
and methodologies to suit these factors,
project managers can improve efficien-
cy, address challenges proactively, and
ultimately increase the likelihood of
achieving project objectives successfully.
The PMBOK Guide Eighth Edition re-
inforces this point, weaving Tailoring
considerations into every performance
domain and stressing that the project
management approach must be delib-
erately adapted to context, culture, and
desired outcomes. It highlights tailor-
ing as an iterative discipline, guided by
principles, organisational values, and
measurable results, not just a checklist
at kick-off.
Where Does
the Scissors Go?
Tailoring in project management is not
limited to a single area; it can be applied
across multiple dimensions to create
a delivery approach that best suits the
project’s unique needs.
Tailoring in project management is not
limited to a single area. It is a continuous
practice that spans the entire project
journey. By weaving customization into
every phase, tailoring transforms project
management from a static methodology
into a dynamic, context-driven discipline
that ensures every action, tool, and de-
liverable is perfectly aligned with the
project’s evolving needs.
First, the Life Cycle and Development
Approach can be adjusted to fit the na-
ture of the project, whether it calls for
a predictive (waterfall), adaptive (agile),
SOURCE: IDEOGRAM.AI
One Size Does Not Fit All: The
Tailoring Imperative
—Adenike TeluwoKNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
18

A Business Development Specialist and PMI
certified Project Manager (PMP) and Scrum
Master with over six years of experience
across various industries. She specialises
in developing and implementing data-driven
growth strategies, building strong stakeholder
relationships, and delivering projects on time
and within budget. She is passionate about
clear communication and measurable results,
consistently exceeding expectations and dri-
ving sustainable business growth.
Adenike
Teluwo
or hybrid model. The choice depends
on factors like project complexity, un-
certainty, and stakeholder preferences.
Second, Processes can be custom-
ised by adding, removing, or modifying
specific steps to align with the project’s
goals, compliance requirements, and
organisational culture.
Third, People Engagement strategies
for engaging with stakeholders can be
tailored to optimise communication,
collaboration, and stakeholder involve-
ment, ensuring that the right people are
engaged at the right time with the right
level of influence.
Fourth, Tools and Technologies can
be selected and adapted to suit the
team’s capabilities, the nature of de-
liverables, and the level of automation
needed.
Finally, Methods and Artifacts, such
as templates, reports, and tracking mech-
anisms, can be adjusted for relevance,
simplicity, and effectiveness, ensuring
they add value without unnecessary
complexity.
By thoughtfully tailoring these dimen-
sions, project managers can create a bal-
anced approach that drives efficiency,
meets expectations, and supports suc-
cessful outcomes.
The Tailoring Process:
From First Stitch
to Final Fit
Tailoring is not a one off exercise but an
iterative, living, breathing journey that
unfolds from kickoff to close. Think of
it as crafting a bespoke garment: every
stage requires careful measurement,
adjustment, and refinement until the
fit is just right.
The process begins with a thoughtful
choice of Development Approach. Will
the project thrive in a predictive (water-
fall) environment? Or does it demand
the flexibility of an agile cadence with
rapid feedback loops? Or is a hybrid path
mixing structure with adaptability the
perfect solution? This initial decision
sets the tone for everything that follows.
Next comes Tailoring For The Organi-
sation. Here the project manager aligns
methods, governance, and tools with the
company’s culture, maturity, and strate-
gic goals. It’s about weaving enterprise
standards, regulatory requirements, and
leadership expectations into a framework
that still leaves room for creativity of what
is necessary for project success.
Then it’s time to Tailor For The Project.
Each Project brings its own Unique de-
tails: size, complexity, risk profile, stake-
holder priorities, and team dynamics.
Processes are adjusted, roles clarified,
and communication channels shaped to
ensure the plan fits the project’s unique
needs.
Finally, you Implement Continuous
Improvement as the project evolves, so
should the approach. Regular reviews,
lessons learned, and stakeholder feed-
back provide fresh measurements for
ongoing adjustments. This is the essence
of progressive elaboration refining as
insights unfold and new risks emerge.
This iterative cycle ensures the ap-
proach remains relevant, efficient, and
effective, delivering not just completion
but a perfectly fitted success story.
Tailoring and Agile
Tailoring in Agile means adapting Agi-
le practices to fit the project’s unique
context while staying true to Agile prin-
ciples. This could involve adjusting
sprint lengths to better match delivery
cadence, modifying roles to suit team
strengths or organisational structure, or
increasing documentation where regu-
latory or compliance needs demand it.
The goal is to remain flexible, responsive,
and value-driven, ensuring Agile works
effectively in the specific environment
rather than following a rigid, one-size-
-fits-all playbook.
Tailoring in Agile is about honouring ag-
ile principles while shaping frameworks
to fit organisational needs of a project.
The Secret Weapon
for Modern Project
Success
Tailoring is indispensable. It transforms
rigid methodologies into dynamic, va-
lue-driven practices. The question isn’t
whether to tailor, but how well you
can tailor to succeed. Every project is
unique, so success depends on identi-
fying which life cycle, processes, tools,
people, strategies, and methods best
fit the context, ensuring alignment with
goals, stakeholders, and the evolving
project environment.
The question today is no longer
whether to tailor, but how skillfully you
can strategically design a process that
bridges the gap between textbook theory
and real world delivery to best serve the
evolving needs of the project, ensuring
alignment with goals, stakeholders, and
organisational strategy at every stage.
SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 19

In Mexico, we have a traditional board
game called “Lotería”, made up of 16
playing boards featuring lottery imag-
es distributed in a 4 x 4 pattern. Each
image represents distinctive symbols
of Mexican culture, including fruits
like the pear, animals like the heron,
musical instruments like the harp, and
iconic characters such as the drunkard,
the brave man, the mermaid, the lady,
the dandy (el catrín), among others.
This family-friendly and fun game begins
when “el gritón” (the shouter) or “el can-
tor” (the caller), a voluntary or elected
player, draws cards one by one from
a deck of 54, which includes all the pos-
sible images that may appear across the
16 boards distributed among the players.
As the caller draws each card, they an-
nounce the figure aloud (they literally
shout the name), allowing all players to
look for that image on their boards: “el
gallo, la escalera...” etc.
The luckiest player is the one who finds
the announced image on their board and
marks it with a chip or a little bean – com-
monly called a “frijolito” – as the images
are called out.
The first player to complete all the im-
ages on their board must shout “¡Lotería!”
to indicate they are the first to complete
the board with the images announced
by the caller. This repeats each round
as agreed upon by the players.
The Parallel: A New
Paradigm in Project
Management
But, dear reader, you may be wondering:
what does any of this have to do with
Business Acumen, Artificial Intelligence,
and Project Management Offices? How
could such a regional and culturally spe-
cific Mexican game help us metaphorical-
ly understand the current state of project,
program, and portfolio management in an
era of transformation driven by artificial
intelligence and business acumen?
Well, in professional environments –
and today more than ever in project man-
agement – knowledge and best practices
evolve through cycles determined by
paradigm shifts. According to Thomas
Kuhn’s theory of Scientific Paradigms
1
,
there are two main types:
• Dominant Paradigm
• Revolutionary Paradigm
These paradigms drive scientific chan-
ge and affect the mindset that shapes
various schools of thought and applied
knowledge practices. In other words, they
determine how things are done – how
projects, programs, and portfolios are
executed to achieve results, products,
services, and ultimately, benefits.
For this to happen, a scientific shift
must occur, following a cycle. Yes, dear
reader, a cycle much like the rounds
SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
The Revolutionary Paradigm:
Business Acumen, Artificial
Intelligence, and Project
Management Office
—Sara María MenesesKNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
20

Master in Project Engineering from Univer-
sidad Marista and Bachelor in Economics
from UNAM, she holds various certifications,
including PMP®, PMI-PMO-CP®, AI Project Man-
ager Certificación (AIPMFPC) and Advanced
University Program in Generative Artificial In-
telligence from the University of Murcia. UCAM.
With more than seven years of experience
in IT project management, she has led the
Project Office at Portfolio PMOit Consulting.
She is convinced that managing project eco-
nomics in a context of technological change is
essential to efficiently addressing the current
requirements of clients and users of Project
Management Offices (PMOs).
Sara María
Meneses
of the traditional Mexican Lotería, al-
though in this case, this “game of chance”
is actually a controlled chance, within
a framework known as the:
Pre-paradigmatic phase, in which –
just like the 54 cards drawn randomly
by the “caller” – there are many theories
on how things should be done. Some are
more solid than others, especially those
grounded in mathematics, physics, na-
ture, or organic laws. Gradually, as these
ideas are tested and confronted with
objective, undeniable, and tangible reality
(beyond perception), the Dominant Par-
adigm emerges incomplete, improvable,
with room for growth.
Anything outside this scientific frame-
work may give rise to observable anoma-
lies, leading to a kind of paradigm crisis,
which in turn creates a Revolutionary
Paradigm, serving two purposes:
• To refute practices from the Dominant
Paradigm that failed to meet the needs
of objective reality.
• To improve and evolve those practices
toward ones that better align with that
objective reality.
It is here that players in this controlled
lotería can place chips on their boards,
completing the new paradigm’s images –
better aligning their projects, programs,
or portfolios with reality. Through a para-
digmatic lens, consensus emerges from
the experience of the previous dominant
model, enabling better decisions and
fueling new cycles.
The Decline of the Agile
Model vs. the Rise of
the Hybrid Framework
& Business Acumen
The waning popularity of the Agile model,
the consolidation of Hybrid frameworks,
and the growing momentum of Busi-
ness Acumen represent just the tip of
the iceberg in this Revolutionary Para-
digm. This does not suggest that we are
stepping into entirely new territory in
project management practice – quite
the opposite. What we’re witnessing is
an evolution of the previous dominant
paradigm, which had already been sig-
naling to project, program, and portfolio
managers the growing importance of
business thinking when conceptualizing
projects. That’s because benefits, ROI,
results, strategies, and project outcomes
all stem from the core of Business Vision.
In other words, the Project Manager must
expand their focus beyond documenta-
tion, processes, inputs, outputs, metrics,
risks, estimates, and constraints – to
a more integrated and business-oriented
perspective.
Business Vision /
Business Acumen
In the second quarter of 2025, PMI issued
a special statement in its Pulse of the
Profession 2025 report, highlighting:
“Business vision is a key factor in driving
successful projects and professional
growth in project management.”
At this point, I imagine many col-
leagues celebrating – those who already
saw, on their Lotería board, that Business
Acumen is essential for managing proj-
ects, programs, and portfolios. After all,
the interconnections among all project
elements are fundamentally based on
economic interactions driven by busi-
ness value.
But is this shift driven by its own mo-
mentum, or is it just a trendy fad? The
answer, dear reader, is: No, let me explain
briefly. This shift toward a new Business
Acumen-focused paradigm in Project
Management has been significantly
amplified by the rise of Artificial Intelli-
gence, especially Generative AI, which
is beginning to replace many operational
and managerial functions, such as re-
port writing, indicator monitoring, risk
prediction, documentation, compliance,
among others.
The project manager as a scribe, ad-
ministrator, or document handler begins
to dissolve amid these emerging forces
between Dominant and Revolutionary
paradigms. This creates a critical need
to “change their lottery board,” config-
uring a new set of business-focused
images and strategically incorporating
AI to enhance their role.
Paradigm Shifts and
the Many PMO Variants
This relentless pursuit to improve how
we respond to organizational realities
through the functions and services of
PMOs has led to a proliferation of dif-
ferent Project Management Offices. As
Aubry and Hobbs (2010) explain:
“There exists a flawed paradigm sug-
gesting that changes in PMOs, or even
their discontinuation, are due to incorrect
configurations that must be corrected
by transitioning to new and improved
PMOs, which will last longer than their
predecessors.”
2
In this context, it is crucial not to lose
sight of the real and natural purpose
behind the creation of projects – starting
from business strategy, expected results,
and intended benefits. We must remem-
ber that projects are undertaken by and
for people powered by technology in
service of human creativity and vision.
And in this constant ebb and flow
of new proposals, those of us playing
this version of “controlled lotería” can
overwhelm ourselves with overly varied
boards, shaped by whatever trend is in
vogue – or we can design precise boards
guided by the natural and organic order,
trusting in the sound judgment that only
experience and wisdom can provide.
Wisdom gained by those who have
crossed the thresholds of various dom-
inant paradigms and succeeded in pre-
serving what is good, irrefutable, and
true – so they may help shape even better,
clearer, and more powerful revolutionary
paradigms.
1. Kuhn, T. S. (1962). The Structure of Scien-
tific Revolutions (Trans. Agustín Contín, 4th
ed.). Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2013.
2. Aubry, M., Hobbs, B., Müller, R., & Blom-
quist, T. (2010). Title of the book or article
in italics. Publisher or journal.
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 21

When artificial intelligence started
making headlines in project man-
agement circles, many of us were in-
trigued – and a bit skeptical. Could an
algorithm truly support the nuanced,
often chaotic nature of managing
people, timelines, and scope? In this
hands-on article, I explore how AI
is not replacing but augmenting my
work. Drawing from direct experience,
I highlight how project teams – from
directors to developers – can use AI
to boost clarity, speed, and strategic
value in every phase of project delivery.
Over the past year, I had the opportu-
nity to participate in the initial phase
of experimenting with AI tools in real
projects within my company. My goal
was to explore how AI could support
both my productivity and the quality of
the team’s work. I focused on practical
integrations – tools that could solve spe-
cific problems we face every day. Most
importantly, I treated every AI generated
result as a draft – a suggestion, never
a final answer. My interest in AI started
from a simple need: I was tired of spen-
ding hours on repetitive documentation
and reporting. I wanted to focus more on
thinking, leading, and solving real pro-
blems – not formatting slides or writing
status updates.
Practical use cases
To better understand AI’s real impact on
everyday project work, I focused on three
key areas where it could bring visible,
measurable value. These practical use
cases span communication, documenta-
tion, and delivery – and they’ve reshaped
how I lead projects today.
Meeting Notes in Minutes, Not
Hours
Back-to-back meetings are part of the
routine – and so is the burden of turning
them into structured summaries. I used
to spend 75 to 90 minutes crafting me-
eting minutes with clear action items and
responsibilities. Now, using Microsoft
Teams transcripts together with Safe-
Brain and Microsoft Copilot Standard,
I generate draft summaries in just a few
minutes. Copilot organizes the content,
while SafeBrain extract decisions and
action points. AI can generate notes in
any language, as long as the right settings
are applied. It can even provide adapted
translations, improving clarity across
multilingual teams. That said, I never
share these summaries without a full
review. Sometimes AI misses context,
mislabels a speaker, or oversimplifies
decisions. My role is to validate and
refine – turning a fast draft into a tru-
stworthy final version. What I’ve learned:
with clear input and careful review, AI
bridges communication gaps and saves
time – but it’s still on us to ensure the
content is accurate.
SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
Empowering Project
Leadership with AI: Lessons
from the Field
—Daniela ChiricioaiaKNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
22

Project Director and Agile Coach with 22 years
of experience leading complex digital and
agile transformations. PMP®, PMI-ACP®, ASPC
certified and active mentor in global PM and
Agile communities.
Daniela
Chiricioaia
First Drafts, Better Questions,
and Smarter Acceptance
Criteria
Clear documentation drives collabora-
tion – and the earlier in the process, the
better. To improve the quality of sprint
planning and user stories, I began using
Microsoft Copilot and built-in tools like
Atlassian Intelligence to generate initial
drafts of reports and structured upda-
tes. For example, I often input raw Jira
data, and the AI suggests themes and hi-
ghlights progress and identifies blockers.
But where AI truly made an impact was
in crafting user stories. Using SafeBrain,
we generated clarification questions for
the Product Owner, ensuring we fully un-
derstood the scope before writing accep-
tance criteria. The team then reviewed
and finalized the stories collaboratively.
What I’ve learned: AI gives us momentum,
but clarity still comes from thoughtful
team discussion. Good documentation
begins with better prompts – and ends
with team validation.
Estimation with AI:
When Jira Talks Back
Once we improved story quality, we tur-
ned to effort estimation. Using AI-enabled
Jira plugins like Atlassian Intelligence, we
cross-checked our sprint plans against
historical patterns. In one case, the AI
flagged our 12-week delivery estimate
as too optimistic. That prompted the
development team to propose their own
AI experiments to help increase efficiency.
I supported their initiative and secured
budget approval from senior manage-
ment. They tested coding assistants
that helped increase both productivity
and delivery quality. Still, no AI outputs
were used blindly. Everything – from the
estimation corrections to code, tests
and rewritten stories – was reviewed by
the team. AI inspired better decisions,
but never replaced them. What I’ve le-
arned: when roles like Project Direc-
tors, Project Managers, Product Owners,
and Developers adopt AI collaboratively
and critically, the entire delivery chain
benefits – without compromising ac-
countability.
AI Adoption Across the Team
Of course, no experimentation happens
in isolation. As we began testing AI across
different project layers, the team itself
became part of the journey – adapting,
responding, and ultimately shaping
how these tools were used day to day.
With these early wins, interest in AI grew
across the team – though not without
hesitation. Some were skeptical, unsure
whether these tools would help or dis-
tract. What worked best was leading by
example and sharing real gains, such as
a 70% drop-in time spent writing meeting
notes. We also encouraged open conver-
sations about bias, errors, and human
review. That created a safer space for the
team to explore AI as a support tool – not
a decision-maker.
From Experiment to Scaled
Practice
The AI experimentation phase lasted aro-
und two to three months. During this time,
we explored real use cases, refined
our approach, and built the skills and
confidence needed to move forward. We
also measured impact through concrete
indicators – such as time saved on docu-
mentation, reduction in planning errors,
and faster decision turnaround. Once
the value became evident, I used the
experience, tools, and lessons from that
pilot period to implement AI practices
across all the projects I currently lead.
That foundation – built together through
curiosity, trial, and reflection – made the
transition to full-scale adoption both
natural and effective.
Lessons Learned: Tips for
Starting with AI
These experiences have taught me that
success with AI is less about the techno-
logy and more about how you introduce
it to the team.
Start small, but think system-
wide
Introducing AI through a single, well-cho-
sen use case – like meeting notes or
estimation – helped build confidence
without overwhelming the team. Once
the value was proven, it became easier
to scale adoption across planning, com-
munication, and reporting. Small wins
created momentum for broader adoption.
Treat AI outputs like drafts, not
directives
No matter how accurate the suggestion
seemed, we never acted on AI-generated
outputs without review. In one instance,
an automated project summary missed
key stakeholder concerns – something
only human context could catch. This
reinforced the principle that AI can ac-
celerate work, but people are still the
ones accountable for its quality and
implications.
Use AI to improve clarity
One of the most underestimated benefits
of AI was its ability to surface gaps in our
thinking. Tools like SafeBrain helped us
ask better questions during story refine-
ment, which led to sharper acceptance
criteria and fewer misunderstandings
during development. In this sense, AI be-
came less a shortcut – and more a mirror.
Make AI a team habit
The turning point wasn’t when I started
using AI – it was when the whole team
began to see it as a helpful companion
rather than a threat. We created shared
workflows, openly discussed what wor-
ked or failed, and normalized human
oversight. That collective approach made
adoption smoother, more consistent, and
ultimately more sustainable.
Final Thought
While these experiments are still ongoing,
one thing is clear: AI has already changed
how I work, how my team collaborates,
and how I think about leadership. AI
didn’t replace me as a project direc-
tor – it made me better. But only because
I approached it with curiosity, accoun-
tability, and collaboration. Every story,
every estimate, every communication
still reflects human insight. The value
of AI isn’t in automation alone. It lies in
augmentation – empowering teams to
move smarter, faster, and with greater
clarity, while staying grounded in real
human leadership.
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 23

AI initiatives live and die by data read-
iness, model risk, and value after go-
live. CPMAI gives project professionals
a practical, vendor-agnostic operating
model to steer that journey from idea
to impact. Since PMI acquired Cog-
nilytica in September 2024, CPMAI
sits inside the PMI ecosystem with
recognized standards and learning
paths for PMOs that want to scale AI
responsibly.
What CPMAI Is –
and What You Prove
When You Earn It
Cognitive Project Management for AI
(CPMAI) is a lifecycle framework and cer-
tification for running AI and ML initiatives
end to end. The CPMAI v7 Examination
Content Outline specifies a 100-question
exam in 120 minutes (90 scored, 10 pre-
test) delivered via Pearson VUE, with
no formal prerequisites and no renewal
requirement at this time.
Under the hood, CPMAI blends a da-
ta-centric, iterative approach with famil-
iar PM practices. If you know CRISP-DM,
you will recognize the logic, but CPMAI
translates it to modern AI delivery and
governance across machine learning,
advanced analytics, and intelligent au-
tomation. PMI also offers CPMAI+ as an
advanced course extending skills across
RPA, Big Data, and Data Science, broad-
ening applicability beyond core ML use
cases.
Organizations are accelerating AI ad-
option, yet many struggle to turn pilots
into production value. CPMAI-certified
professionals bring a tested lifecycle,
clear gates, and governance alignment
that reduce false starts and help spon-
sors see credible returns. The edge is
not only higher pay but also strategic
influence: you can translate AI work into
defensible portfolio decisions and me-
asurable benefits.
The Six Phases You
Will Actually Use
CPMAI organizes work into six repeating
phases you can align to governance gates.
• Business Understanding – problem
framing, value hypothesis, success
metrics.
• Data Understanding – sources, owner-
ship, quality, risks.
• Data Preparation – pipelines, labeling,
privacy and security controls.
• Model Development – focused expe-
rimentation with clear exit criteria.
• Model Evaluation – business and
technical acceptance, fairness and
robustness.
• Operationalization – deployment,
monitoring, incident playbooks, con-
tinuous value tracking.
PMI’s materials map these phases cle-
anly to project work, which makes inte-
gration with stakeholder, planning, and
measurement domains from PMBOK
straightforward.
Shape the Scope With
the Seven Patterns of AI
Most AI use cases fall into repeatable
patterns. Classifying early clarifies
data needs, risks, and success criteria.
Hyper-personalization, autonomous
systems, predictive analytics, conver-
sational interaction, anomaly detection,
recognition, and goal-driven systems
SOURCE: CHATGPT
CPMAI Certification: The
Strategic Advantage for AI
Project Leaders in 2025
—Markus KopkoKNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
24

Markus
Kopko
As a program and project management expert,
I support organizations across industries with
professional program and project manage-
ment services. With over 20 years of experi-
ence, I deliver complex programs and projects
using agile, hybrid, and traditional methods,
alongside change management. My mission
is to help organizations adapt to changing
environments by leveraging emerging tech-
nologies, data, and innovation. Certified as
CAITL, CPMAI, PgMP, PMP, and ITIL Strategist,
I apply best practices in program and project
management. I am also a passionate speaker,
coach, mentor, and trainer who enjoys sharing
knowledge with others.
give PMOs a practical lens for triage and
dependency management. Treat each
pattern as a distinct stream with its own
risks and artifacts.
Governance That
Scales: CPMAI + NIST +
ISO 42001 + EU AI Act
Production AI needs a governance stack
resilient to audits and public scrutiny.
The NIST AI Risk Management Framework
1.0 defines four core activities – Gov-
ern, Map, Measure, and Manage – that
can anchor each project gate. ISO/IEC
42001:2023 introduces an AI Manage-
ment System, clarifying roles, processes,
and continuous improvement across the
AI estate. The EU AI Act adds phased
obligations: from 2 August 2025, gen-
eral-purpose AI providers must meet
transparency and copyright rules, with
later deadlines for systemic-risk and
legacy models.
CPMAI’s phases make it straight-
forward to thread NIST tasks, ISO arti-
facts, and AI Act checks through Business,
Data, Model, and Deploy Readiness
without reinventing your PMO.
Why CPMAI Matters
for PMOs and Program
Leaders
Clearer portfolio decisions. Classify
initiatives by pattern, size the data and
compliance lift, and set evidence-based
entry criteria. That stops “cool demos”
from bypassing Stage Gate discipline.
Benefits you can defend. Tie phase
checkpoints to outcomes: uplift vs. con-
trol, model drift rates, incident MTTR, and
risk posture. Leadership expects ROI,
not slideware.
Less risk theater, more accountabil-
ity. With NIST, ISO 42001, and the EU AI
Act embedded in the lifecycle, you build
auditable evidence as you go rather than
scrambling at the end.
Portfolio-level repeatability. CPMAI
gives you common artifacts and language
across teams, so lessons learned com-
pound instead of resetting every project.
A Practical Gate Model
You Can Lift and Run
Map CPMAI phases to simple decision
points:
• G0 Idea Fit – pattern identified, va-
lue hypothesis, high-level regulatory
screen.
• G1 Business Ready – stakeholders
aligned, success metrics defined, risk
register started.
• G2 Data Ready – data sources appro-
ved, DPIA or equivalent checks, quality
baselines set.
• G3 Model Ready – evaluation plan,
test data, explainability and security
approach.
• G4 Deploy Ready – MLOps runbo-
ok, monitoring, rollback and incident
playbooks.
• G5 Scale or Retire – value review, drift
and risk reports, knowledge capture.
Thread NIST activities into each gate and
capture ISO 42001 evidence as standard
artifacts. Align EU AI Act obligations to
G2, G3, and G4 to avoid late surprises.
Each phase comes with concrete me-
trics: business net benefit and risk-adju-
sted payback, data quality and privacy
incident rates, model fairness and ro-
bustness paired with business KPIs, and
operational measures such as incident
resolution time, model drift frequency,
and value run-rate post go-live. Sponsors
expect bottom-line evidence – CPMAI
builds it in from day one.
Skills Shift: What
CPMAI Graduates
Bring
Graduates act as value translators, de-
livery leads, and governance stewards.
They connect model metrics to outcomes,
run the CPMAI cadence while coordi-
nating across functions, and integrate
NIST, ISO, and AI Act requirements into
day-to-day delivery. PMI’s integration of
Cognilytica resources makes this a cohe-
rent path for professionals who want to
lead AI initiatives with confidence.
A 90-Day Starter Plan
for Your PMO
Weeks 1-2: Set the rails
• Publish a lightweight CPMAI-based
playbook and a one-page pattern guide.
• Define Stage Gates and map NIST risk
activities and ISO artifacts to each gate.
Weeks 3-6: Run pilots with discipline
• Move two or three use cases through
Business and Data Readiness.
• Conduct DPIA or equivalent data pri-
vacy checks and record evidence for
audits.
Weeks 7-10: Model and evaluate
• Standardize evaluation protocols, in-
clude fairness and robustness checks.
• Draft monitoring and incident play-
books.
Weeks 11-13: Operate and learn
• Launch with monitoring, track value
run-rate, and review drift.
• Feed lessons into a reusable pattern
library and adjust portfolio priorities.
CPMAI tackles common pitfalls: proof-of
concept purgatory by enforcing entry/exit
criteria, data wishful thinking by making
Data Readiness explicit, compliance
scramble by embedding governance into
gates, and ROI blindness by integrating
value measurement from the start.
From Certification
to Strategic Impact
CPMAI enables PMOs and program lead-
ers to manage AI work with rigor without
treating it as just another IT project. Com-
bine the lifecycle with the Seven Patterns
for scoping, plug in NIST, ISO 42001, and
the EU AI Act for governance, and you get
a repeatable path from idea to value. In
a market where AI adoption and invest-
ment keep climbing, CPMAI positions
project professionals as strategic assets
capable of delivering outcomes they can
stand behind.
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 25

The pursuit of knowledge has always
permeated my journey. This subject
still inspires me, mainly due to the
profound transformations we are expe-
riencing and the need to rethink how to
leverage knowledge to propel project
success. Building on my academic re-
search at the intersection of knowledge
management and project management,
it is both timely and essential to re-
flect on the current challenges and
possibilities that arise when these two
disciplines converge.
Conditions
for Knowledge
Management in
Projects
Given the intangible nature of deliverables
in service companies, project knowledge
management in this sector became the
focus of my MBA dissertation. The fol-
lowing year, I co-authored an article [1]
that examined the conditions for effective
knowledge management in projects.
Drawing on a literature review, concep-
tual model development, and multiple
case studies, the research identified the
following enablers of effective project
knowledge management: Organizational
Structure, Top Management Support,
Organizational Culture, Incentive Sys-
tems, Processes, People Management,
Integration and Trust-Building among
Project Team Members, and Informa-
tion and Communication Technology.
The Changing Context
of Projects
More than ten years later, these con-
ditions remain relevant, yet recent global
disruptions – such as the pandemic,
digital acceleration, workforce trans-
formation, and climate pressures – have
profoundly reshaped human relations
and organizations.
This scenario has had a profound
impact on project environments.
Adaptability and flexibility became
indispensable capabilities for respond-
ing quickly to change. Hybrid project
management approaches gained trac-
tion. Hybrid work emerged as a global
trend, reshaping collaboration models.
In an increasingly volatile, complex, and
uncertain environment, value delivery
became a central measure of project
success.
Foundations
of Knowledge
Management
Peter Drucker [2] emphasized the impor-
tance of knowledge in the post–World
War II period and framed it as the central
resource of the emerging “post-capita-
list society”. Decades later, the debate
remains essential: knowledge continues
to be a strategic tool for competitive
advantage, productivity, innovation, and
differentiation.
Nonaka & Takeuchi [3] were pioneers
in the discussion of organizational
knowledge creation, observing innova-
tive Japanese companies. They proposed
the SECI (Socialization, Externalization,
Combination, Internalization) model,
the “knowledge spiral,” which describes
the dynamic interaction between tacit
knowledge (subjective, personal, hard
to explain, rooted in beliefs and experi-
ence) and explicit knowledge (objective,
SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
Rethinking Project Knowledge
Management in the Digital Era
—Priscila Z. Vendramini MezzenaKNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
26

Project Management Consultant with exten-
sive experience across architecture, construc-
tion, and IT. She has led initiatives in project
management, product management, and
business transformation. Holding an MBA
and multiple certifications (PMP, PMI-ACP,
CSM, PSM I, PSPO I), she excels in guiding
diverse projects and teams. Passionate about
knowledge sharing, she launched her profes-
sional blog in 2024. A dedicated PMI volunteer
for nearly two decades, Priscila has served
in leadership roles with the PMI São Paulo
Chapter and actively contributes to global
initiatives such as the PMI Chapter Xchange
and the Women PowerUP Network.
Priscila Z.
Vendramini
Mezzena
codified, such as manuals and docu-
ments).
Although organizational knowledge
creation goes beyond projects, these – as
temporary endeavors delivering unique
products, services, or results [4] – are
particularly fertile environments for
knowledge generation, while also ben-
efiting from organizational knowledge
and insights from other projects. Yet
their very temporality poses a challenge,
as effective knowledge management
depends on continuity.
Knowledge in the PMI
Sources
This article highlights two key PMI stan-
dards, which offer complementary
insights into project knowledge mana-
gement. However, the subject is also
addressed across other PMI references.
The PMBOK® Guide – 7th Edition [4]
emphasizes the importance of knowl-
edge management in projects, advo-
cating for the systematic capture and
transfer of knowledge to improve project
outcomes and organizational learning.
It emphasizes continuous learning
throughout the project and highlights
the risk of knowledge loss at closure.
This edition also links knowledge man-
agement to tailoring decisions and cites
the PMO’s role in facilitating knowledge
transfer.
The Process Groups: A Practice
Guide [5] treats knowledge manage-
ment as a core element of Organiza-
tional Process Assets, emphasizing that
governance frameworks must include
processes to capture and transfer knowl-
edge. It assigns project managers respon-
sibility for integrating people, processes,
and knowledge, while PMOs may lead
knowledge transfer. The Manage Project
Knowledge section highlights the value
of tacit knowledge, trust, and motivation.
The guide references various tools and
techniques, such as communities of
practice, mentoring, workshops, and
organizational knowledge reposito-
ries – the latter often embedded within
Project Management Information Sys-
tems (PMIS).
Current Challenges
and Opportunities
In this context, three contemporary shifts
are particularly relevant for knowledge
management in projects:
Digital Acceleration and Artificial
Intelligence
AI and advanced analytics underscore
the importance of structured, high-quali-
ty data. Smaller organizations may strug-
gle with data volume, but well-organized
project registers, such as lessons learned,
issue and risk logs, can both support
future learning and provide training data
for predictive models. AI tools can also
enhance accessibility and decision-ma-
king by providing personalized search
results. Therefore, it is critical to identify
where AI can be effectively integrated
into project knowledge management
processes.
New Work Models and Tacit
Knowledge Sharing
Hybrid and remote collaboration in-
tensifies the challenge of sharing tacit
knowledge, which traditionally thrives
in face-to-face interactions. Creating
trust, psychological safety, and intentio-
nal opportunities for informal exchange
becomes critical to avoid knowledge
silos and loss of knowledge. Seamless
communication tools are essential to
bridge relationships.
Volatility and Knowledge Cycles
With faster innovation cycles, knowledge
can quickly become obsolete. Project
managers need to integrate continuous
updating and curation into their know-
ledge practices – ensuring relevance and
adaptability over time.
These shifts also highlight the need
for new roles within project teams and
additional competencies for project
professionals, such as data literacy,
knowledge curation, and ethical infor-
mation management. At the same time,
organizational policies must ensure data
protection and security, aligned with
regulations, while maintaining openness
for effective knowledge sharing.
Toward Knowledge-
Centric Project
Management
In today’s landscape, professionals and
organizations must recognize knowled-
ge management as a strategic asset,
not a bureaucratic exercise. Embedding
it into project work is imperative, with
project managers, team members, and
PMOs acting as curators of organizational
learning.
To achieve this, organizations should sus-
tain mechanisms for continuity beyond
project closure and leverage technology
to strengthen integration, collaboration,
and knowledge processes.
Ultimately, knowledge management
must be reframed as an ongoing, val-
ue-driven practice – not a collection of
tools, repositories, or isolated activi-
ties, but rather a discipline that keeps
knowledge relevant and fosters collec-
tive learning to drive sustainable project
success.
References
1. Mezzena, P. Z. V., Yokomizo, C. A., & Cor-
rêa, H. L. (2012). Condições para gestão
eficaz do conhecimento em projetos:
Estudos de casos múltiplos em empre-
sas brasileiras de serviços [Conditions
for effective knowledge management in
projects: Multiple case studies in Brazi-
lian service companies]. Associação Na-
cional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em
Administração (ANPAD). Retrieved from
https://arquivo.anpad.org.br/diversos/
down_zips/63/2012_ADI1712.pdf
2. Drucker, P. (1993). Post-capitalist society.
HarperCollins.
3. Nonaka, I., & Takeuchi, H. (1995). The
knowledge-creating company: How Japa-
nese companies create the dynamics of
innovation. Oxford University Press.
4. Project Management Institute. (2021).
A guide to the project management body
of knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (7th ed.).
Project Management Institute.
5. Project Management Institute. (2022).
Process groups: A practice guide. Project
Management Institute.
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 27

Industry 4.0, often described as the
fourth industrial revolution, is trans-
forming how companies design, man-
age, and optimize production. Powered
by digital technologies, it integrates
machines, data, and people into intel-
ligent networks that connect suppliers,
producers, and customers. This shift
poses new challenges, but also opens
opportunities to create more sustain-
able, flexible, and efficient industrial
systems.
This article highlights a project devel-
oped in Portugal, where researchers and
companies worked together to prepare
businesses for the digital age. Its aim
was to explore new methods of produc-
tion management, test modern tools, and
support companies in adopting advanced
solutions such as cyber-physical systems,
collaborative and real-time management,
digital twins, and innovative business
models.
This project successfully achieved
several key objectives within the com-
panies that implemented it, leading to
significant advancements through the
deployment of a robust suite of technolo-
gies – including cyber-physical systems,
digital twins, artificial intelligence, and
blockchain – designed to enhance re-
al-time decision-making, interoperability,
and collaboration in Industry 4.0 and 5.0
contexts. The proposed framework was
implemented and validated in a Portu-
guese manufacturing group comprising
three interoperating factories. Results
demonstrated its effectiveness in improv-
ing agility, coordination, and stakeholder
integration through a multi-layered archi-
tecture and modular software platform.
Quantitative and qualitative feedback
from 32 participants confirmed en-
hanced decision support, operational re-
sponsiveness, and external collaboration.
Although initially tailored to a specific
industrial environment, the framework
proved to be scalable and adaptable,
representing a meaningful contribution
to sustainable and human-centric digital
transformation in manufacturing.
Introduction
Traditional production systems are evolv-
ing rapidly. Globalization, sustainability
demands, and circular economy princi-
ples are reshaping industrial networks.
Industry 4.0 accelerates this change by
introducing technologies that connect
and optimize every part of the value chain.
Academia plays a crucial role in this
transition, by training professionals capa-
ble of managing complex digital systems
and by collaborating with companies
to ensure research meets real needs.
The Portuguese project discussed here
focused on knowledge transfer, combin-
ing expertise from universities with the
practical challenges of industrial firms.
The main goal was to rethink production
management by integrating cyber-phys-
ical systems, logistics networks, and
innovation management. Simulation and
digital twins provided a way to test new
ideas in safe, virtual environments before
applying them in real factories.
Industry 4.0 and Cyber-
Physical Systems
Industry 4.0 is more than a technologi-
cal trend; it represents a new industrial
paradigm. At its core are cyber-physical
systems – integrated networks where
digital models interact with physical
SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
Production and Supply
Networks Management in the
Industry 4.0
—Leonilde Varela, Gaspar Vieira, Miguel Ângelo PereiraKNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
28

Associate Professor with Tenure at University
of Minho (Portugal). She has been Director
of the Master's in Quality Engineering and
Management at UMinho since 2021. She
has published approximately 300 articles
in journals, conferences, and books. She has
participated in over 120 international scientific
events. She works in the areas of Engineering
Sciences and Technologies, with an emphasis
on Industrial Engineering and Management.
President of ACEEIIVRM – Commercial, Busi-
ness, Institutional, and Individual Association
(www.aceiivrm.pt), founder and CEO of We
Develop Tech (www.wdt.pt), and coordi-
nates the FabLab B2AVE in Vieira do Minho
(www.b2ave.pt). He works as a researcher
in the “Distributed and Virtual Manufacturing
Systems and Enterprises” group at CITEPE –
Interdisciplinary Center for Production and
Energy Technologies, and at the ALGORITMI
Center, both at the University of Minho.
PhD candidate in Industrial and Systems Engi-
neering at the University of Minho, specializing
in Industry 4.0, the Global Resource Market,
and Artificial Intelligence. He is currently the
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief
Operating Officer of the Valérius Group. He is
a Visiting Professor at the Polytechnic Institute
of Cávado and Ave.
Maria Leonilde
Rocha Varela
Gaspar G.
Vieira
Miguel Ângelo
Silva Pereira
machines in real time. These systems
allow predictive maintenance, collabo-
rative robotics, cloud-based production,
and advanced automation.
The project explored the fundamentals
of I4.0, including: digitalization and vir-
tualization (digital twins, simulation), gig
data and artificial intelligence, Internet
of Things (IoT) and advanced computing,
additive manufacturing and smart ro-
botics, cybersecurity and new business
models.
Beyond technology, Industry 4.0 also
influences labor and society. It creates
new jobs and opportunities, but also
challenges related to skills, adaptation,
and inclusion. That is why collaboration
between academia and companies is es-
sential to balance technological progress
with human and social aspects.
Collaborative and Real-
Time Management
Modern production is no longer linear –
it requires flexibility and constant adjust-
ment. Collaborative and Real-Time
Management (C&RTM) focuses on align-
ing suppliers, producers, and customers
within dynamic networks.
Key principles include: real-time de-
cision-making supported by AI and data
analytics, agile and adaptive planning
methods, collaborative structures across
companies and partners, tools for un-
certainty management in global supply
chains.
Through practical case studies, the
project tested C&RTM methods in real
industrial contexts, proving how collab-
oration and data-driven management
can improve performance, resilience,
and innovation capacity.
Advanced Logistics
and Supply Networks
Logistics has always been vital for indus-
try, but in the digital era, supply networks
must be faster, smarter, and more sus-
tainable. The project addressed: purchas-
ing, warehousing, and transportation
strategies, performance measurement
and efficiency analysis, supply chain
integration and risk pooling, mass cus-
tomization and postponement strategies.
The aim was to train professionals capa-
ble of designing and managing advanced
supply networks, where collaboration,
technology, and sustainability play equal
roles.
Innovation
Management
and Digital Business
Models
Industry 4.0 is not only about smart-
er factories but also about rethinking
how value is created. Companies must
develop digital business models that
combine technology, customer needs,
and sustainable growth.
The project explored: innovation eco-
nomics and strategic management, open
innovation and collaborative networks,
digital ecosystems and new revenue
models, integration of technological,
social, and cultural aspects. By doing
so, it encouraged companies to view
digital transformation not only as a tech-
nological challenge but as a strategic
opportunity to reinvent themselves.
Simulation and Digital
Twins
One of the most powerful tools in Indus-
try 4.0 is simulation. By creating digital
replicas of production systems – so-
called digital twins – companies can test
ideas, optimize processes, and predict
outcomes before making real-world
changes.
Simulation allows: modeling of pro-
duction processes and logistics flows,
testing efficiency, reliability, and quality
under different scenarios, building large
and complex models by integrating small-
er components, real-time connection
between digital models and physical
systems.
Using tools such as Simio and SimPy,
the project created digital factories where
participants could safely experiment with
new approaches. This not only reduced
risks but also provided clear visualiza-
tions understandable by managers, en-
gineers, and non-specialists alike.
Conclusion
This Portuguese project combined theory
and practice to support the digital trans-
formation of industry. By integrating
knowledge in five key areas – cyber-phys-
ical systems, collaborative and real-time
management, advanced logistics, inno-
vation management, and simulation with
digital twins – it provided companies
with practical tools and strategies for
Industry 4.0.
Most importantly, it fostered collabora-
tion between universities and business-
es, ensuring that scientific knowledge
translates into real industrial impact. The
ultimate goal is not just efficiency, but
also sustainability – economic, social,
and environmental.
Industry 4.0 is a revolution in prog-
ress. Projects like this demonstrate
how research, education, and practice
can come together to guide companies
toward a smarter, more connected,
and sustainable future.
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 29

Let’s face it: “sustainability” has gone
from a buzzword to a business surviv-
al skill. What was once relegated to
glossy CSR reports is now being written
into investor briefings, customer con-
tracts, and even boardroom agendas.
And in the middle of this sustainability
storm stands a role that’s too often
overlooked: the project manager.
Projects are how organizations turn strat-
egy into reality. They build the wind farms,
digitize supply chains, rethink packaging,
and design AI tools that reduce energy use.
No strategy, no matter how bold, survives
contact with the real world without proj-
ects. Which means – without sustainable
project managers, sustainability stays
stuck in PowerPoint.
Why the Sustainable
Project Manager Is
a Must-Have
This isn’t just about feeling good; it’s
about robust business performance. Ac-
cording to World Bank data, projects
now represent a staggering 40% of global
GDP. This colossal figure underscores
the profound impact project execution
has on our economies. When we imbue
these projects with sustainability prin-
ciples, the organizational benefits are
not just tangible, they’re transformative:
• Enhanced Organizational Success
Rates: PMI's own research, «Maxi-
mizing Project Success», reveals that
projects incorporating social benefits
are significantly more likely to achieve
their desired outcomes.
• Deepened Customer Loyalty and
Brand Value: Sustainability-linked
initiatives resonate powerfully with
today's consumers.
• Proven Profitability and Financial
Health: Here's the kicker – sustain-
ability actually makes money. Who
knew? From energy savings that ac-
tually show up on your utility bill to
dodging hefty compliance fines and
scoring better loan rates, sustainable
project practices don't just make you
feel warm and fuzzy – they fatten your
wallet too.
• Strategic Long-Term Value through
Circular Economy Principles: Em-
bracing a «cradle-to-cradle» philoso-
phy, where resources are designed for
continuous reuse and regeneration,
leads to substantial long-term finan-
cial benefits.
So, the sustainable project manager isn’t
a “nice-to-have”. They are a critical differ-
entiator, making the difference between
superficial greenwashing and genuine
green winning for the organization.
GPM: The Original
Architects of
Sustainable Project
Management
Before it became a boardroom must
have, someone had to lay the groundwork.
That’s where Green Project Management
(GPM) comes in. For over a decade, GPM
has been the quiet force, pioneering the
very concepts that are now reshaping
how we manage projects. They developed
the foundational frameworks that allow
us to actually do sustainability, not just
talk about it. Think of them as the original
architects, drawing up the blueprints for
a more responsible project future.
With tools like the P5 Standard (Peo-
ple, Planet, Prosperity, Process, Product)
and the PRiSM™ methodology, GPM
SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
The Sustainable Project
Manager: Why Every
Organization Needs One
Yesterday
—Ewa BednarczykKNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
30

Ewa Bednarczyk is a leading expert in project
management, championing sustainable prac-
tices globally. As GPM's VP, Partner Enable-
ment, she fosters international collaboration
and supports organizations in adopting sus-
tainable project management. Ewa is a GPM
Trainer and University Lecturer, dedicated to
building teams and partnerships. She pio-
neered GPM in Poland and has expanded its
reach across EMEA and now globally. Crucially,
she now actively supports the PMI-GPM JV,
driving its mission to integrate sustainability
for lasting environmental and societal value.
Ewa
Bednarczyk
provided the practical mechanisms for
assessing and integrating sustainability
throughout the project lifecycle.
PMI + GPM: A Perfect
Alignment, Now More
Than Ever
Now, GPM’s pioneering work has found
a powerful ally in the Project Manage-
ment Institute (PMI), with their recent
strategic Joint Venture. This collaboration
is more than just a handshake; it’s a tes-
tament to how far sustainable project
management has come. GPM’s estab-
lished frameworks seamlessly integrate
with PMI’s robust project management
ecosystem, offering project professionals
a clear path forward.
The Sustainable Project
Manager: Powered
by PMI’s MORE
Framework
Being a sustainable project manager
doesn’t mean hugging trees while up-
dating the Gantt chart (though we won’t
judge if you do!). It means embedding
a new, comprehensive mindset into the
project lifecycle. PMI’s MORE framework
gives us a perfect roadmap for this jour-
ney – and honestly, it’s way more practical
than it sounds:
• M – Manage Perceptions: Look, for
a project to be considered success-
ful, stakeholders need to believe the
outputs are worth the investment. In
sustainability, perception is everything.
Sustainable project managers know
how to translate impact into language
that resonates – whether they're talking
to the C-suite or the local community.
• O – Own Success Beyond Project
Management Success: Here's where
things get interesting – just checking
the «delivered on time and budget»
box isn't enough anymore. Sustainable
project managers take ownership of
the whole picture: ESG compliance,
real environmental impact, actual
social outcomes. They get that last-
ing value isn't just about outputs, it's
about what those outputs actually do
in the world.
• R – Reassess Continuously: In the
sustainability world, things change
faster than a project manager's risk
register updates. Smart sustainable
project managers build flexibility right
into their approach, constantly reas-
sessing and making those small tweaks
that create massive impact over time.
• E – Expand Perspective: This is where
the magic happens – thinking beyond
today's deliverables to tomorrow's
consequences. How does this proj-
ect affect people, planet, prosperity,
process, and products? It's not just
about what you deliver today, but how
it shapes the workforce, community,
and environment down the line.
Through GPM’s foundational work with
PRiSM™ and P5, project managers can
now weave these principles into every
stage of the project life cycle, turning
sustainability from a checkbox exercise
into the backbone of project success.
Why Now?
Because the world isn’t waiting. Here’s
a reality check: the UN recently looked
at global sustainability progress and
found that only 17% of targets are actu-
ally on track for 2030. And guess who’s
positioned to bridge that gap? Project
managers, armed with GPM and PMI
frameworks, are literally the people who
can turn this around.
If you’re a project manager, sustain-
ability isn’t someone else’s job any-
more – it’s yours. And if you’re running
an organization, investing in sustainable
project management isn’t about „doing
good” – it’s about staying in business.
The GPM-b
™

Certification: Your
Passport to Global
Recognition
Ready to solidify your expertise and stand
out in a rapidly growing field? The GPM-b™
(Certified Green Project Manager – Ba-
sic) certification is your immediate path-
way to demonstrating your competence in
sustainable project management, and it's
now stronger than ever with the PMI Joint
Venture. Global Recognition, Enhanced
by PMI: Now, more than ever, this globally
recognized certification, supported by the
prestige of the PMI Joint Venture, signals
your ability to integrate environmental,
social, and economic considerations into
every project phase.
Practical Application, Proven Im-
pact: The GPM-b™ exam is built on the
practical frameworks of P5 and PRiSM™,
ensuring that certified professionals
can effectively assess impacts, make
informed decisions, and lead projects
responsibly.
Career Acceleration: In a market
where demand for sustainability skills
outstrips supply, the GPM-b™ is not just
a credential – it's a career accelerant.
It positions you as a forward-thinking
professional, capable of driving real value
and meeting the demands of modern
business and stakeholders.
Bridge to Future Growth: Holding
the GPM-b™ is often the first step on
a clear development path, leading to
more advanced certifications and a deep-
er specialization in sustainable project
leadership.
Don’t just manage projects – manage
their impact. Become a GPM-b™ certified
professional and lead the charge towards
a more sustainable future, one project
at a time.
Final Thought
Some say project managers are obsessed
with triple constraints: time, cost, scope.
But the sustainable project manager
adds a fourth: conscience. Because in
the end, no one brags about delivering
a project „on time and on budget” if it
leaves the planet in worse shape than
before.
So here’s the pitch: Be the project
manager who doesn’t just check the
boxes – but changes the game. Because
the future isn’t managed by chance. It’s
managed by projects.
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 31

The „Tower Game” is globally rec-
ognized as a practical and engaging
method for teaching the core con-
cepts of project management to young
learners. Originally conceived by Lledó
(PMIEF, 2014) under the auspices of the
Project Management Institute Educa-
tional Foundation (PMI EF), the game
simulates real-world project triple
constraints, enabling participants to
manage aspects such as scope, time,
cost, quality, and risk in an experiential
learning environment. Additionally, the
game improved other activities by Borg-
es (2024) enabling other very important
skills like Power Skills abilities (PMI,
2025), technical project design and
sustainability practices in project man-
agement (HUEMANN & SILVIUS, 2017).
The “Futuro GP – Net Zero” project [Fu-
ture PM – Net Zero], implemented by PMI
Minas Gerais, represents a significant
evolution of this methodology. It was
structured around four central objectives:
1. Development of a formal project plan:
Prior to the execution of the Tower
Game, the project team guided the
students through the creation of a sim-
plified Project Management Plan, (as
a Canvas format) covering scope, time-
line, resources, and risks.
2. Emphasis on the role of leadership:
Each group had a designated leader
who directed activities without per-
forming construction tasks, developing
leadership and coordination skills.
3. Engineering technical project design:
Students created simple paper sketch-
es of possible tower structures to guide
their construction approach and stim-
ulate design thinking.
4. Integration of sustainability (sus-
tainability education and emission
compensation): A module on envi-
ronmental responsibility introduced
carbon footprint calculation and native
tree planting to offset emissions.
The results and analyses presented in
this article refer exclusively to the 2024
edition of the Tower Game under the
Futuro GP – Net Zero initiative. Although
the 2025 edition was executed with an
added sustainability innovation, final
data collection and outcome measure-
ment for that cycle were not complete
at the time of this article’s submission.
Therefore, the findings herein do not in-
clude quantitative or qualitative results
from the 2025 implementation.
This paper outlines the project’s ob-
jectives, methodological enhancements,
and its integration with sustainability
frameworks. It further discusses the
tangible educational and sustainability
results achieved during the 2024 cycle,
offering a replicable model for integrating
sustainability into project management
SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
The Tower Game:
An Innovative Approach to
Teaching Project Management
and Sustainability
—Felipe Moraes Borges, Marcelo QuintãoKNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
32

training for young learners. Additionally,
the paper details the methodological
adaptations introduced, the outcomes
achieved, and the implications for inte-
grating project management education
with sustainable stewardship.
Materials and Methods
The project followed PMI PMBoK (7th
Edition) principles.
Project Structure
A Work Breakdown Structure defined
phases for initiation, planning, and exe-
cution. Planning tools included a Project
Management Plan and a Trello-based
Kanban board. The execution phase in-
volved six PMI volunteers guiding 28 stu-
dents through the Tower Game workshop.
Predictive methods ensured structure,
while adaptive ones supported collab-
oration and iteration.
The Tower Game
The Tower Game, originally described by
the PMI Educational Foundation (LLEDO,
2014), is an instructive and engaging
exercise that encourages participating
teams to explore critical lessons about
project management, including team
formation, scope, time, cost, quality, and
risk management.
During the activity, teams are chal-
lenged to build, within 20 minutes, the
tallest possible tower using 20 sticks and
5 paper cups, aiming simultaneously to
minimize execution time and resource
consumption, while ensuring structural
stability and quality.
In our 2025 edition, we embraced addi-
tional sustainable practices by replacing
the conventional wooden sticks and pa-
per cups with spaghetti and marshmal-
lows, inspired by the well-established
Marshmallow Challenge concept orig-
inally developed by Peter Skillman (no
date, Figure 1).
Rules and Leadership
Teams of up to 10 members built towers
at least 50 cm tall. Bonuses were given
for unused materials and time saved.
Stability for 20 minutes after completion
was required. Leaders could not touch
the structure, focusing instead on coor-
dination, communication, and strategic
decision-making – promoting leadership
and delegation skills.
Execution Steps
Facilitators introduced the objectives,
distributed materials, timed the activ-
ity, measured results, and conducted
debriefings. Reflection centered on
teamwork, planning, and managing un-
certainty – key components of project
environments.
Methodological
Adaptations
The Futuro GP – Net Zero project en-
hanced Lledó’s model by integrating sus-
tainability and engineering design. Four
adaptations were introduced:
1. Project Plan Creation: Students
defined scope, resources, and risks,
learning the fundamentals of struc-
tured project planning.
2. Leadership Development: A desig-
nated leader coordinated the group,
reinforcing the difference between
guiding and executing.
3. Engineering Design: Sketching tower
structures encouraged creativity and
planning.
4. Sustainability Integration: Students
calculated the project’s carbon foot-
print and offset emissions through
native tree planting.
These adaptations aligned with the P5
Standard and PRiSM methodology (Green
Project Management, 2024) and support-
ed the UN SDGs 4 (Quality Education)
and 13 (Climate Action).
The project calculated emissions for
energy, paper, transport, and waste using
the GHG Protocol (FGVCES, 2024), total-
ing 0.0176 tCO₂e. These were offset with
a 5:1 tree-planting ratio (Guapuruvu and
Quaresmeira species) at the Guia Lopes
School in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Sustainability
Management Plan
The Sustainability Plan ensured align-
ment between traditional project goals
and the triple bottom line (Elkington,
1997). Using the PRiSM method, it eval-
uated impacts across five dimensions:
Product, Process, People, Planet, Pros-
perity.
Frameworks:
• UN SDGs (4 and 13),
• GHG Protocol for emissions measure-
ment,
• GRI Standards for transparency (GRI
305 and 404).
Emission Sources:
Electricity, paper, fuel, and sanitary
waste. The largest impact stemmed from
transportation.
Compensation:
Planting five native trees (three Quares-
meira, two Guapuruvu), each sequester-
ing ≈ 0.35 tCO₂e over its life.
KPIs:
• 80% of students to gain project skills
(SDG 4),
• 5:1 emission offset ratio (SDG 13).
A final GRI-based sustainability report
was registered on the UN SDG Actions
Platform, demonstrating accountability
and transparency.
Results and Discussion
The implementation of the adapted Tower
Game within the Futuro GP – Net Zero
Figure 1. Tower game using marshmallow and
spaghetti
Figure 2. Explanation of rules and objectives
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 33

ment skills and fostering a culture of
sustainability awareness. In addition, the
initiative mobilized 12 PMI Minas Gerais
volunteers, who acted as facilitators and
mentors, reinforcing their own profes-
sional competencies while contributing
to community development.
This outcome underscores the impor-
tance of flexible planning and stakeholder
engagement to meet participation goals,
while demonstrating robust carbon off-
setting and operational delivery.
The environmental dimension of the
project also produced meaningful re-
sults and will be detailed. Emissions
were calculated with rigor across four
categories, using the GHG Protocol tool
(FGVces, 2024). The comparison between
planned and actual emissions is present-
ed in table 3.
As the data indicates, the most sig-
nificant deviations occurred in the cat-
egories of gasoline consumption and
printed materials, reflecting adjustments
made during the implementation phase
to meet logistical and pedagogical needs.
Nevertheless, the established 5:1 com-
pensation strategy proved adequate to
offset the total emissions, maintaining
the project’s commitment to carbon
neutrality.
This practical demonstration of car-
bon compensation served not only as
an environmental safeguard but also as
an educational instrument, illustrating to
participants the feasibility and necessity
of integrating environmental responsi-
bility into project management practice.
Additionally, the project provided
a fertile ground for the engagement and
professional development of PMI Minas
Gerais volunteers.
These individuals, functioning as fa-
cilitators, applied project management
methodologies in a real-world, communi-
ty-based context, thereby reinforcing their
technical competencies and leadership
capacities. The initiative fostered a col-
lective identity centered on sustainability,
innovation, and social impact, which is
consistent with the broader mission of
PMI to empower changemakers globally.
Comparatively, the adapted meth-
odology introduced within this project
represents a significant evolution from
Lledo’s original design. By embedding
structured feedback mechanisms, inte-
grating real-world environmental metrics,
and explicitly linking project activities to
global sustainability goals, the Futuro
GP – Net Zero initiative expanded the ped-
concepts among participants. Obser-
vations during and after the activity in-
dicated a heightened understanding of
project constraints, trade-offs, and risk
management strategies. The structured
role assignments enabled the emergence
of collaborative leadership dynamics, en-
couraging students to negotiate respon-
sibilities and optimize team performance.
Importantly, the inclusion of sustainabil-
ity as a cross-cutting theme expanded
participants’ comprehension of project
impacts, transcending the traditional
boundaries of time, cost, and scope to
encompass environmental and social
considerations.
The KPI table highlights four key per-
formance areas tracked throughout the
project. The carbon emissions exceeded
the original plan due to unforeseen logis-
tical demands, resulting in a “Not Met”
status for KPI 1, but this was balanced
by planting the planned number of trees
(KPI 2), fully achieving the compensation
strategy.
Team commitment remained strong,
delivering the projected 312 hours of
project development work (KPI 3, tar-
get met). However, the number of youth
participants fell slightly short of the goal
(18 vs. 25), marking KPI 4 as not fully met.
The project successfully trained and
capacitated 18 young students, providing
them with essential project manage-
project yielded significant education-
al and environmental outcomes, while
simultaneously fostering the engage-
ment of the PMI Minas Gerais volunteer
community.
To ensure carbon neutrality, the proj-
ect compensated the calculated 0.0293
tCO₂e by planting five native trees follow-
ing a 5:1 offset ratio; the tree-planting
activity is shown in Figure 4. From an
educational standpoint, the experiential
learning model effectively facilitated the
internalization of project management
Table 2. Key Performance Indicators: Targets vs. Achievements
* KPI 3 (Project Development Hours) was not predetermined during the initial planning phase; instead, it was tracked
throughout the project to monitor team engagement and effort.
**Not defined
Table 3: Planned and Actual GHG Emissions by Category
KPI Description
Target
(Planed)
Achieved
Target
Met?
KPI 1GHG Emissions (tCO₂e) 0.017640778 0.029300778No
KPI 2Compensation (Seedlings Planted)5 5 Yes
KPI 3Project Development Hours
(Volunteer PMI Minas Gerais
Team)*
N/D** 312 Yes
KPI 4Target Audience (Youth Participants)25 (Subscribed)18 No
Category Planned Actual
Energy Consumption 0.001108278 tCO₂e 0.001108278 tCO₂e
Printed Sheets 0.00025 tCO₂e 0.00036 tCO₂e
Fuel (Gasoline) Consumption 0.01617 tCO₂e 0.02772 tCO₂e
Sanitary Effluents 0.0001125 tCO₂e 0.0001125 tCO₂e
Total Emissions 0.01764 tCO₂e 0.02930 tCO₂e
Figure 4. Emissions compensation: planting
five native trees (three Tibouchina granulosa –
Quaresmeira – and two Schizolobium parahyba –
Guapuruvu) with students and PMI-MG volunteers
at Escola Estadual Guia Lopes, Belo Horizonte, as
part of the Futuro GP – Net Zero initiative.
34

Brazilian Senior Portfolio, Project Management,
ESG and Corporative Sustainability specialist
with 15 years of experience in mining, energy
and capital projects. He holds degrees from
executive training at MIT and Cambridge Uni-
versity. Felipe has led or supported over 1,400
initiatives totaling ~USD 1 billion in his career,
focusing on ESG, capital projects, and PMOs.
He is PMI Minas Gerais President, a PMI Angola
PMO Leader, a university lecturer, and the
only CSPM-s™ in Latin America by GPM. He
holds certifications including PMP®, PRINCE2®,
PMO-CP®, DASM®, PROSCI®, and GRI®.
Brazilian Mechanical Engineer and Project
Management specialist with over 22 years
of experience in manufacturing, industrial
operations, and capital projects. Certified
as a PMP®, he is South America Planning Co-
ordination Manager at Vallourec, overseeing
planning integration in Brazil and Europe.
Marcelo has led major industrial initiatives
focused on operational excellence and lean
practices and actively supports PMI Minas
Gerais through industry engagement and
professional development.
Felipe Moraes
Borges
Marcelo
Quintão
demonstrates the transformative poten-
tial of integrating project management
education with sustainability principles
in youth engagement programs. By effec-
tively merging technical skill develop-
ment with sustainability accountability,
the project offered participants a nu-
anced understanding of modern project
management as a discipline intrinsically
linked to the pressing challenges of our
time.
The imminent analysis of the partic-
ipant satisfaction survey will provide
further insights into the project’s edu-
cational effectiveness and inform future
iterations. However, preliminary observa-
tions suggest that the project has already
achieved its core objectives: equipping
students with project management com-
petencies, fostering sustainable project
execution practices, and galvanizing vol-
unteer engagement within PMI Minas
Gerais.
In conclusion, the Futuro GP – Net Zero
project stands as a compelling example
of how methodological innovation, when
anchored in established pedagogical
frameworks and enriched by sustain-
ability imperatives, can yield profound
educational and environmental bene-
fits. It offers a replicable model for PMI
chapters and other institutions seeking
to amplify their social impact through the
strategic fusion of project management
and sustainability education.
References:
1. BORGES, 2023 – PMI Angola Chapter. Pro-
jeto Futuro GP. Plano de Gerenciamento
do Projeto. 40pp.
2. 2024 – PMI Minas Gerais. Projeto Futuro
GP Net Zero. Plano de Gerenciamento do
Projeto. 48pp.
3. 2025 – PMI Minas Gerais. Projeto Futuro
GP Net Zero. Plano de Gerenciamento do
Projeto. 40pp.
4. GRANZA, A. 2025. PMI Talent Triangle.
The Key to Project Management Success.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE.
Available in: https://www.pmi.org/blog/
pmi-talent-triangle-the-key-to-project-
management-success
5. GREEN PROJECT MANAGEMENT. P5 Stan-
dard for Sustainability in Project Manage-
ment: Version 3.0. [S.l.]: Green Project
Management, 2024. 106 p. Available in:
https://www.greenprojectmanagement.
org/the-p5-standard.
6. GLOBAL REPORTING INITIATIVE. GRI Stan-
dards: Consolidated Set of GRI Sustainabil-
ity Reporting Standards 2019. Amsterdam:
Global Reporting Initiative, 2019. 136 p.
7. ELKINGTON, John. Cannibals with Forks:
The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century
Business. Oxford: Capstone Publishing,
1997. 400 p.
agogical scope and societal relevance of
the Tower Game. This comprehensive
approach provided all stakeholders – stu-
dents, volunteers, and institutional part-
ners – with a multi-dimensional learning
experience that transcended convention-
al project management training.
The analysis of the project’s positive and
negative impacts demonstrates that, de-
spite a few indicators falling short of their
planned targets, the Futuro GP – Net Zero
initiative delivered significant benefits
for the participants and the community.
On the positive side, the project success-
fully enhanced the project management
knowledge and skills of participating in
youth, promoted social inclusion, and
fostered the development of crucial soft
skills such as teamwork and communi-
cation. Community engagement was
robust, and the initiative also embed-
ded sustainability practices throughout
its lifecycle, including effective carbon
emission measurement and full com-
pensation, reinforcing environmental
awareness among students.
Additionally, the project produced tan-
gible outcomes: young participants were
empowered with foundational project
management abilities and inspired to
lead local initiatives that may benefit their
communities. A culture of sustainability
was cultivated, positioning environmen-
tal education as a core value for future
projects.
Conversely, the project encountered
certain challenges. Financial constraints,
limited material resources, logistical
difficulties impacted participant mobi-
lization, and some barriers in equitable
access arose due to geographic and
technological factors. Furthermore, the
sustainability of funding and partnerships
remains a potential risk for continuity,
and not all students have reached the
same level of competency.
Nonetheless, the overall impact re-
mains highly positive, evidencing that
the project’s structure, volunteer ded-
ication, and clear sustainability com-
mitments outweighed the constraints
faced. The lessons learned will inform
future editions to strengthen commu-
nity engagement, expand outreach, and
further amplify social and environmental
benefits.
Final Considerations
The deployment of the Tower Game with-
in the Futuro GP – Net Zero framework
8. FGV – CENTRO DE ESTUDOS EM SUSTE-
NTABILIDADE DA FUNDAÇÃO GETULIO
VARGAS (FGVces). (2024). Ferramentas
para Medição de Pegadas de Carbono
e Emissões de GEE. São Paulo: FGVces.
9. HUEMANN, M., & SILVIUS, A. J. G. (2017).
Projects to create the future: Managing
projects meets sustainable development.
International Journal of Project Manage-
ment, 35(6), 1066–1070.
10. INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLI-
MATE CHANGE (IPCC). (2006). Guidelines
for National Greenhouse Gas Invento-
ries. Volume 2: Energy. Available in: IPCC
Guidelines.
11. PROJECT MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE EDU-
CATIONAL FOUNDATION. O jogo da Torre,
PMI EF. PMIef, Argentina, 2014. 6pp.
12. PROJECT MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE.
A guide to the project management body
of knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). 7. ed. New-
town Square, PA: Project Management
Institute, 2021. 370 p.
13. UN – United Nations Organization. Agenda
2030 – SDGs. Agenda 2030. Accessed on
May, 20 2025
14. SKILMANN, (No Date). Marsmallow
Challenge. Available in: https://www.pe-
terskillmandesign.com/spaghetti-tow-
er-design-challenge
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 35

Projects are initiated to create value–
financial returns, operational efficien-
cy, strategic differentiation. Yet many
fall short of delivering these intended
outcomes. Why? A key missing link is
often the Benefits Management Plan
(BMP) – the bridge between strate-
gy and results. A BMP ensures that
a project is not just executed on time
and within budget, but that it delivers
measurable value. In today’s project
economy, where outcomes trump out-
puts, a well-crafted BMP is no longer
optional – it’s essential.
In the current business landscape, every
project is expected to generate visible
value. Traditional success measures,
the “Iron Triangle” of time, cost, and sco-
pe, are no longer sufficient. The focus
has shifted to outcomes: Did the project
drive cost savings, boost efficiency, or
enable strategic goals?
It answers five critical questions:
1. What benefits will be delivered?
2. When will they be realized?
3. Who is responsible for them?
4. How will they be measured?
5. What is the strategy for sustaining
them post-project?
The Benefits of Having
a Robust Benefits
Management Plan
1. Strategic Alignment
A BMP ensures that all project outco-
mes are directly tied to the organization’s
strategic objectives – be it growth, com-
pliance, sustainability, or innovation. It
prevents the classic problem of “solution
looking for a problem” by validating bu-
siness need upfront.
Example: A digital transformation
initiative aimed at cost reduction can
define “10% operational cost savings” as
a measurable benefit, tracked through
automation KPIs.
2. Stakeholder Engagement and
Buy-In
By clearly articulating benefits, stakehol-
ders see what’s in it for them, increasing
engagement. It promotes transparen-
cy, reduces resistance, and improves
cross-functional collaboration–critical
for large transformation programs.
Example: In a supply chain redesign
project, identifying “reduced inventory
holding time” as a benefit builds trust
with operations teams and aligns efforts.
3. Benefit Realization
Accountability
With assigned benefit owners and ti-
melines, BMPs embed post-project
accountability, ensuring that benefits
aren’t left to chance after go-live. This
is particularly crucial for projects where
benefits emerge months or years after
implementation.
Example: Assigning HR as the owner
for “reduction in attrition” benefit in an
employee engagement platform imple-
mentation.
4. Prioritization and Resource
Optimization
When projects are evaluated on poten-
tial benefits, organizations can prioritize
SOURCE: IDEOGRAM
The Hidden Engine of Project
Success: A Robust Benefit
Management Plan
—Krutibas BiswalKNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
36

Initiative
delivering a new
capability and
contributing to
strategic
objectives via
the beneﬁts
Strategic
objective
Beneﬁt directly
attributable to
the project/initiative
Final beneﬁt resulting
from the earlier
beneﬁts directly
contributing to
the strategic
objectives
Intermediate/early beneﬁts –
necessary, but not to deliver
the end beneﬁts. These
early beneﬁts can enable
other early beneﬁts before
the end beneﬁts are
delivered. Intermediate
beneﬁts are steps towards
the end beneﬁts and need
to be actively monitored and
actions taken to ensure
delivery of the end beneﬁts.
Investment in projects,
programmers or
portfolio of activities.
End beneﬁts collectively
equate to achieving a
given strategic objective.
high-value initiatives, ensuring optimal
allocation of limited resources like fun-
ding and talent. BMPs provide objective
criteria for go/no-go and portfolio selec-
tion decisions.
5. Performance Tracking and
Adaptation
BMPs define clear KPIs and tracking me-
chanisms. This enables benefits to be
monitored during and after the project,
allowing for adaptive planning and mid-co-
urse corrections if benefits are at risk.
Example: Cloud migration tracked
for “40% faster deployment” – adjust-
ments made as needed.
6. Sustained Value Beyond
Delivery
A robust BMP goes beyond project clo-
sure and includes a transition strategy
for embedding changes into busi-
ness-as-usual (BAU). It drives sustainable
change, not just one-time delivery.
Example: A customer relationship
management (CRM) project includes
sales training and post-deployment
support to realize long-term customer
retention benefits.
The Risk of Not
Having a Benefits
Management Plan
Projects without a formal Benefits Ma-
nagement Plan are highly vulnerable, as
neglecting to implement a Benefit Ma-
nagement Plan can lead to significant
pitfalls, often resulting in projects that
consume resources without delivering
the anticipated value.
Here are the risks and how they manifest
in real-life failures:
1. Misalignment with Business
Strategy
Projects may deliver outputs that don’t
meet business needs.
E.g., A CRM system is deployed but
doesn’t impact sales due to unchanged
processes.
2. Undefined Success Criteria
Without benefit metrics, teams celebrate
delivery milestones instead of outcomes.
Stakeholders may disagree on whether
the project was a success.
E.g., A data warehouse is built, but not
used due to undefined reporting needs.
3. Accountability Gaps
Post-project, benefits fall through the
cracks without assigned owners.
E.g., A new HR system is live, but at-
trition remains unchanged due to no
follow-up.
4. Stakeholder Disengagement
Benefits not communicated or tracked
lead to resistance or apathy.
E.g., Employees resist a new platform
that lacks visible impact on their roles.
5. Post-Project Value Leakage
Benefits fade if not sustained through
proper handover and controls.
E.g., Initial cost savings vanish due to
poor monitoring post-deployment.
6. Poor Project Selection
Without benefit data, low-value projects
get greenlit.
E.g., IT upgrades infrastructure with
minimal user impact while critical cus-
tomer apps lag behind.
10 Things Project
Managers Often
Miss About Benefits
Management Plans
1. Confusing Outputs with
Benefits
Missed Insight: Delivering project out-
puts (e.g., systems, reports, products)
is not the same as delivering benefits.
Example: A CRM software is deployed
successfully (output), but sales perfor-
mance doesn’t improve because user
adoption is low, and customer data isn’t
being used strategically (benefit not re-
alized).
Table 1. Key Components of an Effective Benefits Management Plan
Source: own work
Component Description Best Practice Example
Benefit
Identification
Define tangible (cost savings,
revenue) and intangible (brand
equity, employee morale) benefits.
“20% NPS increase post-
service revamp”
Benefit Mapping Link each benefit to a project output
or outcome. Ensure a cause-effect
relationship.
“Faster onboarding” tied to
HR automation
Benefit Owner
Assignment
Assign accountable individuals/
departments to ensure benefit
realization.
Marketing owns “20% lead
growth”
Measurement
Criteria & KPIs
Define how benefits will be
measured (baseline, data source,
frequency).
Productivity via timesheet
analysis
Realization
Timeline
Define when benefits are expected–
short-term (0-6 months), medium (6-
18 months), long-term (>18 months).
Short-term = error drop;
Long-term = market share
gain
Benefit Risk
Assessment
Identify what may derail benefit
realization (e.g., adoption risk, tech
underperformance).
Plan for low adoption via
change management
Sustainment PlanDefine how benefits will continue
post-project and how BAU teams will
manage them.
Assign benefit tracking to
BAU dashboards and teams
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 37

The overarching goals
that guide the direction
of the organization.
The process of
decomposing strategic
goals into strategic
initiatives.
The net result of
realized beneﬁts less
the cost of achieving
the beneﬁts. The value
may be tangible or
intangible.
A gain realized by the
organization and
beneﬁciaries through
portfolio, program, or
project outputs and
resulting outcomes.
The results obtained
through the use of
portfolio, program and
project outputs.
The portfolios,
programs, and projects
created to deliver
a strategic goal.
The expected
deliverable of
a portfolio, program,
or project.
2. Not Defining Measurable
Success Criteria
Missed Insight: Project managers often
define success as on-time, on-budget
delivery without identifying KPIs for be-
nefit realization.
Example: An employee wellness app is
launched, but there’s no KPI to measure
improvement in employee engagement
or reduction in sick leave – so the orga-
nization can’t prove any value from the
project.
3. Assuming Benefits Will
Happen Automatically Post-
Project
Missed Insight: Benefits don’t materiali-
ze on their own. They need follow-through,
support, and ownership beyond go-live.
Example: After implementing a supply
chain visibility tool, a company expects
improved demand forecasting. But with-
out training planners to interpret the data,
forecasts remain inaccurate.
4. Not Assigning Benefit Owners
Missed Insight: Project managers often
fail to identify and assign benefit owners –
someone accountable for realizing each
benefit.
Example: A digital onboarding process
is introduced to reduce customer wait
times, but no one in operations is made
responsible for process improvement
post-deployment – so bottlenecks persist.
5. Ignoring Long-Term Benefits
in Favor of Short-Term Wins
Missed Insight: Many benefits, especial-
ly strategic ones, take time to materialize.
PMs often focus only on what’s achieva-
ble within the project timeline.
Example: A sustainability initiative
may show minimal carbon reduction
during the project timeline, but sub-
stantial impact appears after 2–3 years.
Without tracking long-term benefits, the
project is deemed a failure prematurely.
6. Treating the BMP as a One-
Time Document
Missed Insight: A BMP should be dyna-
mic. PMs often create it at the start and
never revisit it.
Example: Market dynamics change
mid-project, and certain benefits are no
longer relevant. The BMP is not updated,
so the project team continues to pursue
outdated goals.
7. Failing to Involve Stakeholders
in Benefit Definition
Missed Insight: If stakeholders don’t
help define benefits, they won’t own
them or support delivery.
Example: In an HR transformation
project, benefits like “reduced onboard-
ing time” are defined without consulting
HR managers. The metrics chosen are
irrelevant to daily operations and ignored
in practice.
8. Not Integrating Benefits into
Portfolio Decision-Making
Missed Insight: Project approvals and
funding decisions should be driven by
expected benefits, not just business
cases.
Example: A project with low strategic
benefit but strong executive sponsorship
PMI® Authorized PMP® Trainer with 18+ years
of global experience in project and program
management, digital transformation, finance
operations, and Lean Six Sigma. Known for his
dynamic training style, Krutibas blends PMI’s
gold-standard frameworks with real-world
insights, practical tools, and case-driven
discussions. He is passionate about devel-
oping future-ready project managers and has
mentored professionals across industries in
mastering both the PMP® exam and the mind-
set needed to lead with confidence and agility.
Krutibas
Biswal
is funded, while a high-benefit but less
visible project is deferred–resulting in
misaligned resource allocation.
9. Overlooking Change
Management’s Role in Realizing
Benefits
Missed Insight: Without behaviour chan-
ge, many benefits will not be realized,
even if deliverables are perfect.
Example: A finance automation sys-
tem is implemented to reduce manual
journal entries. But accountants still use
Excel spreadsheets due to habit and lack
of training–no productivity gain achieved.
10. Not Planning for Benefit
Sustainment
Missed Insight: Benefits can degrade
over time if not embedded into BAU (bu-
siness-as-usual) processes.
Example: A knowledge management
portal boosts collaboration initially, but
content becomes outdated, and usage
drops after the project team disbands. No
one was assigned to maintain or govern
it post-launch.
Final Thoughts
A Benefits Management Plan is not an
administrative overhead – it’s a strategic
enabler. In an era where organizations
are constantly striving for competitive
advantage and optimal resource utiliza-
tion, the Benefit Management Plan is no
longer a luxury but a necessity.
Figure 1. Benefits Management Plan
Source: Minney, H., Parris, S. (2019). A guide to using a benefits management framework, Association for
Project Management (APM).
38

SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
In today’s fast-paced business envi-
ronment, project managers face an
increasingly complex challenge: how
to coordinate multiple moving parts,
manage diverse team members, and
deliver results on time while maintain-
ing quality standards. The answer lies
not in adding more tools or process-
es, but in fundamentally rethinking
how we approach task management
through intuitive, streamlined solu-
tions that work with human behavior
rather than against it.
The Hidden Cost
of Complex Task
Management
Traditional project management often
suffers from what we might call „com-
plexity creep” – the gradual accumulation
of processes, tools, and workflows that,
while individually logical, collectively cre-
ate a web of confusion that slows teams
down rather than speeding them up. Re-
search from the Project Management
Institute indicates that organizations
lose an average of $97 million for every
$1 billion invested due to poor project
performance, with task management
inefficiencies being a significant con-
tributing factor.
The problem isn’t dedication or skill;
it’s systems that create unnecessary fric-
tion. Consider a typical scenario: a de-
veloper needs to update a bug fix status
but must navigate three different screens,
update two separate fields, notify four
team members manually, and document
the change in a shared spreadsheet. This
five-minute administrative task happens
dozens of times daily across the team,
consuming hours that could be spent
on actual development work.
Three Pillars of Intuitive
Task Management
Intuitive task management goes beyond
simple to-do lists or basic project boards.
It’s about creating a system that mir-
rors natural thought processes and work
patterns, reducing cognitive load while
increasing visibility and control. Several
key principles define truly intuitive task
management:
• Visual Clarity and Immediate Under-
standing. The best task management
systems present information in ways
that the human brain processes quick-
ly. For example, Kanban boards use
spatial positioning to show workflow
The Power of Intuitive Task
Management: Transforming
Project Workflows for
Maximum Team Productivity
—Vinay Vijay Raut
KNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 39

stages, while color coding can instant-
ly communicate priority levels: red
for urgent, yellow for approaching
deadlines, green for on-track. When
a marketing manager opens their dash-
board and immediately sees that three
campaign tasks are overdue (red), two
need review today (yellow), and five
are progressing smoothly (green), they
can prioritize without reading detailed
status reports.
• Contextual Information at the Right
Time. Intuitive systems surface rele-
vant details when someone is ready to
act. For instance, when a team mem-
ber clicks to start a content writing task,
the system automatically displays the
creative brief, related research docu-
ments, brand guidelines, and the ed-
itor’s contact information everything
needed to begin work immediately.
Rather than hunting through shared
drives or Slack channels, context ap-
pears precisely when needed.
• Seamless Workflow Integration. Rather
than forcing rigid structures, intuitive
systems adapt to how teams work.
A software development team might
use sprint-based workflows with sto-
ry points and velocity tracking, while
a creative agency might prefer mile-
stone-based timelines with client
approval stages. The same platform
accommodates both without requir-
ing either team to compromise their
proven processes.
Streamlining Workflow
Through Smart Design
The most significant impact of intuitive
task management comes from its abil-
ity to eliminate workflow friction. Tradi-
tional systems often create bottlenecks
through approval processes, status
update requirements, or overly com-
plex categorization systems. Intuitive
design takes a fundamentally different
approach by automating routine tasks
and reducing administrative overhead.
Instead of manual status updates, mod-
ern systems detect progress through
activity patterns. When a designer up-
loads final files to a task, the system
automatically moves it to „Ready for
Review” and notifies the creative direc-
tor. When a developer merges code and
closes linked tickets, the task status
updates without additional input. This
keeps information current while elim-
inating the administrative burden that
typically consumes hours of productive
time each week.
Beyond automation, intelligent no-
tification systems address another
common productivity drain. Tradition-
al platforms overwhelm teams with
constant alerts for every minor update,
training users to ignore notifications alto-
gether. Intuitive platforms learn patterns
and surface only relevant information at
appropriate times. A project manager
might receive notifications for tasks at
risk of missing deadlines or blocked
by dependencies, but not for routine
updates on track tasks. Team members
might get morning summaries of their
priority tasks rather than interruptions
throughout the day, allowing them to
maintain focus during deep work ses-
sions. This selectivity ensures that when
a notification does appear, it warrants
attention.
The principle of reducing complexi-
ty extends to everyday interactions as
well. Complex workflows often require
multiple steps for simple actions, break-
ing concentration and wasting time. In-
tuitive design consolidates these into
single interactions. Reassigning a task
to a colleague becomes a drag and drop
operation. Extending the deadline by
two days is a single click. Requesting
additional resources triggers a prefilled
request form with all relevant project con-
text already populated. These seemingly
small improvements accumulate into
substantial time savings when multiplied
across dozens of daily interactions and
entire teams.
The Productivity
Multiplier Effect
When task management becomes truly
intuitive, teams experience what can only
be described as a productivity multiplier
effect. This isn’t just about individual
efficiency gains; it’s about how improved
task management creates positive feed-
back loops throughout the entire project
ecosystem. One of the biggest produc-
tivity killers in modern work is constant
context switching between different tools,
screens, and mental frameworks. When
project information lives in email, task
details in one system, files in another,
and conversations on a third platform,
team members waste minutes reori-
enting themselves dozens of times daily.
Centralizing information in consistent,
logical formats helps teams maintain
productive flow states. A designer can
move from reviewing feedback to up-
dating designs to marking tasks com-
plete without leaving their workspace
or mentally recalibrating, preserving the
cognitive momentum that makes com-
plex creative work possible.
This reduction in friction creates space
for improved team coordination that
feels natural rather than forced. When
everyone has clear visibility into project
status, dependencies, and priorities,
team members can proactively address
potential issues without formal coordi-
nation mechanisms. When a backend
developer sees that frontend work is
blocked waiting for their API completion,
they can proactively prioritize that task
Fig.1. Intuitive Task Management Principles Framework
Source: Original diagram created by Vinay Vijay Raut
40

Vice Principal and Project Manager with
over 18 years of experience driving digital
transformation in educational institutions.
As a certified Agile Scrum Master, he has
achieved remarkable results including 80%
on-time project delivery, 85% operational ef-
ficiency improvements, and 90% compliance
enhancement. Vinay specializes in data-driv-
en decision making, having implemented
analytics solutions that improved reporting
accuracy by 65% and team efficiency by 60%.
His expertise spans from curriculum devel-
opment to stakeholder management, with
a proven track record of transforming complex
educational environments into streamlined,
high-performing systems.
Vinay Vijay
Raut
The Future of Project
Task Management
As artificial intelligence and machine
learning become more sophisticated, the
potential for truly intuitive task manage-
ment continues to expand. We’re moving
toward systems that not only respond
to user actions but anticipate needs,
suggest optimizations, and automatically
adapt to changing project conditions.
The organizations that embrace intu-
itive task management today position
themselves for sustained competitive
advantage. They build cultures of effi-
ciency, collaboration, and continuous
improvement that extend far beyond
individual projects. In a business environ-
ment where agility and responsiveness
are increasingly critical, the ability to
execute projects smoothly and efficiently
becomes a core organizational capability.
The question isn’t whether to invest in
better task management – it’s whether
to settle for incremental improvements
or pursue the transformational benefits
that truly intuitive systems provide. For
forward-thinking project managers and
organizations, the choice is clear: em-
brace intuitive design and unlock your
team’s full potential.
a ten-person team, this can mean re-
claiming 20-25 hours weekly previously
lost to administrative tasks.
Implementing Intuitive
Task Management:
Best Practices
Success with intuitive task manage-
ment isn’t just about choosing the
right tool – it’s about implementing
systems that truly serve your team’s
needs. Start by observing current
workflows and identifying specific
friction points rather than assuming
all teams need the same solutions.
Gradual Implementation
Rather than overhauling entire sys-
tems at once, introduce intuitive
elements progressively. Begin with
the most problematic areas and de-
monstrate value before expanding to
other workflows.
Team-Centric Configuration
The most intuitive systems are those
configured around actual team be-
haviors and preferences rather than
theoretical best practices. Involve
team members in setup and regular-
ly gather feedback on what’s working
and what isn’t.
Continuous Optimization
Intuitive design is an ongoing pro-
cess, not a one-time setup. Regular
review and refinement ensure that
systems continue serving team ne-
eds as projects evolve and teams
grow.
Fig.2. Achieving Project Success with Intuitive
Task Management Implementation
Source: Original diagram created by
Vinay Vijay Raut
without the frontend developer request-
ing it or a project manager scheduling
a coordination meeting. Dependence
becomes visible, enabling autonomous
problem solving that keeps projects mov-
ing forward. This self-organizing capabil-
ity reduces the management overhead
required to keep teams aligned, while
simultaneously improving team morale
as individuals feel more empowered and
less micromanaged.
The benefits extend to decision mak-
ing quality as well. Intuitive systems
provide the context needed for better
decisions at every organizational lev-
el. Project managers viewing real time
progress dashboards can spot trends
before they become crises noticing that
design review is consistently bottleneck-
ing projects, for example, and allocating
additional review resources proactively.
Team members can prioritize work based
on actual impact and strategic impor-
tance rather than whoever made the
loudest request or sent the most recent
email. Stakeholders can stay informed
about project health without disrupting
the team’s flow through status meetings
or detailed report requests. This distrib-
uted intelligence, where good decisions
happen at every level without constant
escalation, represents perhaps the most
significant advantage of truly intuitive
task management systems.
Real-World Impact:
Measurable Results
Organizations implementing truly intui-
tive task management systems consis-
tently report significant improvements.
Time to completion for projects typically
improves by 20-30%, while team satis-
faction scores increase substantially
due to reduced frustration and clearer
communication.
More importantly, these improve-
ments compound over time. As teams
become accustomed to streamlined
workflows, they develop better collabora-
tion patterns. Projects that once required
constant management attention begin
running more autonomously, freeing
project managers for strategic planning
and value-added activities.
The reduction in administrative over-
head is particularly notable. Teams report
spending 40-50% less time on status
updates, progress reporting, and coor-
dination activities time that translates
directly into actual work execution. For
SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 41

SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
Quality Management in IT
Projects
—František Šofranko
Regarding operational quality manage-
ment, is a signed acceptance protocol
sufficient after the completion of IT
projects? Is it beneficial to proactively
monitor operational quality indicators
of an already implemented project?
What steps can be taken to establish
an effective quality management plan
to prevent any potential decline in the
quality of services provided after proj-
ect completion?
The Challenge:
Managing Post-
Implementation Service
Quality
Project managers may sometimes face
situations where customers are dissat-
isfied with the quality of services after
project completion. This dissatisfaction
can lead to financial consequences for
the service provider due to penalties
imposed by the customer.
How to deal with this challenge? To ad-
dress this challenge, we use the „strategy
of project management quality” tool in
project management. This focuses on the
qualitative indicators of ITIL processes:
incident, problem, change, and order
management.
How is it all managed? In the project
planning phase – the strategy of project
management quality, we defined which
quality indicators (KPIs) we will monitor,
which documents and systems we will
use to monitor and evaluate KPIs, and
which operational teams will be evaluat-
ed (handover vs. taking over operational
teams).
In the next section, I will present a se-
ries of tips and recommendations that
have demonstrated efficacy in practical
applications.
Defining the Quality
Management
Framework
Additionally, we have developed
a comprehensive checklist comprising
questions pertinent to each phase of
system and service handover or accep-
tance.
• Preparation Phase: Ensuring the read-
iness of the future operational team to
take over systems and services.
• Implementation Phase: The primary
responsibility remains with the cur-
rent operational team while the future
operational team learns and acquires
knowledge from the existing team.
• Post-Implementation Phase: The
new operational team assumes
main responsibility, with the original
team supervising the transition pro-
cess (commonly referred to as shad-
owing).
Interview-Based
Quality Verification
The quality manager conducts an inter-
view-based checklist review with the
future operations team. The results of
this interview are subsequently reported
to the project manager as Key Perfor-
mance Indicators (KPIs). The operations
team is required to meet the minimum
threshold defined in the project’s quality
management strategy at every phase. For
instance, 90 percent of the questions KNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
42

František Šofranko has held various manageri-
al and professional positions in ICT, including
sales, marketing, SLM, and project manage-
ment over the past 15 years. He serves as
the Vice President for External Relations at
the PMI Chapter Slovakia. He earned DTAG's
highest internal PM certificate - Executive PM.
František actively participates in volunteer
work, coaching, mentoring, organizing PM
events, and is a member of the PM certification
committee at T-Systems International. He
has extensive experience managing complex
international projects using classical, agile,
and hybrid methods. Notably, he led a global
transformation project involving the migration
of over 50,000 servers to a new IT standard for
system management and monitoring.
Ing. František
Šofranko
must be answered during the interview,
while the remaining 10 percent will be
addressed in subsequent interviews. If
the team fails to achieve this threshold,
the interview for that particular phase
will be rescheduled.
Continuous KPI
Monitoring and
Reporting
Weekly evaluations were conducted on
the operational quality parameters (KPI)
for both the current and future operations
teams. During the preparatory phase,
an overview of the current status of the
operational KPIs was provided. The initial
KPI report serves as a baseline for mon-
itoring the trend of operational quality
parameters throughout the project im-
plementation and post-implementation
phases. The KPI report is distributed to
the operational team leaders. If there is
a decrease or deterioration in KPIs com-
pared to the previous period, the quality
manager schedules a meeting with the
heads of operational teams to analyze
the causes of the decline in operational
quality parameters, define measures to
address identified deficiencies, and im-
plement preventive measures to avoid
repeated quality declines.
For clarity, I will list several evaluated
operational parameters:
Incidents:
• total number of incidents, average res-
olution time (in hours), percentage of
incidents resolved on time,
• number of critical incidents, response
time (in minutes) and percentage of
responses on time, resolution time
(in hours) and percentage of incidents
resolved on time,
• number of open incidents after the
resolution deadline and percentage of
the total number of incidents.
Changes:
• total number of changes,
• successfully implemented changes:
number and percentage,
• changes implemented on time: num-
ber and percentage.
Problems:
• total number of problems,
• successfully resolved problems: num-
ber and percentage.
Orders:
• total number of orders,
• orders implemented on time: number
and percentage.
Conclusion: Sustaining
Service Quality Beyond
Project Delivery
Proactive operational quality manage-
ment ensures that service excellence
does not end with project closure.
By continuously monitoring KPIs and
engaging both current and future opera-
tional teams, organizations can maintain
stability, accountability, and transparency
across transitions.
Ultimately, this approach transforms
quality assurance from a one-time con-
trol activity into an ongoing, data-driv-
en process that safeguards long-term
customer satisfaction and operational
performance.
SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 43

SOURCE: IDEOGRAM.AI
In the world of project management,
success often hinges on more than
just timelines, budgets, and delivera-
bles. One of the most powerful, and
often underutilized, tools in a project
manager’s toolkit is the contract. Far
from being just legal paperwork, con-
tracts can serve as strategic blueprints
that guide collaboration, manage risk,
and ensure accountability. This article
explores how project managers can
harness the power of contracts to drive
better outcomes. We’ll look at how proj-
ect and contract lifecycles mirror each
other, the essential contract knowledge
every PM should have, and why scope
management is the ultimate test of in-
tegration between these two disciplines.
Two Lifecycles, One
Shared Purpose
At first glance, project and contract li-
fecycles might seem like separate pro-
cesses. But when you look closer, you’ll
see they’re deeply interconnected, each
phase of one supports and strengthens
the other.
• Initiation: Both begin with identifying
stakeholders and assessing feasibility.
When project managers understand
how contracts are initiated, they be-
come better at stakeholder analysis,
because they start thinking in terms
of shared responsibilities and mutual
value.
• Planning: This is where the alignment
becomes most powerful. Project plan-
ning involves breaking down work, as-
signing resources, and identifying risks.
Contract drafting does the same, only
it translates those elements into legally
binding obligations. The more aligned
these processes are, the smoother
your project will run.
• Execution: This phase is all about
performance and relationships. Con-
tracts provide the framework for ma-
naging vendors, partners, and service
providers. When project managers
understand the contractual context,
they can manage these relationships
more effectively and avoid costly mi-
sunderstandings.
“The most successful project managers
I work with are those who see contracts
not as constraints, but as roadmaps for
collaborative success,” says Sarah C.,
a senior contract manager with over 15
years of experience in large-scale infra-
structure projects.
The Contract Toolkit:
What Every PM Should
Know
There’s a simple truth in project mana-
gement: if you don’t understand the
contract, you can’t manage the project
effectively. Here are six contract com-
ponents every project manager should
be fluent in:
1. Summary & Scope: Contracts often
define scope more precisely than pro-
ject charters. These definitions carry
legal weight and can help clarify expec-
tations early on.
2. Definitions & Terminology: Clear
definitions prevent confusion. When
everyone agrees on what “delivera-
ble” or “acceptance criteria” mean,
it’s easier to manage expectations and
avoid disputes.
3. Terms & Conditions: These shape how
your project operates. Payment terms
affect cash flow. Intellectual property
clauses determine how deliverables
can be used. Understanding these
terms helps align your project plan
with legal obligations.
4. Service Delivery Specifications: The-
se translate your project methodology
Building Bridges, Not
Walls: Contracts for Project
Managers
—Youssef MouzahemKNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE ZONE
44

Passionate project and contracts manager.
He started a career as a field engineer on con-
struction sites, moving towards construction
and project management for multi-million
dollar projects in various types, from oil & gas,
buildings, airports, power generation, and
infrastructure, in many countries worldwide
and for contractors and consultants. Member
of the Project Management Institute PMI and
the World Commerce and Contracting. He was
elected Council member at World Commerce
and Contracting, representing Western Can-
ada for the term 2022-2024, and a member
of the Global Advisory Board for 2024-2026.
He has PMP and PMOCP. He is a Professional
Engineer (P.Eng.) in the Province of Manitoba
(Canada), LEED Green Associate, and certified
contract management professional (CCMP).
Youssef
Mouzahem
into contractual language. If your
contract specifies Agile, you can
confidently implement sprints and
iterations knowing you’re backed by
the agreement.
5. Performance Metrics & SLAs: The-
se provide measurable standards for
success. They go beyond traditional
project KPIs and help ensure quality
and accountability.
6. Change Management Procedures:
These outline how to handle chan-
ges in scope, timeline, or resources.
A well-defined change process keeps
your project adaptable without losing
control.
Scope Management:
Where Contracts and
Projects Converge
Scope creep is one of the most common
reasons projects fail, affecting an esti-
mated 60-70% of all projects. But when
scope is clearly defined and contractu-
ally enforced, the risk of uncontrolled
expansion drops significantly.
Source: Crawford, D. B. (2011). Project manage-
ment training pays for itself...and I can prove it! Pa-
per presented at PMI® Global Congress 2011North
America, Dallas, TX. Newtown Square, PA: Project
Management Institute.
Here’s how to manage scope effectively:
• Write Clear Scope Statements: Go
beyond general descriptions. Include
details about how deliverables will be
produced, who’s responsible, and what
processes will be followed.
• Use Detailed Specifications: The
more specific your documentation,
the less room there is for misinterpre-
tation or assumption.
• Establish Change Request Protocols:
Define what counts as a change, how
it should be submitted, who approves
it, and what the cost and timeline im-
plications are.
• Plan for Contingencies: Build a 5-15%
buffer into your budget, not to enco-
urage changes, but to accommoda-
te the natural evolution of complex
projects.
• Separate Scope Changes from New
Requests: Not every new idea belon-
gs in the current project. Learn to di-
stinguish between legitimate scope
changes and entirely new initiatives.
“Projects that integrate contract-based
scope management principles from
the beginning consistently outperform
those that treat scope as purely a project
management concern,” says Michael R.,
a program manager who has overseen
more than $500 million in construction
projects.
From Knowledge
to Action: Building
Contract Competency
Understanding contracts is one thing,
applying that knowledge is another. To
build real contract competency, project
managers need to integrate legal aware-
ness into their daily workflows.
Start by building relationships with your
organization’s legal and procurement
teams. Then, embed contract check-
points into your project processes. For
example:
• Before Initiation: Review contracts
for scope, timelines, and resource
commitments.
• During Planning: Align your project
plan with contractual obligations.
• During Execution: Monitor contract
compliance alongside project perfor-
mance.
• When Changes Arise: Follow the
agreed change management process.
• At Closure: Ensure all contractual ob-
ligations are fulfilled and documented.
Final Thoughts:
Crossing the Bridge
The relationship between contracts
and projects isn’t just a technical one.
It’s strategic. When project managers
embrace contracts as tools for clarity,
collaboration, and control, they unlock
new levels of performance and trust.
In industries like construction, IT, and
engineering, where complexity is the
norm, this integrated approach isn’t just
helpful, it’s essential. The most effective
project managers are those who can
speak both the language of delivery and
the language of contracts.
The bridge between project and con-
tract management is already built. All
that’s left is to walk across it.
Source: Crawford, D. B. (2011). Project management training pays for itself...and I can prove it! Paper
presented at PMI® Global Congress 2011 North America, Dallas, TX. Newtown Square, PA: Project Manage-
ment Institute.
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 45

SOURCE: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
As AI automates jobs and intellectu-
al labor, humanity faces its biggest
question: What is left for us? This in-
terview explores the profound psycho-
logical and societal shifts, revealing
why unlearning old paradigms is vital.
Discover how to find inner purpose
and generativity and navigate an era of
unprecedented, accelerating change –
ensuring human meaning thrives.
Peter, you’ve stated that the future is
no longer about knowledge... The future
is about relentless curiosity in the pur-
suit of personal fulfillment. In a rapidly
emerging world where AI is described
as another life form and is predicted
to automate a significant portion of
jobs, what new definition of work do
you foresee for humanity?
If you look at the evolution of work
over the course of human history, we’ve
spent much of our existence as a species
progressively trying to make whatever we
called “work” easier somehow. Initially,
this meant finding ways – using first tools
and animals and then machines – to
reduce the physical aspects of human
labour out of work that’s been done. In
recent times it is automating more and
more of the cognitive or intellectual side
of things with computers and other smart
devices. To date, all of this automation
has been wholly augmentative – that
is, it is all supportive of and in service
to human physical and mental labour.
However, with the emergence of artifi-
cial intelligence, we’ve now advanced
technology to the point that we have
almost completely removed the need
for humans from most forms of phys-
ical work (i.e., manufacturing) and are
increasingly removing the need for hu-
mans from the intellectual and cognitive
aspects of a great many forms of work as
well. And I say this with the caveat that
what we have for AI today in the form
of weak or narrow AI is simply the very
tip of the AI iceberg; what it’s capable
of today is a mere drop in the ocean of
what – if I understand the development
arc accurately – it will be capable of in
the very near – 5 years? – future. Okay,
so what’s left for human beings? That is
quite literally THE question! And, it’s one
that is beginning to be debated as AI’s
capabilities and applications continue
to unfold day to day. From my perspec-
tive, there are two answers that come
to mind. First, in the near term, the one
thing AI can’t currently do is form re-
lationships, or it can’t actually feel. AI
can identify and characterize a feeling –
that is, it can look at a face of someone
scowling or crying and “know” that that
face represents anger or distress, but it
can’t – yet – actually have a first-hand
experience of “sad”, “glad”, “mad” and
so forth. We still need a human inter-
face to feel. I say “yet” because I think
this limitation is likely only true for the
moment simply because once AI can
fully do “theory of mind”, it will have the
capacity to understand and interpret
human emotions, beliefs, and intentions.
And, once we make the leap to General
or Strong AI, you’re talking about what is
effectively human-equivalent in terms
of how it engages and relates; this is
technology with human-level cognitive
abilities, capable of learning, understand-
ing, and reasoning across a wide range
of tasks – it’s essentially human. Second,
longer term, I think we’ve got to re-evalu-
ate our lives – and our organizations – at
an existential level: what is our purpose
in life? Humans have traditionally func-
tioned with a largely linear path: birth,
school, work, death – obviously there are
an infinite number of individual variations
and cultural nuances to this path, but as
a generalization I think it holds true. But
AI will – for certainly has the potential
Quo Vadis World? The Art
of Unlearning: Mastering
Adaptability in the AI era
—Interview with Dr. Peter Stark by Iwona Heyen
INTERVIEW ZONE
46

to – eliminate at least one of the steps
on this path – work – and so doing it calls
into question the need for a second step –
school which has traditionally been pre-
paratory for a career... leaving nothing
between birth and death. Consequently,
we can no longer look outward for work
to provide much of the meaning in our
lives; instead, we are going to have to be
both wildly curious about this emerging
environment as well as look inward to
what really matters to us as a source for
generative activity going forward. I don’t
think there are any absolutes about what
our role in this future is going to be – it’s
a world of quite literally infinite possibility.
The future is, if it’s even possible, more
uncertain than ever – no one has any idea
how this is all going to unfold.
While AI is celebrated for ushering
in a new era of efficiency, what are
the unseen risks? What are potential
multifaceted impacts of large-scale
AI implementation on human socio-
economic structures, employment
patterns, or long-term societal deve-
lopment? Are there for example new
ways to organize the economy so this
doesn’t collapse everything?
First of all, there’s a significant
psychological impact. If you look at
psychologists like Eric Erickson, or even
philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche,
they’ve all talked about this notion of how
crucial the need to be productive, to have
a sense of fulfillment, to feel generative
is for humans – and that comes from our
ability to do purposeful work, to do mean-
ingful work. Look at when unemployment
in the United States during 2008/2009
hit 13 to 15%, and what you saw was
a massive spike in the use of mental
health services. People were flocking
to therapists because our identities are
symbiotically tied up in the work we do
and in the absence of work people’s very
sense of self was adrift. In many cultures,
certainly in an American culture, our
sense of self is largely defined by what we
do; “I’m so-and-so. I’m a fill-in-the-blank
with your title or occupation”. Our labour
becomes a key piece of our being. And
when we strip that out, people become,
as Nietzsche would say, unmoored and
wistful. Within Capitalist or more open
market economies, I think there’s also
a sociological impact that at its core
stems from the question around what is
the purpose of any given business? What
defines and how does the business add
value in an automated or non-human
environment? In an era where businesses
are dominated by automated production
or artificial intelligence doing the work, for
whom is that product being produced? If
the majority of people are no longer draw-
ing wages from being employed, there
isn’t money to pay for goods or services
unless there are significant changes to
the current economic structure. Again,
if we strip all of the human labour out
of an organization, profits will no longer
be paid as wages but instead will flow
directly to the owners of capital which
leaves the questions of increasing wealth
disparity and economic segregation as
open-ended possibilities. Are businesses
only producing for the owners of capi-
tal and everyone else is screwed? This
seems to take us full circle to the ques-
tion you asked at the beginning. As I said,
it’s not about knowledge anymore. It’s
about endless curiosity. The only place
you can look for sources of generativity
is within. Instead of looking outward to
figure out where you fit in the existing
economic structure, looking inside and
thinking deeply about what really matters.
What do I truly, genuinely, deeply care
about? How do I take that sense of pur-
pose and make it a reality in this world?’
Now, that’s a strategic question and it
applies to each of us as individuals as
much as it applies to organizations and
businesses: what is it that I care about
and how do I make it manifest? This is
literally “future creation” – building the
bridge as you walk on it. Because a tre-
mendous number of jobs are going to be
automated, right? The places I used to
go to find work, employment, and gen-
erative opportunities no longer exist out
there. So, I have to turn inward, be very
skilled at looking within myself, and have
the confidence to think forward into that
world of infinite possibility to create truly
purposeful employment opportunities
for myself.
This could be also another challenge
for today’s leaders – to cultivate the
curiosity in the employees. You propo-
se that “Leadership is not about what
YOU do. Leadership is about what you
enable and excite OTHERS to do”, and
that fundamentally shifts from telling
to asking. Considering your Stark’s Law
of Leadership: Before you can exercise
leadership you must first exercise le-
adership in learning to learn, unlearn,
and relearn about yourself, what prac-
tical steps can aspire leaders take to
cultivate this critical self-awareness
and become an “interpersonal catalyst”
for learning in others?
You’re not making this easy for me,
are you! This is like asking: “what’s the
answer to the Universe?” Okay, first,
I believe that leadership is a verb, not
a noun – it’s an active, intentional, con-
scious way of being that begins with
deep self-reflection in service to one’s
innate capability to be a catalyst, for
themselves, for others, for their organi-
zations, and for society at large. In this
context, the word “leader” – a noun – is
useless and, in fact, a hierarchically de-
fined and frequently misapplied term.
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 47

apply to both individual and organiza-
tional levels in the face of unpreceden-
ted technological change and global
disruption?
Alvin Toffler’s warning about illiterates
of the 21st century cuts to the core of our
struggle with change. Again, it begins with
a radical self-inquiry: How do you know
what you think you know to be true or
false, right or wrong, good or bad? Both
individuals and organizations operate
on inherited frameworks – our under-
standing of the universe is something we
came to through a series of downloads
from our parents and grandparents and
our cultures. These beliefs are accepted
as empirical truth, but survival now de-
mands we challenge that actively and
continuously. Test whether it still is true
and valid in the current environment and
learn a different way to exist if need be.
The urgency is staggering. Where once
change unfolded over generations (in the
old days we had years if not decades),
today it happens in hours and days and
weeks. Take medicine, for example: ev-
erything we know about medicine – the
entire body of knowledge – doubles every
900 days. 900 days!! A physician basically
has to relearn everything they were taught
in medical school every three years –
and it doesn’t ever stop. In my own life,
what I learned in college is being taught
in grade school today. For individuals,
complacency is fatal – if I’m not active-
ly challenging the version of the world
I created with my existing beliefs, I’ll be
behind the curve that’s being accelerated
exponentially by artificial intelligence by
the end of the week. Organizations face
even steeper cliffs. Their cultures take
forever to change because transforma-
tion isn’t about policies but paradigms:
it is the underlying belief structure that
has to change. What you think is right is
now wrong; what is good is now bad. Yet
human beings hate change, clinging to
comfort even as obsolescence looms.
This is why Eric Hoffer’s words resonate:
In times of great change… learners inherit
either that we do or the extent to which
we function on autopilot. Therapy isn’t
just about fixing problems – it’s about
increasing our awareness of how others
are going to experience you. It helps re-
veal blind spots in our self-awareness, it
allows us to bring our hidden selves out
of hiding to become more authentic, and
it provides an opportunity to explore our
unconscious autopilot. The therapeutic
process is what forces a reckoning with
the gap between self-perception and
reality. Second, I think it’s also important
to note that self-awareness demands
more than reflection – it requires stillness.
I think there has to be an investment in
calm time, downtime. I’m a practicing
Buddhist, so for me it’s meditation. It’s
finding a space where I can be, to be-
come present with myself. It’s only in
those still moments that can you ask:
how well do I actually know myself? How
influential am I able to be within myself?
To exercise leadership among others, you
must first be able to exercise leadership
within yourself by increasing the level
of consciousness and intention in your
everyday life – this includes even in the
most mundane acts like having a cup of
coffee. We’re so production and achieve-
ment oriented that we literally multi-task
ourselves into unconsciousness. Focus
on the coffee: the smell, the taste, the
colour, the weight of the cup, the envi-
ronment you’re in; don’t be anywhere
other than in that moment. That’s being
present; that’s self-leadership. Finally,
I think it’s really important to anchor
growth in self-leadership in account-
ability. Get a coach or mentor, someone
whose honest feedback you are willing
to accept. Their candor again helps you
internalize blind spots and refine your
ripple effect – completing the cycle of
learning, unlearning, and relearning that
Stark’s Law demands. In a world where
AI displaces traditional work, leadership
becomes less about tasks and more
about fostering self-aware, intentional
ecosystems – where your interpersonal
catalysis lets others thrive in their pursuit
of meaning in their own lives.
Alvin Toffler’s quote, “The illiterate of
the 21st Century will not be those who
cannot read and write, but those who
cannot learn, unlearn and relearn”, so-
unds pretty challenging for us human
beings, especially for persons who
don’t like any changes. How do the
concepts of unlearning and relearning
We call CEO’s “leaders” which is totally
incorrect; a CEO is nothing more than
a functional job responsibility. There’s
absolutely nothing about either the
functional position or the individual
that occupies it that suggests, implies,
or otherwise supports the notion that
they provide “leadership”. These are two
completely different concepts. No one
should ever pursue “becoming a leader”;
instead, they should pursue learning how
to exercise great leadership. You can
be a janitor or a window washer or mail
sorter and still be catalytic in service to
the efforts of those you interact with or
otherwise influence; you don’t need a ti-
tle or a specific job or position. In terms
of practical steps toward exercising great
leadership, I think there are four really
crucial ones. To begin with, we operate
largely on autopilot. Our mind processes
roughly 95% of the universe for us without
our being consciously aware of it, sifting,
sorting, evaluating, and processing mil-
lions of pieces of sensory information
through the rubric of our unconscious
beliefs. Think about the number of times
you’ve driven home from someplace,
pulled into your driveway, and had ab-
solutely no conscious memory of how
you got there. Our unconscious mind
manages enormous amounts of life for
us without our slightest awareness and
sometimes we miss a lot of information
about not only what we do day to day
but feedback about who we are in terms
of how others experience us. While we
think we know how others perceive us, in
reality we are actually quite unaware of
how we “ripple” in the world. So, people
may think I’m off my new-age rocker for
saying this, but the first practical step that
I always suggest to those I coach or con-
sult with is… get into therapy; go sit down
and talk to a mental health professional.
Why? Because we simply don’t realize
48

Dr. Peter Stark is recognized internationally as
an engaging educator with expertise in strategy,
cross-cultural organizational effectiveness,
and leadership. He is currently the Marcia Page
and John Huepenbecker Endowed Professor of
International Business and Entrepreneurship
at Gustavus Adolphus College (USA). Peter
also consults worldwide in the design and
delivery of human performance improvement
initiatives in complex, multi-cultural organi-
zations. His background encompasses more
than 25 years of senior executive experience
and includes starting and/or leading business-
es in 16 countries.
Effective and creative project management
is her element. With a PMP® certification and
an EMBA, she has been leading international
project teams through the intricacies of the
automotive industry for over 10 years. She
transforms chaos into success and deadlines
into personal challenges – all with a smile on
her face and a book in her bag for her next trips.
In her free time, she tends to her garden and
nurtures her passion for foreign languages.
Her motto: "A day without flowers and a book
is a day lost.”
Dr. Peter
Stark
Iwona
Heyen
To survive in this fast-changing world
with AI, we have no choice but to keep
learning – letting go of old skills, gain-
ing new ones, and staying open. Adapt
or get left behind. It’s that simple.
Well, I think that’s a pretty good sum-
mary. The downside – again – is that
things like challenging our beliefs in pur-
suit of consciousness, imagining infinite
futures, and being willing to let go of the
present in order to create the future are
things humans don’t do naturally and
often struggle with as a result. But, to
me, they’re absolutely essential for our
survival. To be fair, they’re complex things
to attempt because they often involve
political, sociological, anthropological,
and certainly business/organizational
elements – all of which are changing rap-
idly in real time. So, it’ll be an interesting
ride over the next 10-15 years! I’m going
to be relentlessly curious to see how
these developments unfold. We’ll see.
thinking from a focus on organizations
separate from their environment with an
emphasis on control to understanding
organizations as a part of their environ-
mental systems and an emphasis on
learning how to navigate them. Second,
we need to rethink our understanding of
strategy. The vast majority of organiza-
tions are obsessed with the short term
and the pursuit of certainty over a 5- or
10-year time horizon. Frankly, the pace
and magnitude of change today is such
that a 5- or 10- year “strategic plan” is
almost completely out of date coming
off the printer. Instead of strategy be-
ing understood as a largely determinis-
tic “planning process”, which is implicitly
the pursuit of controlling the near-term
future, we need to understand strategy as
a creative thinking process for explicitly
innovating the future – specifically an
intentionally desired future. Putting it
more simply, strategy is a semi-struc-
tured thinking process for getting from
where we are today to where we most
desire to be at some point 50, 75, 100
years in the future. It’s figuring out how
to navigate from where you are today to
where you most want to be in the future
in an uncertain, ambiguous, paradoxical
environment with inaccurate, imperfect,
or incomplete information. Think of it
this way. You’re on a ship about to set
sail. You know where you are now – in
port – and you know what your desti-
nation is; what you don’t know is what
the open ocean may present you with
as you sail out into it. The winds may
change, storms of varying magnitudes
may occur, the tide conditions will vary
with phases of the moon – there are an
infinite number of routes you can sail and
an infinite number of variables that can
impact your journey. The only thing you
know for certain is what port you want
to arrive at. We have to navigate through
whatever the ocean throws at us to get to
where we intend to land. Individually and
organizationally, its exactly the same: if
we know where we’re going, all the rest
is just stuff the Universe throws at us that
needs to be dealt with in the context of
how it impacts or influences the voyage
to our destination. The bottom line: when
instability feels overwhelming, having
clarity around a generative purpose (like
metaphorical port) it turns chaos and
uncertainty into a navigable sea: if you
know where you’re going, the storms,
tides, winds, pirates, whatever are just
stuff to be dealt with!
the earth, while the learned find them-
selves equipped to live in a world that no
longer exists. Toffler’s illiterates are those
who cannot shed the learned mindset –
who prioritize dogma over adaptability.
In an AI-driven era, the stakes are clear:
unlearn or unravel.
But the timeframe for adaptation is
dangerously compressed.
Right. But let’s put this into context.
Humans don’t actually hate change. Hu-
mans hate being changed. Most of us find
change exhilarating and exciting when we,
in fact, can envision a more desirable
future and take steps to implement it.
When we’re doing it of our intention and
volition, for our own purpose, change
is fun, it’s exciting, it’s interesting, it’s
exhilarating in some ways. We just hate
having someone say: Okay, Iwona, be
different today, right?
Right. I would hate it.
Change is often too complicated and
because it is often occurring in too short
a period of time for humans to adjust.
What’s happening with AI, what we’re ex-
periencing as human beings, is that tech-
nology is forcing us to change at a scale
and pace that’s literally overwhelming.
And we’re inherently resistant, right?
Given this accelerating pace of chan-
ge – which creates unprecedented cha-
os and renders traditional notions of
control and certainty merely illusions –
what frameworks or strategies can in-
dividuals and organizations adopt to
effectively navigate this inherent in-
stability?
There’s no question that the chaos
of rapid change – both in terms of the
physical reality of change as well as in
our beliefs about it – strips away illusions
of control and truly stresses both individ-
uals and organizations. Consequently,
and first of all, we need a real paradigm
shift. That is, we need to stop thinking
of our organizations as monolithic, bu-
reaucratic entities designed to “man-
age work” and implicitly use them as
a means of reinforcing a fictional sense
of control over our environment. Instead,
we need to start conceptualizing them
as dynamic, organic human systems
that are both purposeful in and of them-
selves collectively as well as mediums
for individuals to exercise their personal
agency in pursuit of their own personal
purposes. This paradigm shift moves our
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 49

From Waitress to VP: The Unconven-
tional Ascent of a Project Management
Pioneer. Meet Beth – a seasoned proj-
ect management and organizational
transformation expert with over 25
years of experience. Forget the tradi-
tional career trajectory; Beth’s story is
a testament to embracing change, seiz-
ing unexpected opportunities, and the
profound impact of human connection
in the often-technical world of project
management. Prepare for a deep dive
into the real-world experiences and
invaluable lessons learned by a wom-
an who redefined her path and left an
indelible mark on the industry.
Thank you, Beth, for accepting our invi-
tation to discuss your career and share
your insights with our readers. With
over 25 years of experience in project
management and organizational trans-
formation (if I’m counting correctly!),
could you start by sharing a bit about
your journey and what inspired you to
pursue this path?
The short answer is that I needed a ca-
reer change so that I could pay my rent.
When I attended college, I had limited
choices: secretary, nurse, or teacher.
I chose a teacher. My degree was a com-
bined liberal arts degree (English, liter-
ature, speech, drama). Straight out of
college in got a teaching job. It was great;
I loved it. But the salary was not great.
I waited tables to pay the bills. Waiting
tables earned more than three times
what I earned with my teaching salary.
Working at the restaurant, I was talking
to the owner, Stan Gibson, one evening
and said, “I have a college degree; I make
3x more waiting tables than teaching;
I can’t wait tables my whole life.” Stan
was an engineer. The restaurant was
more of a passion hobby. He was also
on the Board of the local technical col-
lege. He told me about a new program
at Greenville Technical College in a new
field called Computer Engineering. He
encouraged me to apply, which I did.
I took the entrance exam, was accept-
ed, 2 years later graduated, was inter-
viewed, and hired by Metropolitan Life
Insurance as a Junior Programmer. That
started my IT journey which led me to
Project Management. MetLife was great
at balancing our career growth in three
areas: technical, people management,
and project management. At MetLife,
I took on many roles and responsibilities,
each one progressively more responsi-
bility and more demanding. MetLife set
up a superb foundation and framework
for my career journey.
What were some pivotal moments in
your career that shaped your approach
to leadership and in project manage-
ment?
My first pivot because of the after-hour
chat with Stan Gibson as mentioned
previously.
I remember being at MetLife in NYC
for cross-organizational meetings. VPs
from our business area offered me op-
portunities to work w them and move to
NYC. The technical director with whom
I met offered a position. As well, Paul
Ratner, former Head of MetLife’s Green-
ville, SC computer center, asked me to
stop by his NYC office. He had recently
moved back to NYC. We chatted; he
was starting a new research and de-
velopment team to research and then
SOURCE: AUTHOR'S
MATERIALS
“Nice Kid, But It'll Never
Work”: How Challenge Fuels
Project Transformation
—Interview with Beth OuelletteINTERVIEW ZONE
50

set the direction of the organization’s
technology. Paul said, “Sounds like fun?”
In response, I agreed. The next thing you
know, I was moving to NYC to join this
brand-new team. My first project in NYC
was to do a “programmer workstation
study” and determine where our techni-
cal development teams spent their time
AND determine if this new thing called
the “personal computer” would aid in
productivity and efficiency. The good
news is we recommended the PC. I was
the project manager charged with this
assessment, value proposition, and ul-
timate roll out.
While in NYC, working full time, I at-
tended the New York Stern School of
Business and earned an MBA in Finance.
Several years after, I was asked to join
Prudential Financial (along with Paul
Ratner). A few years after managing
a technical, data, and educational team
of 140, I moved to report to the CIO and
set up the first ever IT PMO for the com-
pany. A few years later it was the MBA
in Finance that got the attention of the
Prudential Financial COO, Bob Golden,
who requested me to start up and run
a corporate-wide Program Office to ad-
dress a Securities Exchange Commission
regulation. Each role and each position
represent pivotal moments for my career
journey.
In your keynote speeches, you often
discuss navigating organizational trans-
formation. How do you define emotion-
al intelligence, and why do you believe
it is crucial in today’s workplace?
EI is the conscious capability of aware-
ness, understanding, perceiving, using,
and managing emotions. I stick with the
Daniel Golman model and research for
Emotional Intelligence. This model builds
on the premise that one needs to be first
aware of their own emotions and second
to manage those emotions effectively.
Then, after personal awareness and man-
agement is harnessed, the focus turns
outward. The awareness of others and
how they show up, and ability to man-
age relationships. These are the 4-key
components of Emotional Intelligence
from Daniel Goleman.
I add to this the roof on top of the
4 quadrants the roof of leadership. Lead-
ership of teams requires 3 domains:
Inspirational leadership, strong com-
munications, and conflict management.
Inspirational Leadership includes the
skills of emotional discipline, a healthy
self-confidence, and strength of influ-
ence, while driving for success with the
team. Strong Communications includes
the skills of emotional discipline, so-
cial and organizational awareness, and
adaptability. Conflict Management in-
cludes the skills of emotional discipline,
empathy, and an aptitude for collabo-
ration. Notable is that emotional disci-
pline is a key competence for each team
leadership domain.
What resources or tools do you recom-
mend for leaders wanting to improve
their emotional intelligence?
Anything written by Daniel Golman
would be a great start. There are lots of
articles and other sources as well. Some
of my favorites include:
• Goleman, Daniel (1995). Emotional
Intelligence, Why it can matter more
than IQ, Bantam Bell
• Strategies to Become More Emotional
Intelligent https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=pt74vK9pgIA
• The Minds Journal, Four Quadrants
of Emotional Intelligence, https://
themindsjournal.com/four-quad-
rants-emotional-intelligence/
• Daniel Goleman Suggests Ways to
Boost Emotional Intelligence | Big
Think https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=QOSgpq9EGSw&t=11s
• Goleman on EI vs IQ https://youtu.be/
wJhfKYzKc0s
I also appreciate some of the online as-
sessments. They are not the “end all”
or “be all” for your personal emotional
intelligence, but they are a good barom-
eter to further consider areas of focus for
personal growth.
• EQ Test: How Emotionally Intelligent
Are You? I Psych Central 20 simple
Questions.
• https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/
quizzes Facial expressions- read the
emotion.
• The Emotional Intelligence Test (psy-
chologytoday.com) detailed, takes 45
minutes.
Your work emphasizes the importance
of bridging RF project management
with organization change. How do you
define effective leadership in today’s
project-driven world?
Leadership is such a vast topic with
many flavors and interpretation. For the
purpose of your question let’s focus on
leaderships within the project manage-
ment world. The question cites “effective”
leadership. The key to being effective is
to understand how this will be measured.
Some may say that effective leadership
yields results. Effective leaders have
followers who drive toward the objec-
tive or goal. Effective leaders have a vi-
sion, purpose, and a path forward. Thus,
some of the best or even worst leaders in
history would be considered “effective.”
Each one of us needs to determine and
clarify what effective looks like for our
given situation.
I was recently on a team with a leader
who was abrasive, loud, disruptive, in-
considerate, disrespectful, and wholly
unpleasant person with which to work.
Yet the team was achieving its designated
goals and objectives. Is this an effective
leader? If the definition of effective is
leading the team to achieve its goals,
one would have to say yes. This is not an
environment in which I would choose to
SOURCE: AUTHOR'S MATERIALS
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 51

er, Mr. Anderson, the business line CIO,
was a keynote speaker for one of my
company-wide events. He spoke on lead-
ership to a large group of PMs. This CIO,
Mr. Anderson, exuded the kind of lead-
ership that made a positive difference.
It is no wonder he had the best employee
retention rate in the company! As we
left that large company-wide event, Mr.
Anderson said to me, “Well kid, ya did it!”.
Though this situation was challenging,
the quick, post-event conversation was
hugely rewarding!
(Follow-up: I would love to hear about
your experience with the World Trade
Center rebuilding, as it’s such a powerful
story!)
As a reference to the reader, you are
referring to the video on www.Ouellette-
Group.com. I was asked about the most
inspiring project. For many years I was
in and out of the World Trade Center –
doing work for The Port Authority of New
York and New Jersey. I had the pleasure
before 911 to work with a team of PMs
who were aspiring to achieve their PMP.
Throughout the years, I worked with the
Port Authority of New York and New Jer-
sey with other workshops, consulting,
and some mentoring. These folks man-
age bridges, tunnels, airports and ports
of NY and NJ. I was honored to see the
careers grow and blossom. Through the
years, many of my original PMs have
become Program Managers in charge of
Path Station, subway lines, WTC building
construction, and more. These are the
people who inspire me. They continue
to grow, learn, take on challenges, de-
liver on value, and excel as true leaders
in program and project management.
I was blessed to be a small part of this
huge story. If you are in NYC – you must
visit this site. A special thanks to Kelly,
Shawn, and Cesar. There are project
results everywhere, from the Freedom
Tower to the Oculus, to the fountains
and even the “Survivor Tree.”
You have been very active in PMI for
years, having held roles such as Pres-
ident of PMI New York City and Disci-
plined Agile Chapter Champion. What
are the most critical skills for project
managers today, and how have these
evolved over the past decade?
Core PM competencies are always
vital. These are often thought of as
project constraints. You know these by
heart – scope, time, cost, risk, resources,
quality, stakeholders, and successful
ing or rewarding? What lessons did it
teach you?
With every program or project there are
both challenges and rewards. Sometimes
the most challenging – in the end – be-
come the most rewarding. I remember
being asked to start and run the first
ever Program Management Office for
the Corporate Information Technology
Department for a large, global financial
company. I reported directly to the CIO of
the company. He was introducing me to
the business line CIOs in a meeting and
establishing governance and process
controls for the full IT organization. This
was met with mixed agreement. Some
seemed excited and wanted to get going
and on board with me soonest. Others
were visibly not interested. On the way
out of the meeting, the most senior, lon-
gest-term CIO, Bill Anderson, said, “You’re
a nice kid, but this will never work.” My
response was that I would like to meet
with him to understand his perspective.
We set up a meeting in his NYC office.
We agreed on the fact that we must get
the monthly report to the CIO as de-
termined. Then we discussed HOW we
could approach it. I realized he already
had a report that covered more than
80% of what we needed. So, I suggest-
ed we use this report and build out the
other areas that were required by the
CIO. He said, “Well, that is logical. You
are the first person from corporate with
a brain.” The continued open, direct com-
munications paved the way to build the
relationship. He invited me to do a “walk
around” with him. He had well over two
hundred people in his team. In a weekly
basis he walked the floor and spoke with
each person. He knew all by name; he
knew what they were working on; he
knew their family situation. Months lat-
work. I would propose that some flavor of
positive, professional qualifiers be added
to the “effective” leadership definition.
Project-Management-podcast.com
cites project leadership as: “The knowl-
edge, skills, and behaviors needed to
guide, motivate, and direct a team to
help an organization achieve its busi-
ness goals.” The leader’s focus is on
the people aspect of the project. This
must include setting and communi-
cating vision, intentional placement of
people in roles, motivation, team unity,
morale, and more. To do this well the
leader must highly-leverage soft-skills,
for which emotional intelligence sets
the foundation. Thus in my world, a real
leader is one who understands the vision,
knows how to rally the team to create the
most appropriate approach to achieve
the vision, helps the team organize, and
enables forward movement with positive
leadership techniques.
We have all had good and bad leaders.
Remember the team you would love to
work with again? Think about why. Was
the vision clear? Was the team empow-
ered to carry the work forward? Did the
leader show visible support throughout
the journey? Did the leader encourage
when things got tough? Did the leader
acknowledge and reward progress and
accomplishments? Did the leader mo-
tivate the team to continue to improve?
Did the team have strong morale, so that
even in tough times they came together
to figure out a way forward? Thinking
back on that wonderful team will shine
a light on a great leader. These qualities
are the ones that you can guarantee will
make a great leader.
Could you share a project or transfor-
mation that was particularly challeng-
SOURCE: AUTHOR'S MATERIALS
52

PMI Fellow and CEO of The Ouellette Group,
works globally with teams to implement best
practices in Portfolio, Program, and Project
Management. She blends business, technolo-
gy, and Disciplined Agile to align organizational
strategies and manage change. With experi-
ence across industries like banking, telecom,
and government, Beth delivers custom training
on topics such as Emotional Intelligence, PMO
establishment, and Data Management.
A frequent speaker at PMI and industry events
worldwide, Beth has also published works in
Brazil, Canada, India, and the U.S. She holds
an MBA from NYU, has numerous professional
certifications, and is an adjunct professor at
CUNY, where she created the Project Man-
agement Certificate Program.
Editor-in-Chief of Strefa PMI and an IT Project
Manager at SoftServe. With over a decade of
experience in project management, she has
led the implementation and deployment of
ERP systems, B2B/B2C platforms, and Big
Data solutions. She holds degrees in Manage-
ment and Computer Science from Wrocław
University of Science and Technology and
the Wrocław School of Applied Information
Technology.
Project Management has been both her pro-
fessional path and personal passion since her
university days. Kamila has been actively in-
volved with the Project Management Institute
since 2013. Currently, she is deeply engaged
in initiatives focused on mental well-being and
enhancing quality of life.
Beth
Ouellette
Kamila
Czerniak
5. The Minds Journal, Four Quadrants of
Emotional Intelligence, https://theminds-
journal.com/four-quadrants-emotional-in-
telligence/
6. The Keys to Effective Project Leadership
www.Project-Management-podcast.com
derstand new tools and techniques that
will enable better, more valuable results,
continue to evolve our way of working as
the situation demands, and always learn,
grow, improve along the way.
The ability to see the overall landscape
and how work fits in and adds value will
connect program or project work to the
strategic intention of your organization.
• Leveraging and applying new tools and
techniques will create consistency
and efficiencies to ensure accurate
understanding of program and proj-
ect progress with consistent data and
information.
• Creating a culture of learning and grow-
ing together will imbue an environment
of comradery and team spirit. Always
have the “sniffers” on your team check-
ing out “new stuff.” Share it back with
the team, determine how to grow and
leverage the “new stuff.”
• Encouraging experimentation and evo-
lution will set the tone for the team to
find new, more effective, more effi-
cient ways of working. Some may say
be curious, try it out, and see what is
possible.
• Embrace change. Be comfortable with
the uncomfortable. The fast pace of
change will continue to excel. Learning
to be okay with change, okay to shift,
okay to iterate, okay to refactor, okay
to recreate, okay to reimagine your pro-
gram and project world will be a vital
characteristic for program and project
success going forward.
Let’s keep learning, growing, evolving,
and reimagining our program and project
worlds. This change is what keeps things
exciting, fresh, and new. A true leader will
use Change to encourage, inspire, and
motivate the teams. Afterall, if it were
the “same ole stuff,” wouldn’t that be
a bit boring? Stay curious, enjoy being
challenged, be creative, and remember
we are on a journey. Let’s have fun along
the way!
References
1. Goleman, Daniel (1995). Emotional In-
telligence, Why it can matter more than
IQ, Bantam Bell
2. Goleman, Daniel on EI vs IQ https://youtu.
be/wJhfKYzKc0s
3. Goleman, Daniel Suggests Ways to Boost
Emotional Intelligence | Big Think https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOSgpq9EG-
Sw&t=11s
4. Strategies to Become More Emotional
Intelligent https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=pt74vK9pgIA
management of each. These must always
be a focus. In the “old days” the Red, Am-
ber, Green (RAG) Report typically focused
on cost and time. When I setup and ran
the PMO Mentioned above, we had other
dimensions of risk, resources, and quality
added. This RAG Report did not qualify
the program or project’s value proposi-
tion. Though from the onset, there was
a business case with documented ROI,
payback period, NPV, or other financial
measures of value that created and au-
thorized the project. Somehow during the
running of the programs and projects, this
financial value proposition was often lost.
Even when the programs or projects were
completed, it was rare that the business
case was revisited, and validation of the
financial value measured. Some of this
still occurs today. Though I am seeing
a shift in the past few years.
I have always proposed that a value
proposition is vital to success. What is
the value that will be delivered because
of the program or project undertaken?
Who receives the value; how is the value
perceived? What will be different, better,
or of more value after the project is deliv-
ered? How can the value be qualified or
measured? Going into a program or proj-
ect undertaking, these questions must be
answered, the “value proposition” must
be defined. Consider when you are man-
aging a project or program – what is the
value proposition? How will you as that
program or project leader continue to
validate this throughout the life of the
program or project and the journey of the
team? Does “value” include the value
to the team too? I hope so. It is here we
must include those critical leadership
soft skills, notably emotional intelligence.
How we lead the team determines how
we will add value (or not) to the team
experience. When team experience and
morale are strong, the results of the pro-
gram or project will be in kind.
How do you see project management
evolving over the next 5-10 years, and
what new skills do you think will be-
come essential for leaders in this field?
This is started to be answered above in
number 4. We must consider the value
proposition in project management. How
will this be qualified and quantified for
the outcome of the program or project
work? PMs cannot do what they have
always done and expect to see improve-
ment. We must be in tune and aware of
the direction the world is shifting, un-
SOURCE: AUTHOR'S MATERIALS
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 53

As the world faces mounting environ-
mental challenges, project managers
are uniquely positioned to drive sus-
tainable change. The PMI Los Angeles
Chapter’s (PMI-LA’s) recent partner-
ship with Sound of Earth during Los
Angeles Climate Week offers a com-
pelling case study in how project man-
agement can amplify climate action
and community impact.
Sustainability: The New
Imperative for Project
Managers
Sustainability is no longer a “nice-to-
-have” in project management – it’s
a necessity. As organizations worldwide
align with the United Nations Sustaina-
ble Development Goals (SDGs), project
managers are increasingly called upon to
integrate environmental, social, and go-
vernance (ESG) principles into their work.
This shift demands not only technical
expertise but also a mindset attuned to
long-term value creation and stakeholder
engagement.
At PMI-LA, we believe that project
managers are catalysts for sustainable
transformation. Our recent collaboration
with Sound of Earth, a global art and
climate initiative, during Los Angeles
Climate Week exemplifies how project
management can bridge creativity, com-
munity, and climate action.
Sound of Earth: Where
Art, Community, and
Climate Converge
Sound of Earth is an innovative project
that invites people from around the world
to contribute sounds – voices, music, and
stories – to a digital “Earth Album.” This
album, symbolizing the planet’s diversity
and unity, was featured at Los Angeles
Climate Week, a high-profile event conve-
ning leaders, innovators, and activists to
accelerate climate solutions.
PMI-LA partnered with Sound of Earth to
co-host two interactive events:
1. Los Angeles Climate Week | Hy-
brid Event: Sustainable Growth,
Greener Projects, Stronger Pro-
fits for the Future (April 8, 2025):
This hybrid event (both in-person
and virtual) focused on how susta-
inable practices can drive growth,
create greener projects, and lead
to stronger profits for the future. It
brought together project managers,
sustainability experts, and busi-
ness leaders to explore innovative
SOURCE: PMI LOS ANGELES CHAPTER
Project Management for
a Greener Tomorrow: PMI-LA’s
Journey at the Intersection of
Sustainability and Innovation
—David Doan
PMI ZONE
54

strategies and best practices. (event
details)
1
2. Beyond The Blaze: Generative AI
Fire Solutions Innovation Challen-
ge (April 25, 2025): This event was
an innovation challenge focused on
leveraging generative AI to develop
solutions for fire prevention and ma-
nagement. It aimed to bring together
AI experts, project managers, and
environmental advocates to create
innovative, technology-driven appro-
aches to address the growing threat
of wildfires.
Both events brought together project
managers, artists, climate advocates,
and technology experts to explore how
storytelling, sustainable practices, and
innovative technologies like AI can ampli-
fy climate action. Participants contribu-
ted their own sounds to the Earth Album
and engaged in discussions fostering
a sense of global connection and shared
responsibility.
Project Management
in Action: From Vision
to Impact
Behind the scenes, PMI-LA’s project ma-
nagement expertise was instrumental
in making the collaboration a success.
Our team applied best practices in sta-
keholder engagement, risk management,
and agile planning to ensure a seamless
experience for all participants.
Key lessons from the initiative include:
• Stakeholder Alignment: Early and
ongoing communication with Sound
of Earth, LA Climate Week organizers,
and community partners ensured that
SOURCE: PMI LOS ANGELES CHAPTER
SOURCE: PMI LOS ANGELES CHAPTER
the event’s goals were clear and mu-
tually beneficial.
• Agile Execution: The team adapted
quickly to evolving requirements, leve-
raging digital tools to coordinate across
time zones and manage logistics.
• Measuring Impact: Success was de-
fined not only by attendance but by
the diversity of voices captured and
the quality of conversations sparked
around sustainability.
This project demonstrated that when
project managers embrace sustaina-
bility as a core value, they can create
experiences that resonate far beyond
the event itself.
The Ripple Effect:
Inspiring Sustainable
Leadership
The PMI-LA and Sound of Earth colla-
boration is more than a one-off event –
it’s a model for how project managers
can lead with purpose. By integrating
sustainability into project design and
execution, we can inspire others to take
action, foster cross-sector partnerships,
and build resilient communities.
As project professionals, we have the
tools to turn bold ideas into reality. The
challenge – and the opportunity – is to
use those tools in service of a greener,
more equitable world.
Looking Ahead:
PMI-LA’s Commitment
to Climate Action
PMI-LA is committed to advancing susta-
inability within the project management
profession. We are actively developing
new programs, partnerships, and educa-
tional resources to empower our mem-
bers to lead on climate and social impact.
Our experience with Sound of Earth
and Los Angeles Climate Week has re-
inforced a simple truth: Project man-
agement is not just about delivering on
time and on budget – it’s about delivering
lasting value for people and the planet.
1. https://pmi-la.org/calendar?eventId=337
References:
• https://pmi-la.org/calendar?eventId=337
• https://www.soundof.earth/
• https://laclimateweek.com/
• https://pmi-la.org/
David Doan, PhD, MBA, RN, BCMAS, PMC-II,
PMP, CSM, CSPO, is President of the PMI
Los Angeles Chapter. With over 20 years of
experience in healthcare, consulting, and non-
profit leadership, David is passionate about
advancing sustainability, health equity, and
social impact through project management.
David
Doan
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 55

For over 20 years, the PMI Poland Chap-
ter has been the beating heart of the
project management community in
Poland – a vibrant network built on
passion, professionalism, and purpose.
Through this article, we’d like to take
you behind the scenes of our Chapter –
to show how we work together, what
drives us, and to highlight the projects
and initiatives that shape our commu-
nity at PMI PC.
PMI PC – Who We Are
PMI Poland Chapter is structured as
a chapter with branches (eg, Warsaw,
Silesia, Szczecin), operating under the na-
tional Chapter’s umbrella, recognized by
PMI global structures. Additionally, sev-
eral initiatives function as independent
teams within the PMI PC Chapter. We’ve
established basic rules, regulations,
and processes for the whole organization
as a base, yet each team and branch has
the autonomy to create its own action
plan, aligning with our chapter’s strategy
and the global PMI:Next vision.
With more than 300 volunteers across
over 40 teams and almost 1800 mem-
bers, the PMI Poland Chapter connects
experts, inspires future leaders, and de-
livers a lasting impact.
Our community has already hosted
more than 1500 events, devoted more
than 3000 social impact hours, and con-
tinues to organize more than 8 confer-
ences and 70 events every year.
Together, we are a movement that
empowers, transforms, and shapes the
future of project management in Poland
and beyond.
International Congress
PMI Poland Chapter –
AI. Product. People
The annual International Congress is the
PMI PC’s largest initiative. Each year, it
brings to Warsaw around 300 profession-
als from various industries to discuss
professional development, new initia-
tives, and ideas, to take part in workshops,
and network – both during official and
evening events of the Congress. This
year, we celebrate the 20th edition of
this conference with two action-packed
days featuring more than 35 sessions to
choose from.
PMI Poland Chapter
Mentoring Program –
Growing Leaders,
Building Connections
For eight successful editions, the PMI
Poland Chapter Mentoring Program has
provided project professionals with op-
portunities to grow, connect, and thrive.
It’s one of the Chapter’s most impactful
development initiatives, pairing experi-
enced mentors with aspiring project man-
agers eager to accelerate their careers.
This year’s 8th edition brought togeth-
er an impressive 160 mentoring pairs,
highlighting the strength and engage-
ment of our community. The program
fosters personal and professional growth,
knowledge exchange, and lasting, sup-
portive relationships. At PMI, we believe
growth happens through people – and our
SOURCE: ARCHIVES PMI PC
PMI Poland Chapter – Power
in Numbers, Passion in Action
—Joanna Adamska, Edyta Sikora-Piwaruń, Kornelia Hendżak, Aleksander AdamskiPMI ZONE
56

mentoring program is where potential
turns into success.
Women in Project
Management –
Empowering Women,
Inspiring Change
Founded in 2017 in Wrocław, Women
in Project Management (WiPM) is a na-
tionwide initiative dedicated to strength-
ening the role of women in business and
project leadership.
In collaboration with PMI branches
in Kraków, Poznań, Wrocław, Gdańsk,
Silesia, and Warsaw, WiPM creates op-
portunities to learn, connect, and inspire
through seminars, workshops, and con-
ferences.
Its first national conference, held
in 2023, brought together 15 exceptional
speakers, sparking meaningful dialogue
on leadership, innovation, and diversity.
WiPM is a space for those who want
to take action, inspire others, and drive
positive change in the professional en-
vironment – strengthening the visibility
and impact of women in project man-
agement.
PMP Study Group –
Supporting Your Path
to Certification
Started in 2016 in cooperation with the
PMI Finland Chapter, the PMP Study
Group supports professionals in pre-
paring for the PMP certification exam.
In each edition of this initiative, we gather
professionals from all over the world who
have recently passed the PMP exam and
can share their knowledge and experi-
ence across each of the PMBoK® knowl-
edge areas. This year’s edition offered
16 sessions and numerous opportunities
for participants to learn from the lectur-
ers and from each other.
The Leadership
Masterclass – How
to Lead To Elevate
Our World
This initiative is open to volunteers of
the PMI Poland Chapter in leadership
positions. It aims to develop participants’
leadership skills and, as a result, to better
understand and support volunteers in
their teams. The 2025 edition was the
first one. It consisted of three main stag-
es – “Me as a leader”, “Leading team”,
and “Leading business”. The sessions
took the form of lectures, workshops
and webinars, all run by esteemed pro-
fessional coaches and business experts.
Overall, the Leadership Masterclass suc-
cessfully provided a platform for PMI PC
leaders to share their knowledge and
experiences with one another and chal-
lenge their views and beliefs about what
makes a good leader.
Train the Trainers –
Empowering Those
Who Inspire
As the knowledge-sharing platform, PMI
PC offers numerous opportunities to run
and participate in events, workshops,
and presentations. Train the Trainers pro-
gramme provides participants with the
chance to improve their presentation and
facilitation skills, enabling them to deliver
lectures and workshops more effectively.
The programme covered areas such as
workshop planning and execution, graph-
ic recording, audience management, and
different types of workshops. As one
of the core principles of PMI culture is
to aim higher, we created this platform
to help our members and volunteers
deliver even more value for the project
management community in Poland
through our events.
Transformation Team –
Leading the Change,
Shaping the Future
Since its launch in 2023, the Transfor-
mation Team has been on a mission
to become the go-to center of excellence
for organizational transformation knowl-
edge and practice in Poland. The team
supports change agents in enhancing
the quality and impact of their transfor-
mation efforts, creating a community
where change leaders connect, learn,
and inspire each other.
The team’s initiatives include ed-
ucational programs, leadership and
AI-in-transformation webinars, advi-
sory support, podcasts, a YouTube
channel, exclusive communities, and
thought-leadership articles in Strefa PMI
SOURCE: ARCHIVES PMI PC
SOURCE: ARCHIVES PMI PC
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 57

meet all the people we normally see
only on our screens, and to inspire and
motivate each other.
The University Project
Management Games
The University Project Management
Games is a national, three-stage com-
petition designed for bachelor’s and
master’s degree students from univer-
sities across the country. The initiative’s
core mission is to elevate project man-
agement professionalism among young
talent and serve as a springboard for their
career development, reflecting PMI’s
global commitment to supporting young
project management professionals.
The structure of the Games is de-
signed to test and cultivate essential
professional competencies, especial-
ly through its team-based format. The
stages include qualifications, followed
by an online exam similar in level to the
CAPM® certification exam. The final stage
is a stationary game focused on project
management gamification, led by a qual-
ified external company. This multi-stage
approach encourages students to devel-
op critical project management skills like
communication, negotiation, conflict
management, and collaboration.
Public Administration –
Advancing Project
Management in the
Public Sector
For many years, the PMI Poland Chap-
ter has been dedicated to supporting
the public sector by advancing project
management professionalism in Pub-
lic Administration. We have actively
Created by practitioners for practitioners,
the magazine reaches professionals
across all sectors – from agile enthusi-
asts and project teams to executives and
academics – delivering insight, inspira-
tion, and a strong dose of knowledge to
the project management community
in Poland.
Strategic Meetings for
PMI PC Volunteers
While PMI Poland Chapter is a member-
ship organization by nature, it would not
exist without its volunteers. Each year,
we invite them to the Strategic Meeting
to discuss what’s next for PMI PC – our
strategy, its implementation, and ways to
deliver even more value to our members
and volunteers. We share experiences
and challenges from our projects and
initiatives, workshop our next steps, and
last but not least – get to know each
other better.
This event holds a special place in our
calendar, as it represents what PMI really
stands for – a community. The annual
Strategic Meeting is a perfect place to
magazine. The Transformation Team
stands at the forefront of change – help-
ing project management professionals
not only adapt, but truly lead the era of
rapid transformation.
PMPiada – Where
Passion Meets Mastery
PMPiada is a unique event that brings
together some of the best Project Manag-
ers from across Poland, organized by the
PMI Poland Chapter in Poznań.
It’s a fusion of education, inspiration,
and energy – a space where experience
meets passion, and knowledge meets
emotion.
The event takes the form of a speaker
competition, with outstanding profes-
sionals competing for the title of Best
Presentation. Each speaker has just
18 minutes to impress the audience
and expert jury with their story, insight,
and charisma.
Between talks, attendees enjoy inspir-
ing business presentations that broaden
perspectives and spark new ideas.
In 2024, PMPiada brought together
nearly 200 participants, creating an un-
forgettable day of learning, networking,
and celebration.
PMI Zone – The Voice
of Our Community
PMI Zone (known in Polish as Strefa
PMI) is the official quarterly magazine
of the PMI Poland Chapter – and it has
just reached an impressive milestone:
its 50th issue.
For years, PMI Zone has been sharing
the best practices in project, program,
and portfolio management, promoting
professional excellence and inspiring
readers to grow.
SOURCE: ARCHIVES PMI PC
SOURCE: ARCHIVES PMI PC
58

Project Manager with over 15 years in interna-
tional organizations, including the establish-
ment of project offices in the medical and IT
industries. Head of PMO at Codelab, President
of PMI PC, and a lecturer in postgraduate and
MBA programs at the West Pomeranian Busi-
ness School. She spends her free time with
family and friends, reading books, supporting
Liverpool FC, and traveling.
Joanna
Adamska
Global IT & Logistic Lead with over 11 years
of experience in IT and logistics. Recognized
among the Strong Women in IT 2025. She ac-
tively supports diversity and inclusion through
mentoring and initiatives such as TechLead-
ers and STEM ROKogether. Passionate about
empathetic leadership and creating inclusive,
people-centered workplaces.
Edyta Sikora-
Piwaruń
Communications and social media strategist
with expertise in corporate communication,
media relations, and employer branding.
As Communication Leader at a global pro-
fessional services firm and VP of Marketing
for PMI Poland Chapter, she drives strategic
initiatives and community engagement. PMP
certified with a Diploma in Digital Marketing,
she’s committed to impactful, results-driven
communication.
Kornelia
Hendżak
Project Manager and Scrum Master with more
than 12 years of experience in industries like
IT, automotive, sports, and marketing. PMI
volunteer for 10 years, in the past responsible
for the marketing area in the Szczecin Branch
as well as in the Poland Chapter. Passionate
gamer, semi-pro photographer and drone
enthusiast, occasional basketball player, and
long-time Liverpool FC supporter.
Aleksander
Adamski
across the globe can learn from each oth-
er and network through a series of online
events covering a wide range of topics
related to project management profession
and personal and organizational growth.
PMIthon – When
Professionals Fight
to Help NGOs
In 2023, during the annual Internation-
al Congress PMI Poland Chapter, we
conducted the first edition of PMIthon.
It was a unique event on a global level,
where teams of professionals faced the
real-world challenges of actual NGOs.
This event is a true testament to the proj-
ect management community, highlighting
creativity, empathy, and the ability to
inspire. All of this took place in a friendly
environment, supported by mentors. Re-
sults and outputs from this event served
as inspiration for the NGOs to tackle the
issues at hand, something we are truly
proud of. As of today, two editions of
the PMIthon have taken place, and we
are happily supporting other chapters
in organizing their versions of this event.
Together – We Can,
Together – We Lead
Change
Every initiative proves one thing – PMI
Poland Chapter is more than an orga-
nization.
It’s a community of passionate pro-
fessionals shaping the future of project
management in Poland.
When passion connects
people – everything transforms.
contributed to the development of project
management best practices tailored for
this area and have successfully promoted
the PMBOK® Guide among major Public
Administration bodies. This commitment
was highlighted during the last edition of
the PMI PC International Congress, where
we hosted key representatives, from both
local and national Public Administration.
Furthermore, in collaboration with our
partners, we have developed and deliv-
ered dedicated webinars for this sector.
Project Management
Without Borders Pilot
Last year, we were selected as one of
two Chapters globally for the Project
Management Without Borders pilots.
PMWB connects project management
professionals with nonprofits and NGOs
worldwide. We provided sustainable proj-
ect management processes, tools, and
solutions aligned with the UN Sustain-
able Development Goals. It was a huge
honor for us – especially because, to-
gether with the Los Angeles Chapter, we
were not only running the projects locally,
but also sharing our lessons learned and
contributing to improvements globally.
It was a significant effort to run the pi-
lot within three months, but we are tre-
mendously proud of the knowledge and
experience shared with the cooperating
organizations.
ChapterXchange
PMI Chapter Xchange is an outreach
initiative for PMI chapters. It is a virtual
collaboration platform for chapter leaders
and members to connect, collaborate,
and co-create. Through this initiative,
members of almost 30 Chapters from
SOURCE: ARCHIVES PMI PC
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 59

Spring 2020
The pandemic surprises us,
but despite it, we regularly
meet, integrate, and train
online. We stop printing our
issues.
Winter 2021
We launch the StrefaPMI.pl Portal!
From now on, articles can be read
conveniently online.
The portal becomes the main publishing
channel during the pandemic.
Summer 2022
Back to post-pandemic, live
and on-site strategy meetings.
Strengthening integrity and
collaboration within the team.
Issue 1,
May 2013 –
16 pages
Editor-in-Chief for
the first issue was
Marcin Szubert;
later, Wojciech
Danowski took
over.
Issue 8,
March 2015 –
36 pages
New sections
introduced,
existing to this
day: Knowledge
Zone, Interview
Zone.
Issue 12,
March 2016 –
52 pages
This was the
first edition with
Gold Sponsor
Atos for several
following issues.
New Editor-in-
Chief Szymon
Pawlowski.
Spring 2013
As part of the PMI PC
Warsaw Branch, the idea
of creating a magazine
emerges.
The strefapmi.pl website and
social media profiles are created.
PMI Zone reaches
the largest PMI conferences
and other industry events.
Winter 2016
We have launched
subscriptions for
PMI PC Members.
Issue 28, March 2020 –
60 pages
We had the Golden Sponsor
SoftServe, who continues
to support us! Transition
to digital distribution and
withdrawal of paper editions.
Issue 38,
September 2022 –
76 stron
Back to printing and
distribution across
Poland.
From the First Page to the 50th:
A Visual Journey of PMI Zone
2013-2014
Humble beginnings
Issues 1-6
2014-2016
Rapid growth
Issues 7-13
2020-2023
Scalability & Integration
Issues 28-40PMI ZONE
60

Winter 2023
Boosting the effectiveness and
collaboration of our team. With
a small rotation, knowledge,
and experience combined
with a passion for project
management, we created more
refined issues.
Winter 2024
An integrated team that wants more
from this journey. We set a goal to
create the first fully international
special edition – not only to celebrate
the 50th issue of the magazine, but
also to open collaboration between
different Chapters around the world.
Special
International
Edition, April
2017 (ENG) –
52 pages
Created for
the PMI EMEA
Leadership
Institute Meeting
in Rome, where
it received high
appreciation.
Issue 20,
April 2018 –
60 pages
Record-breaking
printed issue:
2,800 copies!
The largest
number of
articles and
pages so far.
Issue 27,
September
2019 –
68 pages
First issue
after PMI
rebranding.
Autumn 2018
The first strategic PMI Zone
meetings wchich helped us
to speed up based on created
maps, metrics, and tools for
collaboration are created.
The PMI Zone team already
consists of several dozen people.
We conduct regular editorial
meetings and create IT and
marketing Team to support core
activities.
Issue 40,
March 2023 –
124 pages
10 years of
publication.
Record-breaking
issue with the
highest number
of articles and
pages – double
that of 2018.
Issue 46,
September
2024 – 76
pages
After 10 years
of Szymon
Pawlowski’s
pays chief role
leaving team
with amazed
result. Kamila
Czerniak new
Editor-in-Chief.
Issue 50,
September 2025 –
84 pages
Celebrating the 50th
issue – rebranding our
magazine and our first
major collaboration
with different PMI
Chapters worldwide,
and the second
Special International
Edition.
Issue 44,
March 2024 –
76 pages
New major
sponsor, Altkom
Academy,
who continues
to support us.
2016-2020
Stabilization and maturity
Issues 14-27
2023-2025
New reality
Issues 41-50 & 50E
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 61

Embedding
Sustainability into
the Project DNA
—Casey LaFrance
limited resources a feasible starting point
for institutionalizing sustainability practices
within traditional project structures. Despite
its clarity, the guide remains primarily ori-
ented toward mitigation and compliance.
IPMA’s text focuses on minimizing harm, not
achieving regeneration or system renewal.
The lack of empirical validation, detailed
metrics, and clear governance linkages limits
its use in complex or resource-constrained
environments.
In contrast, GPM’s P5 Standard for Sus-
tainability in Project Management has a more
mature and validated methodology. Devel-
oped earlier and now aligned with PMI’s
framework, GPM integrates sustainability
into governance, auditing, and measurement
systems with ISO-accredited rigor.
While the IPMA Guide is good for sustain-
ability education, GPM remains the bench-
mark for accessibility, accountability, and
measurable impact.
Gilbert Silvius, Sanja Međedović, Sara Bossi,
Lana Lovrenčić Butković, Peter Pürckhauer,
IPMA Guide to Sustainable Project Manage-
ment, Van Haren Publishing, 2025.
The IPMA Guide to Sustainable Project Man-
agement is a recent release introducing
IPMA’s emerging sustainability curriculum.
This review begins with a summary of the
guide’s framework and tools. Next, I evaluate
the conceptual focus of the text. I conclude
with a comparison to PMI-Green Project
Management (GPM) methodology, now part
of the PMI certification family.
The IPMA Guide offers a structured frame-
work for embedding sustainability throughout
the project lifecycle. It begins with a Project
Sustainability Impact Assessment followed
by a Sustainability Management Plan, guid-
ing teams to integrate environmental and
social considerations from initiation through
closure. These tools make sustainability
measurable and iterative, encouraging re-
flection at each phase rather than treating
it as a separate or symbolic effort.
The guide’s Wheel of Impacts on Society
and the Environment (WISE) is one of its
strongest contributions. It helps practitioners
visualize the relationships between eco-
logical integrity, community wellbeing, and
economic value.
Templates and checklists are clear and
approachable, giving organizations with
If you’re looking to dive into the world of
Agile – whether to support a team transition,
gain a better understanding as a leader, or
simply update your project management
skills – Learn Agile and Scrum in Two Hours
delivers a highly accessible and practical
entry point.
True to its title, this book condenses the
essentials of Agile and Scrum into a format
that’s both digestible and engaging. The
authors do an excellent job of demystify-
ing Agile principles, using clear language
and structured chapters to guide readers
from foundational concepts to practical
implementation.
One particularly noteworthy feature is the
book’s real-world grounding. Luke’s person-
al story – navigating a remote team through
a global crisis using Scrumban – adds au-
thenticity and depth. This experience-driven
insight gives the book more than just theo-
retical value; it’s a relatable example of Agile
in action when it matters most.
The guide breaks down the key elements
of Scrum – roles, ceremonies, artifacts –
clearly and concisely. The visual overviews
and comparisons between frameworks
(Scrum, Kanban, Scrumban) are especially
helpful for visual learners or those trying
to make decisions about which approach
best suits their team.
Another highlight is the section on Agile
values and mindset. The book goes beyond
methods to emphasize the cultural and
behavioral shifts that Agile requires.
While the book is tailored for newcom-
ers, experienced readers might find it a bit
high-level. Expanding on advanced topics
such as Agile scaling, organizational agility,
or hybrid project environments would have
added even more depth. Nevertheless, as
a foundational guide, it fulfills its purpose
very well.
Final Takeaway. Learn Agile and Scrum
in Two Hours is a compact, engaging, and
well-structured introduction to Agile think-
ing. Ideal for professionals entering the
Agile space or leaders needing to support
Agile teams, it combines practical tools
with thoughtful insights. This is a resource
I would gladly recommend for anyone look-
ing to take their first confident step into
Agile practice.
Luke Pivac & Kieran Morgan, Learn Agile and
Scrum in Two Hours. The Ultimate Agile 101
Book for Begginers, Boffin Education, 2025.
A Fast, Hands-on
Introduction to
Agile and Scrum
—Markus Kopko
REVIEW ZONE
62

How the fuck to be Agile?: a wakeup call...
by Erwin Verweij is a blunt, funny, and
necessary reality check for those of us
who are frustrated with the current state
of Agile. Once a flexible mindset focused
on customer value and adaptability, Agile
has turned into a rigid set of rituals sold by
consultants and unquestioningly adopted
by organisations. Verweij’s critique vali-
dates our frustrations, as he argues that
Agile has lost its soul and its usefulness.
His main point is that most teams are
doing Agile, not being Agile. They follow rou-
tines like daily stand-ups, sprint planning,
and retros without questioning whether
they are helpful. Frameworks like Scrum
and SAFe are treated as gospel, even when
they do not fit. Scrum is often misunder-
stood as a strict method rather than a set of
principles. SAFe, in particular, is criticised
for attempting to force Agile into traditional
hierarchies, which can make transforma-
tions more expensive and less effective.
Verweij also tears into the obsession
with metrics. Teams chase velocity, burn-
downs, and roadmaps while losing sight
of customer value. Many Agile efforts are
merely internal busywork, such as complet-
ing numerous forms and attending endless
meetings. Rituals replace outcomes. The
irony is that Agile was meant to combat
bureaucracy, not become a part of it.
A recurring theme is what Verweij
calls “controlled autonomy” – a façade of
freedom where teams are told they are em-
powered but are still closely monitored and
micromanaged. For instance, teams may
be given the freedom to choose their tasks,
but their progress is constantly monitored
and they are often directed on what to do
next. Real agility, he argues, needs actual
trust and decentralisation.
The writing is direct, irreverent, and re-
freshing. It will not suit everyone, especially
those who prefer structure or shy away
from strong language, but it cuts through
the noise. This is not just a rant. It serves
as a powerful wake-up call, motivating you
to take action.
If Agile feels broken in your world, you are
not imagining it. This book will help you see
why and what to do about it.
Verweij Erwin, How the fuck to be agile?
A wakeup call..., Brave New Books, Am-
sterdam 2025.
Upstream Thinking:
A Mindset Shift for
Project Managers
and Operational
Leaders
—Rex Arguelles
Heath gives them due credit. But two new
concepts stood out for me:
• Behavioral Mapping: Like a Gemba walk
for decision-making. By tracing how
small behaviors accumulate into sys-
temic issues, I’ve been able to uncover
early warning signs and bottlenecks long
before they escalate.
• Keystone Behaviors: These are high
leverage actions that create ripple
effects across teams and systems. In
projects, changing one keystone beha-
vior – like how teams handle handoffs
or feedback – can drastically improve
outcomes.
Upstream reminded me that innovation
doesn’t just happen in R&D labs. Someti-
mes, the most innovative move is building
a system where the same old problems ne-
ver show up again. For Lean practitioners
and project professionals alike, Upstre-
am is a call to lead differently – to think
preventively, act systemically, and lead
strategically.
Heath Dan, Upstream: How to solve pro-
blems before they happen, Avid Reader
Press, New York 2020.
What if the best way to solve a problem
is to prevent it entirely? This is the po-
werful premise behind Upstream by Dan
Heath – a book that challenged me not
just to improve how I solve problems, but
to reconsider why problems exist in the
first place. As someone grounded in Lean
Manufacturing and the Toyota Production
System, root cause thinking and the „Five
Whys” are deeply embedded in my le-
adership style. But Upstream pushed me
to look beyond technical causes and see
the behavioral, structural, and systemic
patterns that keep problems coming back.
Heath outlines a simple but often igno-
red truth: most organizations are caught in
reactive loops. They solve the same issues
repeatedly, throwing resources at symp-
toms instead of addressing root causes.
For project managers, this message hits
home. We often inherit broken processes,
unvalidated assumptions, and cross-func-
tional misalignment – then scramble to
fix issues midstream. Upstream offers
a mindset and practical tools to break
that cycle.
The book reinforced my continuous
improvement foundation. The Five Whys
remain vital for root cause analysis, and
How the f*ck
to be Agile?
—Rob SandbergREVIEW ZONE
PMI ZONE, No 50E, OCTOBER 2025, WWW.STREFAPMI.PL 63

1,130+
Or would you like to help us grow and make our
magazine more international?
Let’s talk! Reach out to us at [email protected]
or connect with us on social media.
Inspire the Global
Project Management
Community!
Are you interested in sharing
your perspective?
Ready to collaborate
with us?
12
Years
50
Issues (including
2 Special
Editions)
3,090
Pages
Published
530+
Contributing
Authors
130
Exclusive
Interviews100%
Passion and
Commitment
20
Amazing
People Behind
the Scenes
Articles
in Total
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