While some are thrilled by the endless possibilities of digitalisation, others are driven by the fear of missing the connection. Finally, digitisation, i. e. the transformation of analogue structures into digital structures, will have a massive impact on our professional lives, which is not only announced by numerous studies but also proved in reality. Digitisation does not stop at project management either, but will have a noticeable impact on the work of project managers and the organisational form of companies. In a three-part series, we describe the impact of digitisation on project management, project managers and organisations.

There is clearly no doubt that certain types of behaviour and good conduct are indispensable and vital to ensure the success of projects in the business world and in project management. However, in an international environment it is usually not enough to simply behave well in accordance with your own patterns of behaviour and standard norms of etiquette. Whoever works in an international team must ensure they are familiar with the subtle details concerning the habits and customs of other cultures and what is considered to be polite behaviour. This does not just apply when business relationships are established with countries such as China and India. Even having contact with the UK, France or the Czech Republic means having to get to grips with the cultural context of another country.

In their online blog CIO, Florian Maier and Thor Olavsrud have described their views on the ten steps that have been devised to achieve successful digital transformation. As many firms are currently having to get to grips with the challenges presented by digital transformation, any tips given by experts are always welcome. This article focuses on the views these two experts hold on digital transformation and examines the different suggestions they are able to offer to businesses. Digital transformation plays an important role wherever new business models are expected to be introduced or new processes established. New technologies help to drive businesses forward and ensure they remain competitive. However, these new technologies must also be introduced and applied in clever and meaningful ways.

The third edition of the bestseller Lego4Scrum appeared in book shops at the beginning of this year. Alexey Krivitsky originally published his Lego4Scrum approach in 2009 and he has been developing it ever since. His third book on the subject is now available and is again enjoying great popularity. The third edition particularly stands out because it is even more comprehensive than its predecessors. The foreword has been written by acclaimed author and Agile and Lean coach Henrik Kniberg. The book does not just provide a summary of all the instructions that should be followed when conducting Lego4Scrum workshops, but it also provides accounts of individual experiences people across the world have had when using this concept over recent years.

For the IAPM a successful year is coming to an end, a lot of projects could be kicked off or completed. Besides the already existing free of charge PM guides for classic, agile and international project management, the “White book for Hybrid Project Management” was published in may. This White Book unites the worlds of the classic and the agile project management and thus offers project managers in this sector an optimal, independent guideline. In contrast to other guides this does not represent a basis for certification. IAPM entered into a timely partnership with the Industrie- und Handelskammer Bayern (Bavarian Chamber of Commerce) Graduates of the Project Manager IHK training programme now have the possibility of submitting their certificate to the IAPM and having this recognised internationally without any further examination.

This article features an exciting contribution from Nagesh Sharma. He is a Scrum Trainer who instructs companies and managers on ways in which they can engage with the subject of communication and values in Scrum in order to drive their projects forward. He wrote an article on this subject on the B2C Business 2 Community blog in order to sensitise project managers around the globe. Nagesh Sharma explains the skills he believes are important for Scrum Masters and their teams. He also reviews tools and tricks that he uses in companies as part of his training programmes. Nagesh Sharma refers to Albert Mehrabian who separates interpersonal communication into three areas: words, voice and body language. It is often the case that only approximately 7% of communication is the result of what is actually spoken.

A combination of development and operations is intended to be an approach that improves the processes involved in system administration and software development. The following article will examine more closely whether changing a company’s culture to DevOps actually delivers this goal. Since its introduction, DevOps has been celebrated as an important issue of the future which is likely to bring certain benefits, however, it does not seem to be living up to these promises. According to one survey, 87% of respondents are not convinced about DevOps because this approach to process improvement is not living up to expectations. Critics have always suspected that DevOps is a hype and that it has not achieved the levels of success that were expected. However, increasing numbers of companies are still choosing to adopt this approach. The survey revealed that 27% of all IT experts work in DevOps teams in 2017.

By Dr. Hans Stromeyer Everyone is talking about agile working nowadays and many people are starting to question if it really works. If we consider the IT sector, and in particular software development, a noticeable trend has emerged which is leading away from the classic waterfall approach towards process models and frameworks (Scrum, Kanban, Extreme etc.). Annual status reports published by Version One have clearly proven this using verifiable data. The impressions I have had and the experience I have amassed as a project manager trainer have also shown that many companies in which I train Classic project management are now becoming increasingly interested in knowing how they can become more agile. Furthermore, more and more participants from completely different backgrounds to software development are registering for my courses on Scrum, Kanban Extreme Programming.

Project Management not only plays an important role in large-scale companies, but smaller organisations and informal teams also interact with project management tools when they start working on unusual tasks and those that must be completed within a specific time frame. Smaller teams, in particular, usually do not have enough time or money to familiarise themselves with special PM tools. Five simple tools will be outlined in the following article which offer something to suit everyone, whether Classic PM is the methodology of choice or Agile.

We all know colleagues and team members who are simply just not cut out for teamwork. It is usually the case that things rarely run smoothly when they are part of the team. Even though some people possess a high level of specialist expertise and are even willing to cooperate, they just do not have the ability to work together with other people in a goal orientated way. The role of the project manager is to integrate these difficult colleagues into the team and to profit from their capabilities even if this is not the easiest of tasks. When working as a leader in project management, it is important to be able to lead certain types of people towards achieving tasks who (usually unintentionally) inhibit and derail the team’s progress. This challenge often demands a great deal of energy, however, there are thankfully a range of techniques that can be employed to help you manage difficult colleagues.

Even though the year is drawing to a close, we are still stepping on the gas. In recent months, we have developed a new Agile project management certification programme, the Cert. Junior Agile Project Manager, which can be taken with immediate effect. This certification programme is a logical extension of our existing portfolio of programmes, such as the Cert. Junior Project Manager (IAPM), which is primarily aimed at novice project managers, students, entry-level professionals and young professionals. The certification programme is a perfect way for aspiring project managers, who would prefer to work in an Agile project environment, to lay the foundations as they start a career in Agile project management and acquire knowledge of the Scrum methodology through IAPM certification which is recognised and well-respected around the globe. Once the course has been successfully completed, the certification is permanently valid and there are no re-certification costs and requirements. This applies to all certification programmes offered by IAPM. A basic understanding of Agile and Scrum methodologies are tested in the Junior Agile Project Manager (IAPM) certification examination, whereas additional subjects such as Extreme Programming and Kanban are tested in the higher level examination, the Cert. Agile Project Manager.

Project management is a competitive arena in which it can be difficult to find a clear perspective in day-to-day work situations and in which many are at risk of suffering from burnout. Project managers need to be a little tougher than those in other professions in order to autonomously bring projects successfully to fruition. This primarily involves having the ability to focus completely on the requirements of the project and to avoid becoming sidetracked by anything. As a project manager, it is also important to be able to say no, to refuse to carry out favours and to firmly reject any suggestions that do not benefit the project. This can prove to be challenging for many people both in terms of their project management responsibilities and their personal lives.