Last week, PM Network editor and fellow Voices of Project Management contributor Cyndee Miller interviewed Janice Thomas, Ph.D., and Mark Mullaly, PMP, principal investigators for PMI's Researching the Value of Project Management study. I had the opportunity to sit in on that interview and there were a few points I wanted to share:
1. Project management does actually have value and the study proves it. Mark and Janice reiterated this point several times during each of their interviews. But Mark was quick to point out, "there is not one thing that is project management." Instead, he said it was all about how organizations "implement project management in their terms."
2. The study wouldn't have been possible without each and every team member--and there were nearly 50 of them. The team worked across almost every time zone--with researchers in China, Russia, North America, Latin America and around the globe. Still, Janice attributed "a strong team from the beginning that was committed to staying with the project through the end," as a key success factor.
3. These researchers have become the humble--and sometimes reluctant--stars of the PMI Research Conference. For example, Mark said during his interview that it took him nearly 40 minutes to get to the restroom after the awards ceremony because there were so many people stopping him to discuss the study.
4. The research doesn't end here. In fact, it seems to just be beginning. "This study generated an amazing database to further research," Janice said.
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