Pop Quiz: How Would You Invest $1000?

September 6, 2018 | by Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin

An article in The Economist caught my attention with the headline “Time to get in training: Companies must overcome skill shortages.”  The author notes that the amount American companies are spending on training jumped last year by almost a third, to the equivalent of $1000 for every staff member who received training. (See the survey in Training magazine for more data points.) An example features IBM, where employees study online courses on their own time to qualify for a digital “badge” that boosts their career profile on platforms like Linked In. The training featured in the article was mostly IT-related, but in the past, IBM has also been a big proponent of project management training. In fact, back in 2011, their training and career-tracking programs made them stand out as PMO of the Year.

So here's my question: You have a big AI implementation program on the horizon. Quick, what do you invest that $1000 in: AI technology training ... or project management training?

In the Economist article, the companies interviewed are stoked about their technology training. And of course, that is important. For IBM, with thier deep infrastructure of project management culture, these technical badges are an added benefit to their customers. But it’s easy for companies to go off-track training in specific technologies before they've laid a foundation of project management skills. Seriously, what benefit accrues for that $1000 investment in AI training for someone who lacks basic project management skills?

(I can hear the lessons learned meeting now: "But John has every AI technical certifcation in the book!" "Yeah, but he was a lousy project manager.")

Let that sink in, then check out our popular PM Essentials Virtual Class, an author-Instructed online foundational course. Registration is now open for a public edition that includes a free copy of the newly released textbook, Project Management Essentials, Fourth Edition (updated to the PMBOK^® Guide Sixth Edition). The class is led by contributing author and instructor Paul Lombard, PMP, which you know, if you have ever heard him expound on any topic, is the icing on the cake. More information on the PM College site here.

Related Posts:

• Are You Still Just Waiting for Results? Now Is the Time to Put These 3 Strategic Priorities in Place
• Why the PMO Matters Now: A 2026 Perspective on Project Success
• Inside the PMOaaS Trend
• Unlocking the Future of PMOs: AI, Complexity, and Intentional Strategy
• PMOs in 2025: New Research
• Spotlight on PMOs: The Struggle Is Real
• PMI Global Summit: Learning and Networking on Day 2
• PMI Global Summit Kicks Off: Change in the Air in LA
• The PMO: Trending Towards Agility
• Enhancing Your PMO: The Roadmap to Greater Project Outcomes
• PMaaS and Organizational Performance, Then and Now
• (More) Changing Approaches to Project Management
• Seven Actions for the Adaptive Organization
• PM Skills Benchmark Study: Your Second Chance to Participate
• New Research: Project Management Skills for Value Delivery
• PMO of the Year Finalist Ontario Power Generation
• The Future is Already Here for These PMOs
• Will A.I. Kill the PMO? Part 3 in Our A.I. in PM Series
• PMO Research Reveal: What You'll Learn in This Week's Webinar
• The Evolution of the Enterprise PMO: What Comes Next?
• The Enterprise PMO Delivers
• PMOs: New Research Shows Benefits Outweigh Cost
• The PMO at 20: New Research Findings Released
• Extended: The State of the PMO Research Study, Thru Feb. 18.
• Why Research Is Important
• 2022: What Is the State of Your PMO?
• Something to Be Thankful For
• Your Questions, Answered: Part Three--Hybrid PM? Industry-Specific?
• Your Questions, Answered: Part One -- What About PMBOK7?
• Project Management Carried On During 2020: Here's How