Hey Reader,

As we move into 2026, project management isn’t disappearing, but it is changing shape.

Teams are leaner. Expectations are higher.

And the way work gets delivered is shifting faster than most job descriptions can keep up with.

Here are the key trends I believe will shape how PMs work and stay relevant this year.

1. Smaller Teams, Stronger Systems

Most organisations are no longer scaling headcount. Instead, they’re investing in systems, automation, and tooling that allow fewer people to deliver more.

For PMs, this means less manual coordination and more responsibility for keeping work flowing end to end. Understanding systems, integrations, and dependencies is becoming just as important as managing people.

2. AI as a Working Partner

AI has and is moving from experimentation to everyday delivery.

PMs are already using it to draft documentation, summarise meetings, prepare reports, and reduce repetitive admin.

The real benefit isn’t speed alone, it’s focus.

When AI handles the low-value tasks, PMs can spend more time on decision-making, stakeholder confidence and leading delivery.

3. Media Production is Being Redefined

The change isn’t only where content is shared, but how it’s created.

AI is now used across marketing, campaigns, and even film production. As a result, project planning is shifting from traditional production-heavy budgets to AI tools, licences, and specialist.

PMs managing media or digital projects need to adjust how they scope, budget, and deliver this work.

4. Low-code and No-code, Supercharged by AI

Low-code and no-code platforms aren’t new, but AI has changed what’s possible.

With AI-assisted development and vibe coding, smaller teams can build, maintain, and iterate faster without heavy agency reliance. For PMs, this means managing looser, faster workflows and more experimentation than before.

Understanding these delivery models will be essential in 2026.

5. Trust, Verification, and Security

As AI-generated content increases, it’s becoming harder to tell what’s human-made, AI-made, or a hybrid.

Blockchain and AI working together offer a way to verify origin and authenticity. For PMs in digital, media, or data-heavy projects, this introduces a new layer of trust, governance, and accountability that will increasingly matter to clients.

6. A Tougher Landscape for Junior PMs

Entry-level PM roles are under pressure.

As companies test AI, many low-level admin tasks are being automated.

This means fewer traditional junior roles and higher expectations on existing PMs to add real value.

At the same time, experienced PMs may be asked to manage more projects as AI increases capacity.

The shift is clear: coordination alone isn’t enough anymore.

Judgment, context, leadership, and systems thinking are where PMs now stand out.

2026 isn’t about PMs being replaced.

It’s about the role being reshaped.

The question to sit with this year is simple:

Where are you adding value that a tool can’t?

I run a private community for people who want their effort at work to actually matter, to their teams, organisations, and lives. You can explore it here:

Praying you have a fresh start to the year!

Yomi

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