The project manager of the future will be a 3 headed beast.

He (most likely) will be a ‘traditional’ project manager, a design manager and a bim(anager) all rolled into one.

He will look, feel (maybe even smell) remarkable like architects used to before they got stripped of their magical powers.

He WILL rule the AEC industry. (even more than now)

What do I base this idea on?

All other consultants working within the AEC processes have experienced dramatic decline in their fees and influence.

Project managers have moved as dramatically but in reverse. (forward!);

Good project managers (not all!) have a lot to be admired for.

Think of a triangle where there are 3 parties, one at each nod:

1/ clients with the money and need (for a building, investment...)

2/ all consultants, designers, contractors, subcontractors within AEC

3/ project managers

Their objectives:

Group 2 to sell their time to group 1;

Group 3 to make themselves absolutely fundamental to any project

Group 1 to have their need satisfied the best way ($, T, Q);

Clients pick from group 2 as needed but only because they perceive that they HAVE to.

They engage project managers, because they WANT to;

They are likely to wiggle out of the HAVE-tos whenever they can but they will stick with the WANT-tos even when that may not be essential.

Go project managers, transform to a three headed beast! (more later)

(picture of the 3headed beast borrowed from a lovely Hungarian book on Greek Mythology 

created by my friends, two sisters, Emese and Zsuzsa Rajsli)