In the current issue of PM Network, PMI’s monthly magazine, page 30 starts a feature story called “On The Horizon – what lies ahead for the project management profession?”, by Sandra A. Swanson.

In the story, key project managers predict what will shape the future of the profession.

Three items are mentioned.

Guess what’ s listed first, in terms of shaping the future of Project Management?

Well, here’s a hint: the title is “Green Branches Out“, and it mentions “a greater sense of urgency to sustainability efforts”.  Later in the same issue, in an article about China’s adopting and inventing new project managemet practices, “accountability on high” is featured – and in that section, there is mention of “embedding sustainability into project management“.

Everyone agrees, right?

Apparently not.

We direct you to this discussion at LinkedIn’s PMI Credentialed PMPs Group.

Here the entire idea as to whether PM needs to have anything to do with ‘green’ is called into question.  And it is a valid question.  We obviously have our opinion.  But we’d like to have you jump in with yours so that it is a ‘spirited discussion’.

Please, drop into the discussion and let us know whether you see green on the horizon, or if we should see green on the horizon.

Thanks.

PM Network magazine is the monthly publication of the Project Management Institute, or PMI.  Its circulation is somewhere above 320,000 – and rising.

This month, they published their Fourth Annual “Trend Report”.  These trends, says the article, are “forcing companies to look at projects in radical and revolutionary ways”.  In fact, the subtitle of the cover story is, “The trends jolting the new business landscape”.

There are 5 trends identified and two of them fall squarely right here – at the intersection of green and project management.

The trends are:

• The New New World Order
• Practical Innovation
• Truly Sustainable Sustainability
• Complete Connectivity
• Perpetually Lean

Strangely, zebra boots are missing from the list.  But we got your attention, so they served their purpose.

The two trends we’re talking about as being here at EarthPM, you can probably guess, are Truly Sustainable Sustainability and Perpetually Lean.  In fact, these are two major threaded themes of our upcoming book.

In fact, really these two trends summarize EarthPM’s First Assertion: “A project run with green intent is the right thing to do, but it also will help the project team do things right.”

One could also argue that the other three are aspects of green PM, and in fact themes from the areas of the flattened world, innovation in process and product, and improvements in the way project teams can connect also are woven into our book.

So, we feel a sort of affirmation in seeing that our book has, for the lack of other words, a certain trendiness to it.  We’re honest, we don’t mind being a little trendy.

Have a look at the new PM Network magazine, linked here.

Well, we’ve been saying it for months.

And now the Project Management Institute’s  PM Network magazine features it in their January 2010 issue.

Let’s set the stage:

• • • The global  market for environmental products and services will reach US$27.4 trillion (yes that is Trillion, with a T) by 2020 (that’s only 10 years from now, folks).
    • Global companies plan to invest US$500 billion in low carbon projects.
    • 29% of over 1,000 IT decision makers surveyed in September 2009 listed energy-efficient and green IT is their top technical priority in 2010.

And all of that adds up to lots of projects and lots of jobs.  In fact, see the nearly simultaneous posting below, regarding the announcement by US President Obama.

That’s the green wave we’ve been talking about.  And that’s why, wherever you stand on the environmental issues, you need to pay attention to this stuff – it’s going to eventually have an effect on your career path.  So stick with us as we guide you through this intersection of Green and PM.

We suggest you read the article.  If you’re a PMI Member, you can get the article online or via your subscription to PM Network.  If not, we’ll be seeking permission to provide it right here on EarthPM soon.  We’re also seeking interviews with the people featured in the article to get even more insight on this topic, and of course our upcoming book will go very much into detail on the opportunities for project managers as this wave arrives and continues.

In the meantime, as another person with a one-two punch used to say, “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”.