Ambar was the most diligent project manager at an IT consultancy… until her company deployed an AI-led approach to project management.
No, her role wasn’t obsolete. Instead, it now demanded she become a sharp project partner to clients while outsourcing repetitive, data-specific tasks to her suite of AI tools.
Winning, right? While this kind of change may be for the better, project managers everywhere are now dealing with the shift by doubling up on skills.
CX: The new skills frontier for project managers
As AI and automation-led tools evolve to manage a a significant percentage of regular project management tasks, the mandate of project managers shifts to managing the customer experience (CX). Here’s why: While project planning, progress reports, task follow-ups, and impact projections can be managed by AI, these aren’t always enough to drive confidence and success in a fast-changing business environment.
For instance, a well-planned digital transformation project can fail if it coincides with a disruptive new tech launch in the market. However, if a project manager identifies the issue in time, they can use the insight to fast-track the project or alter the course of the project to leverage the new tech launch and unlock greater impact.
Most common CX mistakes and how to avoid them
As it stands, evolving into such a CX-focused project manager isn’t simply a matter of personality chance. Instead, this kind of growth requires intentional professional and personal development. To start with, consider the following mistakes and how to avoid them:
#1: Speaking technical gibberish
As a project manager, your clients expect you to be an expert. But do you have to overwhelm them by offering constant proof of your expertise in every email and interaction? Definitely not. When you only speak about project technicalities, your clients don’t have the chance to get comfortably human. Make a conscious effort to communicate in a manner that encourages clients to connect through human experience and trust your emotional intelligence.
#2: Not pointing out dependencies
In an ideal world, every project rolls out as per the original plan. But let’s be real. As a project manager, you have the opportunity to be human — take it! Don’t let all the pressure to make superhuman commitments get to you. When evaluating AI-generated project plans, add in those tiny but clear notes about dependencies, delays, and alternate possibilities. Clients will appreciate the real, human value you bring to the table.
#3: Playing by the book
At the end of the day, every project serves as a milestone toward a larger business goal. Yet, most project managers get so caught up in project KPIs and processes that they lose sight of the bigger picture. This is where project managers need to make a distinct effort to (1) frequently remind clients how the project progress is impacting other areas of their business and operations, (2) consider opportunities for cross-collaboration with other teams, and (3) find ways to amplify the potential value of the project post-completion.
#4: Talking only data
Data is a business imperative. But as AI and automation tools take over data-led reports and presentations, it’s important that project managers meet evolving client expectations – offering expert context to the data and bringing the larger, industry-level narrative in focus. Beyond reporting results, project managers need to help guide clients toward the priority follow-up actions needed for driving impact.
#5: Not identifying emerging opportunities/threats
The most common mistake out there is cocooning your project from real-time, external updates. As a value-driven project manager, look out for emerging opportunities and threats arising from competitors, climate change, political events, and tech releases; even if you choose to leverage an AI-led warning system, clients will appreciate your acumen in bringing only what’s relevant to the discussion table. And at that, with the right accompanying action notes.
Building a CX focus and top challenges
As it stands, evolving into a such project manager isn’t exactly a matter of chance. It demands development of deep, authentic relationships with clients and their stakeholders. Empathizing with their challenges beyond the project ask can be a handy skill. Apart from enhancing their CX, empathy and deeper relationships can also allow project managers to:
- See project blind spots
- Foresee unidentified risks and threats to project success
- Understand macro headwinds impacting the project
Forging such connections with clients isn’t always easy. Despite the right intention, most project managers fall short of building a genuine connection; blame it on pressing project timelines, agenda-specific client interaction opportunities, and managing multiple stakeholders, especially vendors and gig workers.
And that isn’t all!
Even for projects managers who succeed at building strong client relationships, understanding client feedback can be complex. Challenges may arise due to the nature of communication channels, individual communication styles, survey formats and design, and the tools used to analyze feedback.
Transforming your CX
The many challenges related to the shift from data-delivery expert to project partner is precisely why some of the most emotionally intelligent project managers are investing in end-to-end customer experience management platforms like SogoCX. CX platforms can help you monitor customer sentiment throughout the project lifestyle, addressing concerns well before they escalate into CX threats.
Again, humans are a critical part of project management, but you don’t have do go it alone! A comprehensive CX management platform can help project managers to:
- Automate well-designed surveys for continuous engagement
- Get to know the Voice of Customer by going beyond qualitative metrics
- Uncover insights into top friction and success areas for your customers
In short, automating customer experience management can help you to learn from your clients in real time so that you can meet and exceed their expectations, avoid any disruptions, and build stronger relationships. Go beyond managing AI and automation-led project implementation for your clients. Emerge as a project partner and business consultant that clients trust and value for your empathy, intuition, and expertise.
Want to build project lifecycle value and boost customer loyalty? Connect with our team today to learn how end-to-end CX management can transform the value you bring to project management.
