PMI Champions Act as Ties That Bind a Community Together WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES OF HYBRID PROJECT MANAGEMENT? Combining agile, iterative, incremental, and traditional project management methods has many advantages. However, it may also have some obstacles. A traditionalist looks into the agile part of a hybrid and claims that things are not going the way they look. An agilist, on the other hand, looks into the traditional part of a hybrid and claims that things are not going the way they look. It is like a melam (or mathalam), a percussion instrument that gets hit on both sides to produce a piece of mesmerizing music. It may create a propinquity effect within the project. The propinquity effect describes people’s proclivity to create friendships or romantic connections with others they frequently encounter, resulting in a link between subject and friend. Similarly, traditionalists like the traditional way of execution since they have executed many projects using the traditional methodology. The same applies to agile enthusiasts. Therefore, stakeholder engagement is a big challenge in the hybrid methodology. Another issue with the hybrid methodology is the planning process, wherein the propinquity effect plays a crucial role. A traditional project can be planned to assume that the scope is fixed. An agile project can be planned to assume that the scope is not fixed. However, the time line and cost are fixed. Keeping these triple constraints at stake is a significant risk in the hybrid methodology. The planner tries to take advantage of both the planning approaches, but often ends up inheriting the disadvantages of both. Customer direction is a priority in a hybrid approach. It is tricky for a vendor to adjust to the customer’s wishes and their own organization’s expectations.Thus, stakeholder engagement is a mammoth task in hybrid projects. WHAT NEW SKILLS DO PROJECT MANAGERS NEED TO ACQUIRE TODAY? Today, we are on the verge of the Fifth Industrial Revolution, with more than 50% of the world connected via the internet, and technology progressing at its most sophisticated phase with artificial intelligence, big data, virtual reality and blockchain technology. Project managers use these technologies for effective project management. Therefore, competent project managers must apply knowledge, skills and personal characteristics to deliver projects successfully and meet stakeholder needs. To do that, apart from the core project management skills, project managers need to have good knowledge and skills in technology as well as domain areas. Project managers must also acquire managerial and leadership skills to manage projects well. Leadership skills include demonstrating commitments, networking with stakeholders, servant leadership, conflict management and problem-solving. They should be adept in handling politics, consultative approaches, and emotional intelligence. In addition, they should trust the team members and provide strategic guidance. AS A PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND PMI CHAMPION, HOW ARE YOU FOSTERING BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES/SKILLS IN YOUR TEAM OR ORGANIZATION? PMI champions work to bind a community together. Being a champion gives us an opportunity to meet new people, build a network and improve our social skills. I am actively spreading awareness among project stakeholders about evolving technologies like blockchain and the metaverse in the industry and related developments. Being in the network has also helped me connect with like-minded experts in different domains.