9 Major Project Management Trends in 2026

Key takeaways

• Project management trends for 2026 include the use of generative AI and automation, the rise of remote and hybrid work, and the growing importance of tech skills.

• Some of the other latest trends in project management include emphasis on emotional intelligence, sustainability, and effective change and resource management.

• Future trends in project management will include the use of more AI, machine learning, big data analytics, and Internet of Things technologies.

Trends in project management are mathematical patterns in past performance data that help project managers forecast future results and make proactive decisions. Explore some of the major trends affecting project management in 2026.

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What are trends in project management?

Before breaking down the trends in project management below, it’s worth highlighting the difference between trends in project management and industry trends in project management. A project management industry trend involves a consistent change or new pattern in the way projects are planned, carried out, and completed. This usually shows the direction the industry is going in the future and is frequently influenced by shifts in organizational behavior, business needs, or technology.

On the other hand, a trend in project management is a mathematical method that predicts future results and promotes proactive decision-making. It relies on past performance data, including schedule, cost, and quality metrics, to assist project managers in seeing patterns, foreseeing risks, and modifying plans to improve project success.

What are the future trends in project management?

Research predicts that technologies like AI and machine learning, big data analytics, and the Internet of Things (IoT) will shape the future of project management [6]. Other likely trends include project managers adopting progressively more blended methodologies, developing their skills across digital tools, and continuing to adapt to more hybrid work settings.

As teams become more distributed globally, the significance of emotional intelligence and communication is also growing. Additionally, cybersecurity awareness and data-driven decision-making will remain essential. Since roles are changing rapidly, project managers who flourish in this new, more fluid environment will be characterized by their technical fluency and commitment to lifelong learning.

What are the latest trends in project management? 9 project management trends to consider in 2026

The work world is transforming faster than ever, and project management is evolving alongside it. Here are nine major trends that are set to shape the field this year:

1. The influence of generative AI will grow.

Generative AI (GenAI), such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini, is quickly transforming how professionals across every kind of industry complete their work. And there's a good reason why both employers and employees are keen to use the novel technology in the workplace: research from the Project Management Institute (PMI) shows that 54 percent of respondents use GenAI in 16 to 50 percent of projects, and 20 percent use it in more than half, indicating a widespread adoption across industries and highlighting how strategic integration of AI is helping enhance project delivery speed, maintain budgetary discipline, and elevate overall quality standards [1].

These benefits have driven increased adoption of GenAI, especially in project management. Project managers looking to keep up with these transformations would be wise to build their GenAI skills.

• Get started with DeepLearning.AI's Generative AI for Everyone, where you'll have the opportunity to learn how to think through the lifecycle of a generative AI project, from conception to launch, including how to build effective prompts.

Read more: How Using AI in Project Management Transforms Every Phase

2. More project management tasks will be automated.

As AI technologies are increasingly integrated into existing platforms and workstreams, project managers can expect more of their daily tasks to become automated. ​According to McKinsey’s 2025 State of AI report, 21 percent of organizations using GenAI have significantly redesigned their workflows [2].

Project managers shouldn't fear being replaced. Asana’s 2025 research found that AI adopters are 120 percent more likely to have freed up time for strategic work as AI reduces the need for productivity-draining routine tasks [3]. AI stands to improve project managers' efficiency, automating mundane tasks so project management professionals have more time to focus on high-level concerns critical to a project's overall success.

• Gain an immersive understanding of the practices and skills needed to succeed in an entry-level project management role with the Google Project Management Professional Certificate.

3. Remote and hybrid work will hold steady.

Remote and hybrid work have become common work styles, and that's unlikely to change as more employees come to expect them as the norm. This change means that organizations must pivot how they manage employees and projects. According to Gallup, 33 percent of surveyed employees in remote-capable jobs preferred to work fully remote, while 61 percent preferred a hybrid work setup [4].

Project managers wanting to ensure their place in a shifting landscape should work to build the skills critical to maneuvering hybrid approaches and managing remote teams, such as communication, emotional intelligence, and mastering collaborative tools that make asynchronous work possible.

• Learn to apply communication principles and techniques for in-person and virtual teams from the University of Toronto.

4. Tech skills will be more important than ever.

The transformation that many organizations and workflows are undergoing as AI and hybrid work become normalized means that digital skills will be more important than ever. The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, for example, notes an 87 percent increase in the demand for AI and big data skills from 2025 through 2030, along with a 68 percent increase in demand for technological literacy in addition to increased demand for high-impact job skills like creative thinking, analytical thinking, and lifelong learning [5].

Project managers hoping to achieve the project success that employers want to capture might consider building the technical skills required to manage these new, digital technologies. Top areas to consider include AI, cloud computing, and cybersecurity.

• Discover how to create a basic infrastructure in Google Cloud with the Google Cloud Fundamentals: Core Infrastructure course.

5. Emotional intelligence will become much more important.

As companies invest in new technologies, the need for employees with excellent interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence grows stronger. A late 2024 survey from Capterra revealed that 85 percent of project managers have increased their use of emotional intelligence over the past two years in recognition of these skills’ growing importance in the face of emerging technologies and the increasing prevalence of remote and hybrid work arrangements [7]. These findings align with what the World Economic Forum highlights in its Future of Jobs Report 2025, particularly the increased demand for creative and analytical thinking among employers [5].

Project professionals looking to prepare for this future might consider honing the in-demand interpersonal and social skills required to ensure positive project outcomes within technologically advanced remote and hybrid work environments.

• Learn how to become more emotionally attuned and professional at work with the University of Michigan's Emotional Intelligence: Cultivating Immensely Human Interactions course.

6. The environmental and social impact of projects will be more important than ever.

Organizations' impact on the environment and society is something both consumers and regulators care more about these days. According to Statista, over 60 percent of millennials and 58 percent of Gen Z consumers in the US preferred to buy from sustainable and ethical brands in 2025 [8].

Governments worldwide have also taken a similar interest in organizations' environmental and societal impacts. In the summer of 2023, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) outlined its 2024 to 2027 National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives, which focused on mitigating climate change and pollution by enforcing new standards on organizations to protect communities around the country [9]. These changes represent a movement toward environmental sustainability that will likely only get stricter in the coming years as nations seek to hit lofty carbon-neutrality goals fast.

Project managers should expect to center sustainability practices in the coming years to help organizations tap into the coveted eco-conscious market and ensure they meet regulatory demands.

• Discover the importance of sustainability with the University of Illinois' Introduction to Sustainability course.

7. More focus will be paid to change management.

If there's one word that sums up what employers and employees can expect from 2026 and beyond, it's “change.” New technology, work environments, and regulations mean changing to new systems, processes, and legal structures that organizations must effectively integrate into their day-to-day operations to thrive in the marketplace.

Project managers should expect organizations to place greater emphasis on change management methodologies over the next year (and probably several more). According to research from Eagle Hill Consulting, the top changes that improved US organizations in 2025 include [10]:

• Major new product or service launches (69 percent)

• Technology change (66 percent)

• Artificial intelligence (59 percent)

• Process change (48 percent)

• Reorganization (40 percent)

Project and change managers should also consider these concerns as they think about their career trajectory. Building leadership skills for change management may set some professionals up for success later on.

• Learn how to design successful change initiatives by adopting a balanced and reflective change mindset with Macquarie University's Leading transformations: Manage change course.

8. Organizations will prioritize resource management to stay efficient.

Many organizations may prioritize resource management to keep costs down and optimize profits. In fact, many organizations are poised to increase investment in resource management solutions in the near future. Research and Markets, for instance, projects that the market size for enterprise resource planning in North America will likely reach $35.01 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 9.51 percent throughout the 2025 to 2030 forecast period [11].

Inevitably, project and resource managers will play a central role in organization-wide efforts to optimize resource efficiency. Professionals with an eye toward the future might consider enhancing their skills with generative AI for project planning, resource allocation, organizing project teams, and managing project costs.

• Learn how to estimate the quantities and costs of resources needed for project activities with the University of California, Irvine's Budgeting and Scheduling Projects course.

9. Cybersecurity will be more vital than ever.

Cloud-based platforms enable teams to work collaboratively worldwide, effectively ensuring remote and hybrid project management is actually possible. That's a huge plus for organizations as they change their work style. But it also means they're potentially exposed to various cybersecurity threats, such as malware, phishing scams, and injection attacks, that put their data and finances at risk. Organizations will consider cybersecurity a top priority as they undergo this new wave of digital transformations. Project professionals interested in standing out from the crowd might consider deepening their knowledge of frameworks, protocols, and architecture.

• Understand the importance of cybersecurity practices and their impact on organizations with the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate.

Discover resources that support ongoing development

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• Find your career track: Project Management Career Paths: Explore Roles & Specializations

• Watch on YouTube: How to Become a Project Manager

• Learn key terminology: Project Management Terms and Definitions

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