Acknowledging change and acting: The case for project professionals

05/20/25 • 29 min

In this Agile in Action Podcast episode, Professor Adam Boddison, CEO of the Association for Project Management (APM), discusses the evolving role of project professionals in a rapidly changing world. He emphasizes the critical importance of project professionals in delivering societal and organizational change, advocating for their broader recognition beyond technical roles to strategic leadership positions. The conversation touches on the need to redefine success in project management, the challenges posed by global talent shortages, the inclusion of agile methodologies under the project professional umbrella, and the value of stakeholder engagement, continuous learning, and benefit realization. Boddison also makes a case for integrating project management as a core component of leadership training and suggests that roles like Chief Operating Officer may need to evolve into Chief Project or Transformation Officers to better align with today’s change-driven business landscape.

What You Will Learn:

The strategic role of project professionals: Why project professionals are more than just process experts—they are essential to executing organizational strategy and managing change effectively across sectors.
The need to redefine project success: How modern project management requires focus on benefits realization and adaptability, rather than strict adherence to initial plans.
Bridging the project profession and the C-suite: Why project management deserves a seat at the executive table and how roles like COO may need to evolve to reflect a greater emphasis on transformation.
Building project capability and maturity: The importance of upskilling both intentional and “accidental” project professionals and using lessons learned to inform future projects.

Relevant URLs:

Association for Project Management (APM): https://www.apm.org.uk
Agile in Action Podcast: https://agileinaction.com
Adam Boddison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamboddison

What You Will Learn:

The strategic role of project professionals: Why project professionals are more than just process experts—they are essential to executing organizational strategy and managing change effectively across sectors.
The need to redefine project success: How modern project management requires focus on benefits realization and adaptability, rather than strict adherence to initial plans.
Bridging the project profession and the C-suite: Why project management deserves a seat at the executive table and how roles like COO may need to evolve to reflect a greater emphasis on transformation.
Building project capability and maturity: The importance of upskilling both intentional and “accidental” project professionals and using lessons learned to inform future projects.

Relevant URLs:

Association for Project Management (APM): https://www.apm.org.uk
Agile in Action Podcast: https://agileinaction.com
Adam Boddison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamboddison

Previous Episode

AI and Agile in Federally Regulated Robotics Prototyping

🎥 Watch now: https://youtu.be/yBw6bnP8YV0

Today, we are honored to have Captain Jon Haase on the podcast. Captain Jon Haase is a Navy Program Manager at the Navy Expeditionary Missions Program Office (or PMS 408) in NAVSEA and actively promotes AI readiness and innovation within the defense sector.

In this episode, host Bill Raymond and Captain Jon Haase explore integrating AI and Agile methodologies to tackle the unique challenges in highly regulated federal government environments. They share real-world applications, touching on the latest trends in defense robotics and how AI technologies, field testing, and agility improve mission success rates.

In this podcast, you will learn the following: ✅ How AI can enhance operational effectiveness and efficiency ✅ The impact of Agile methodologies in defense robotics projects ✅ Navigating the challenges of working in regulated government environments 🎉 How combining AI and Agile drives innovation in military robotics

Next Episode

Learn Agile and Scrum in Two Hours

"How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. It’s the same thing with projects." — Luke Pivac

In this episode of the Agile in Action Podcast, Bill Raymond chats with Luke Pivac, co-author of Learn Agile and Scrum in Two Hours.

They talk about why Agile is more about mindset than rigid frameworks, the shift from traditional project management to Agile practices, and how teams adapted to remote work during the pandemic. Luke shares his personal journey into Agile, why Scrum works, and how Agile principles help teams stay resilient, especially in uncertain times.

What you will learn: ✅ Why a strong Agile mindset beats just following a framework

✅ How daily standups and retrospectives can transform a team’s dynamics

✅ The difference between Agile and traditional project management (hint: flexibility wins)

✅ How Agile principles help teams adapt during crises (like COVID-19)

✅ How AI can complement Agile practices (but not replace human creativity and problem-solving)

Luke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukepivac

Learn Agile and Scrum in 2 Hours: https://www.amazon.com/Learn-Agile-Scrum-Hours-Beginners/dp/0994169345