Are you ready for these 7 project management trends of 2025?

Table of contents

1. Managing fully remote teams
2. Hybrid project management
3. Advanced project management solutions
4. Optimization and productivity through the lens of current trends in project management
5. AI and automation as outstanding trends in project management
6. Project management office changes
7. Emphasis on soft skills and EQ
8. Sustainability spotted as the actual trend in project management
Summary of project management trends for 2025

1. Managing fully remote teams

Working remotely isn't a new trend, but it sure will stay with us for the year 2025—even large teams are lately switching to 100% remote. For management that means additional planning and making sure everyone is in-sync.

How to get ready for teams working remotely

• Use tools created to keep teams in sync. Tools for project management such as Easy Redmine—a top-level solution for remote PM.
• Listen to your team's needs. Ask individuals how they prefer to work, and what works for them and what doesn't.
• Trust your teams, it will motivate them. Don't be a micromanager.

Read more tips if you want to learn more about how to maintain productivity for remote workers.

2. Hybrid project management

We wish there'd be one project management approach that works for all projects and teams, but that's not the case. Finding a single project management approach that works universally is unrealistic. Instead, modern project managers must adopt a hybrid project management style, blending methodologies like Agile for flexibility and Waterfall for structured progression. This approach ensures the right fit for every project by taking into account factors such as workload, project characteristics, and resource availability.

Nowadays, project managers need to be flexible and able to choose the best methodology. To select the right one, they will need to consider the amount of work, characteristics, and resources, while keeping in mind that there's no need to stick to just one method of project management. But as long as the approach works and gives you the right results, it does not matter which one you choose.

How to get ready for a hybrid approach

• Be analytical. Are you sure the project management methodology in use really fits your project?
• Learn about the needs of all team members and flex your agile approach accordingly.
• Be flexible and bold. Adjust your agile approach to fit the needs of all team members.
• Get advice. If you feel you need help, don't be shy and find an experienced mentor who will help you with the tailoring.
• Pass on your agile knowledge to other teams, such as the Ops teams and others, who can learn and benefit from it.
• Always think about successful delivery. That's the main goal, it doesn't matter if you get there using agile, non-agile, or a combination of both.

"In Easy Software, we combine methods, for example, in the development of our website. Since we work with an external software agency that works agile and has the characteristics of a scrum team, but is also constrained by a monthly budget and SLA contract, we have found a way to work with milestones and a schedule, but still respond in an agile way. We set a list of requests every month that have an estimation of working hours, and then at the weekly review, we adjust the plan and priorities based on the deliverables. So ultimately we deliver the most valuable improvements for that month while sticking to the resources."

Jan Pavera, Product Owner, Easy Software

3. Advanced project management solutions

To get a high-performing project you need effective project management tools. The advanced tools like Kanban boards or Gantt charts will help you plan, schedule, communicate, and most importantly, successfully deliver. How exactly will advanced tools affect your project phases?

1. Project planning: Uses data from past projects to improve planning.
2. Scheduling and time tracking: Tracks time spent on tasks, and manages scheduled meetings, deadlines, milestones, and more.
3. Progress tracking: Tracks the progress of projects, and helps you see if you need more resources.
4. Communication and collaboration: This enables you to exchange crucial information with teams, clients, and stakeholders.
5. Budgets and deadlines: Make it easier to deliver within the required budget.

How to get ready for advanced PM solutions

• Get a single tool that brings you all you need for your project management—from efficient project planning, scheduling and time tracking to smooth collaboration and progress tracking. Easy Redmine offers it all.
• Learn as much as possible about your tool to use it to its full potential. With Easy Redmine you can learn all there is to know via our Training center.

4. Optimization and productivity through the lens of current trends in project management

The time for smaller effective teams has come. Teams that had 20 people are now going to be just teams of 8. And so, project managers need to learn to shift from coordinating large groups to managing smaller teams and using their time efficiently. But don't worry! It shouldn't mean that everyone will be working more, it's about making the most of every single step while using tools that help you do it.

Enter ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude or Gemini, an AI-driven platform that's reshaping the way we work. With its ability to understand and generate human-like text, the mentioned tools can serve as an invaluable assistant to project managers and teams alike.

Whether it's drafting emails, generating reports, or coming up with creative solutions to problems, AI can help reduce the workload on your team, allowing them to focus on tasks that require human intuition and creativity.

How to get ready for optimization and boost productivity

• Get rid of team distractions. Ask yourself, are all the scheduled meetings really needed? If so, think about making them shorter and more efficient so the teams can focus on their tasks.
• Think about team dynamics. How well do your team members work together? Strive for a small, high-performing team.
• Work with smart project management tools that will help you be more efficient.
• Question yourself whether there is any possibility of using AI that would be relevant for your use case.

"At Easy Software, to improve the effectiveness of regular meetings, we hold workshops where the whole team clarifies the purpose of the meeting, what they want to take away from it and how to get there. For example, we cut down the sprint review from over 45 minutes to 30 because we collectively realized that we were just gathering feedback here and that this was not a space where we were looking for solutions. I recommend doing this meeting review regularly in every company to, for example, identify which meetings are no longer delivering value and are just taking time, or to make each team member aware of why they are spending time somewhere."

Anita Bubeníčková, Agile Master, Easy Software

5. AI and automation as outstanding trends in project management

Processes of many different industries are already automated—now AI is slowly but surely going to help project managers as well. The goal is to use these technologies to save time, be more efficient and make better decisions. What will AI and automation help us with?

1. Task automation: Certain tasks like data entry and analysis will be done by AI to save you time.
2. Resource allocation: AI can optimize the allocation of resources to help you complete projects effectively and on time.
3. Predictive analytics: AI will analyze data and predict the risks and challenges of projects.
4. Decision-making support: By analyzing data and giving recommendations, AI can help project managers make decisions.

How to get ready for AI and the era of automation

• Give technology a chance and don't be afraid to experiment with it.
• Invest in developing skills that AI is lacking, such as leadership, emotional intelligence, personal communication (conflict resolution, consensus building, and persuasion), and creative problem-solving.
• Learn to use scheduling or data visualization automation to perform complicated tasks.

6. Project management office changes

As tools are getting smarter and automation is at work, the project management office might go through some changes. Many organizations are now adopting agile methods and PMOs have to support and facilitate them. Some of the predictions mention the PMO will shift away from defining teams and resources and will need to focus on more strategic planning.

It seems they will have to start focusing more on the "how" questions, such as: how to optimize processes, how to launch a new project on time, etc.

How to get ready for changes in the project management office

• Ask yourself how you can optimize your team's processes. Learn about your organization's weak areas and work to improve them.
• Why not be one step ahead and start operating strategically within the PMO already?

"Thanks to the transparent tracking of projects, the set structure and processes, and the unified reporting directly in Easy Project, we don't waste time in Project Office meetings with unnecessary and long status updates and we can spend the saved time mainly on projects that are not running according to plan. We can look at them strategically and optimize their progress so that we can successfully manage them. And on projects that are running according to plan, we celebrate even more for their completion."

Jan Řeřicha, Head of PMO, Easy Software

7. Emphasis on soft skills and EQ

As AI and automation now take care of the "technical" bit, emotionally intelligent project managers will be valued more than ever. Conflict resolution, influencing team members, effective communication, leadership, and coordination processes with stakeholders – there are many things AI can't do and these will be highly important in the upcoming years. That's why it is important to work on and develop your soft skills.

How to improve EQ and soft skills

• Always make time to invest in relationships. Let your team know you value their work and their opinions.
• Be observant, listen to others, and if you see there's a conflict, talk about it instead of overlooking it.
• Work on your communication and empathy skills.

8. Sustainability spotted as the actual trend in project management

In 2025, sustainability has transformed from a concept to a core strategic imperative in project management. Project teams are now integrating green practices as a fundamental approach, not just an optional enhancement.

Managers are proactively embedding eco-friendly strategies like carbon tracking, resource optimization, and waste reduction directly into project lifecycles. This shift reflects a broader recognition that sustainable practices aren't just environmentally responsible, but also drive operational efficiency, enhance stakeholder value, and position organizations as socially conscious innovators in an increasingly environmentally aware marketplace.

How can sustainability be integrated into project management

• Sustainable methodologies: Utilize project management methodologies like PRINCE2 or PRiSM that support sustainability goals and take into consideration environmental, social, and economic sustainability throughout the project lifecycle.
• Stakeholder engagement: Mobilize stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle by conducting comprehensive sustainability analyses, developing next steps, and establishing ongoing communication channels.
• Create a sustainability management plan: Develop a sustainability management plan (SMP) that outlines strategies, targets, and actions to meet defined sustainability goals, addressing environmental and social impacts, setting measurable objectives, and detailing approaches for managing sustainability risks and opportunities.

Summary of project management trends for 2025

As you can see, technologies are making many changes to project management. Traditional approaches are no longer the most effective and automation is becoming a daily part of our workdays. If we strive to reach success we first need to adapt.

Project management in 2025 will focus on managing remote teams, hybrid methodologies, sustainability goals integrated into the product life cycle, and AI-powered automation for optimisation. As AI like Easy AI handles technical tasks, soft skills like leadership and communication will become crucial for success.

Experience the benefits of Easy Redmine project management! Try Easy Redmine demo!