In the project management sector, there is a lot of talk about tools and methods, but less about how professionals at different stages of their careers interact with one another. IPMA Young Crew Finland went to Projektipäivät to talk to project professionals and realised just how important intergenerational dialogue is in day-to-day project work.
Text by Tero Mäkilä
Every year, Project Days brings together experts from the project management field – people whose diverse experiences and perspectives form the true capital of this community. This year, we at IPMA Young Crew Finland wanted to look at the event from a slightly different angle. We didn’t just follow the programme; we joined in the discussions ourselves. Armed with a camera, questions and, above all, genuine curiosity.
A space for genuine discussion
Our aim was clear: to create a space where professionals at different stages of their careers could discuss the realities of project work without any role-related expectations or assumptions. We wanted to hear how experienced project managers look back on their careers and what thoughts today’s project world evokes in them.
The essence of project work remains the same
One thing quickly became clear to us during our discussions: the true essence of project work has not changed, even though the tools and trends do. Whether we were talking to people at the start of their careers or those with decades of experience, the same themes came up time and time again. Ultimately, what matters in project work is not a perfect plan or a flawless process, but how we deal with uncertainty and how we build trust around us.
Ultimately, it all comes down to how people interact with one another. It is not about who knows the most methods, but about who dares to listen, ask questions, offer support and admit that they do not know everything. In these discussions, project management emerged less as a technical skill and more as an ongoing exercise in being human alongside other people in situations that rarely unfold in a straightforward manner.
When different perspectives come together, insights emerge
This dialogue was not about ‘young people’ and ‘experienced people’ as separate groups, but rather about two perspectives that complemented one another. Experience provided perspective: an understanding of how projects actually unfold over time and in the face of change. A newer perspective brought freshness, challenges and questions that are just as much needed in management teams as in project teams.
When these two come together, something is created that no single workshop or model can offer on its own: a culture of continuous learning that arises from parallel thinking, rather than from opposition.
For us at Young Crew Finland, this interview project was much more than just a video production. It was an opportunity to take a step back and look at the project sector, to see just how much wisdom there is to be shared and how interaction between different generations can open up entirely new perspectives. When we switched off the cameras after the final interview, our team was left with a strong sense that this kind of dialogue is vital to the project sector, and that it shouldn’t just take place once a year as part of an event.
If we want the project sector to develop, we must continue this discussion where projects are born: within teams, at meetings and in day-to-day management. Different generations have different experiences, but they share a common goal. That is precisely what makes interaction the most valuable resource of all.
