Integrating Agile Alliance and Project Management Institute

Early this week, I attended my fourth or fifth session on the topic of integrating the Agile Alliance and the Project Management Institute (PMI). When this news first broke, I wrote a supportive post on LinkedIn titled, "Bridging the Divide: Integrating Agile and Project Management." After reflecting on these recent sessions, it's time to update my thinking.

Bottom line: I remain hopeful about the integration and committed to supporting it however I can. Here are my key takeaways:

1. Executive Commitment as a Success Predictor: A critical predictor of success in this venture is the time commitment from executives of both organizations, coupled with the relevance and depth of their contributions. I applaud all those involved for their dedication. If you haven’t participated in one of these sessions, I highly encourage you to do so. They provide invaluable insights, and I’ve referenced a couple of them for deeper context.
2. Outdated Stories Need Rewriting: Many concerns about cultural and methodological differences are rooted in old stories—partially true 10 or 15 years ago but no longer valid today. We need to actively craft new stories that reflect the realities of today and the opportunities of the next five years.
3. The AI Tsunami: A Unifying Rationale: While integration efforts like this are inherently complex, there’s an overarching rationale driving this one: the AI tsunami bearing down on organizations today. A collaboration between PMI and the Agile Alliance enhances our ability to navigate this transformative wave. Together, we can develop stronger, more adaptive frameworks to support organizations in the AI era.
4. Re-balancing the Performance-People Equation: One of the most persistent old storylines needing reevaluation is the balance between performance and people. In the 1990s, the focus skewed heavily towards performance. In the following decade, narratives began shifting towards people-centric approaches. Moving forward, striking the right balance is critical.

The stakes are high, and while divides exist, I believe both organizations can rally around a common goal: improving customer value delivery, enhancing performance, and deepening people engagement.

Resources:

Agile alliance video with previous Board Chair Brian Button Executive Director Teresa Foster, CAE Board Member Kemmy Raji - PCC, ORSCC current Board Chair Song Bac Toh : https://www.agilealliance.org/resources/videos/town-hall-meeting-agile-alliance-pmi/

PMI Press Release: https://www.pmi.org/about/press-media/2025/agile-alliance-joins-project-management-institute?utm_campaign_channel=b2c&utm_custom_field_five=newsletter&utm_custom_field_four=none&utm_custom_field_one=project_management_institute&utm_custom_field_three=none&utm_custom_field_two=20250129&utm_end_date=12312025&utm_funnel_stage=awareness&utm_job_number=230&utm_marketing_channel=owned_media&utm_marketing_subchannel=social&utm_region_name=na_sa_eu_me_la_in_ch_ap&utm_source=linkedin&utm_start_date=03012023

Agile Alliance Press Release: https://www.agilealliance.org/agile-alliance-joins-project-management-institute-pmi/

Interview with Dave Prior, LAVM, CST, PMP, ACP Chief Experience Officer, The Agile Network and Lenka Pincot PMP, PfMP, PMI-ACP, PMI-PBA Chief of Staff to the PMI CEO: https://theagilenetwork.com/event/abd869ce-15aa-4441-908f-e940bf1d149d/WEBINAR

Interview with Taghi Paksima Founder, The Agile Academy, with Song Bac Toh, Board Chair Agile Alliance and Pierre Le Manh , President and CEO PMI. https://www.dhirubhai.net/events/7288635536137678849/comments/

“What Happened to Agile” with Mike Cohn , Former Agile Alliance Co-Founder and Best Selling Book Author interview with David Pereira . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uncUIwUcwSM.

LinkedIn Post by Scott Ambler , “Agilists and Project Managers: Examining Their Common Misconceptions,” https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/agilists-project-managers-examining-common-scott-ambler-teajc/?trackingId=KhjQN6OcTTq6Dl5O8wd9fg%3D%3D .

My earlier Post: https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7282838565204475904/