The Savvy Pm Blog

The PMI Talent Triangle is Changing

Serena Bogert

May 19, 2022

The PMI Talent Triangle® is Changing.. but only slightly

First, I think it is most important that we address the biggest question from this announcement:

How does this change impact me as a PMI certification holder?

The good news is that it doesn’t. PMI specifically states, “There is no action required for you. This will not impact the number of PDUs you have earned nor how many you need to earn in each category, but solely the names of the categories. You will not lose any PDUs and the PDU requirements remain the same.”

Whew! Feel a little better? Us too! So now, let’s take a closer look at the changes.

As project management continues to evolve, so does PMI. The PMI Talent Triangle® was first introduced in December 2015 to represent the ideal sets of skills project professionals should focus on to remain successful and relevant. By now, you should be pretty familiar with the 3 categories. In case you’d like a refresher, you can listen to our podcast episode (#6) that covers the original sides of the Talent Triangle, and why it is so important. (And yes, you can actually earn PDUs for listening!)

The project management industry has changed a lot since 2015, so a change to the names of these categories is not so unexpected. Although PMI still recognizes 3 main categories, or skills, for PMs to best navigate the evolving profession, these 3 new category names reflect skill sets “inclusive of different disciplines and practices, as well as other in-demand skills.”

With the new PMI Talent Triangle®:

Technical Project Management will be replaced with “Ways of Working”
Strategic and Business Management will be replaced with “Business Acumen”
Leadership will be replaced with “Power Skills”

The PMI Talent Triangle is Changing Category Names

Technical Project Management PDUs have always been knowledge, skills, and behaviors related to domain expertise, and you’d need to find education that best aligned with your specific certification. “Ways of working” simply means “learning different ways to get the job done.” PMI encourages you to learn many project management approaches and practices, so you can “apply the right technique at the right time, delivering winning results.”

Your takeaway: All your past Technical PDUs still fall under this category and will now map to Ways of Working PDUs. You still need 8 hours of education in this category every PDU cycle. You are encouraged to expand your knowledge of PM practices, so take that new Agile course or learn how to negotiate more effectively with your customer or sponsor.

Strategic & Business Management PDUs have been categorized as all business oriented skills, so it’s not a big change to “Business Acumen.” PMI advises professionals to learn the influences across an organization and industry to “cultivate effective decision-making and [better] understand how their projects align with the big picture of broader organizational strategy and global trends.”

Your takeaway: All your past Strategic & Business Management PDUs still fall under this category and will now map to Business Acumen PDUs. You still need 8 hours of education in this category every PDU cycle.

Leadership PDUs included training on the competencies to guide and motivate others to help an organization achieve its business goals. Leadership is a broad term, and PMI’s name change to “Power Skills” encompasses various interpersonal skills used to “influence a variety of stakeholders – a critical component for making change happen.”

Your Takeaway: All your past Leadership PDUs still fall under this category and will now map to Power Skills PDUs. You still need 8 hours of education in this category every PDU cycle.

Recommended Education: Quiet Influence: A New Wave of Leadership or Stakeholder Analysis.

Hopefully, we’ve clarified the upcoming changes and removed any concern you may have had. Your next question might be, when does this change take place? PMI says they are making the change in phases throughout the remainder of the year (2022). We already see changes on their website and will continue to monitor them for you.

For now, just knowing the new category names will be helpful. You may see “Leadership” and “Power Skills” used interchangeably, or “Ways of Working (formerly Technical Project Management).” We’ll also be updating our website and resources accordingly. You can search our list of over 70 online courses and 150 Podcast episodes by PMI Talent Triangle category. We even have online course bundles that package 8 PDUs from each of the 3 categories into one purchase satisfying the educational PDU requirements. All of our online course and instructor-led course certificates of completion have the category breakdown provided for you, making the process of claiming your PDUs easier than ever.

Here are some great resources you may find helpful:

If you have any questions at all, we’re here to help!

Chat with us directly on our website, send us an email at info@velociteach.com or give us a call at 770.424.3535.