Why future Project Managers need Praxis - execution, strategy and everything in between
- Business and management
When it comes to the world of project management, there is particular tribalism. On one hand, traditionalists favour PRINCE2, treating predictive planning as an unbreakable doctrine. On the other, Agile loyalists treat adaptive iteration as the only option.
This debate becomes so exhausting and can even be fundamentally dangerous for organisations. As organisations grapple with an ever-changing environment and complex technological shifts, the real question is not whether predictive or adaptive approaches are superior. The critical issue is whether a business can survive by sticking to only one practice while lacking a methodological toolbox. The obvious answer, probably not…
The current landscape of the business leader toolbox
Predictive project management thrives on stability. It assumes that scope can be locked down upfront, allowing managers to accurately estimate cost and timelines.
Conversely, adaptive management accepts that knowledge is incomplete from inception. It embraces changing requirements; breaking work into short iterations, and delivering value incrementally based on continuous feedback (Silvius-Zuchi & Silvius, 2026).
Problem-solving for real-life problems
Predictive manages change by trying to prevent it, while adaptive manages change by harnessing it. Relying exclusively on either approach in today’s market is a recipe for disaster.
Nowhere is this dual reality more evident than in large, complex media organisations like BBC. In its corporate operations, department’s handling finance, legal compliance, and physical broadcasting infrastructure operate hierarchically. In these domains, strict predictive governance akin to PRINCE2 is essential. Budgets are locked, regulatory compliance is non-negotiable, and processes are tightly controlled. However, if you cross the building into Digital Media and iPlayer divisions, that tight control would be fatal. User behaviours shift almost overnight, streaming disrupts scheduled television, and the phenomenon of binge-watching rewrites traditional release strategies (Ofcom, 2023). To keep pace with this relentless technology revolution, these digital teams must operate adaptively, using iterative cycles to deploy features rapidly and respond to live audience analytics.
If the BBC forced a single methodology across the entire enterprise, either digital innovation would suffocate or corporate governance would be completely bankrupt. It survives by maintaining what organisational theorists call an “ambidextrous organisation”, exploiting the stability of predictive methods while exploiting the frontier with adaptive practices (O’Reilly & Tushman, 2022).
The catastrophic opening of Heathrow Terminal 5 in 2008 remains the ultimate cautionary tale of what happens when an organisation lacks this toolbox. The physical construction of the terminal was a triumph of predictive project management, delivered on time and within budget through rigorous, contract-driven governance. However, management mistakenly applied that same predictive playbook to the operational integration – think IT systems, baggage handling, parking and staff training. These elements were highly complex and uncertain, desperately requiring an adaptive, iterative testing approach. By failing to switch tools, the project descended into a public relations nightmare, with cancelled flights and over 28,000 lost bags (Brady & Davies, 2010). They possessed the predictive tool, but lacked the vision and adaptive approach, leading to the failure of an otherwise successful construction effort. This reality requires a shift in how we train future project leaders. The market does not need more practitioners who blindly follow a manual. It needs professionals equipped with a versatile toolbox and the strategic judgement to know which tool to deploy and when. It needs professionals who understand various project approaches and can recognise that they are just execution tools. The real solution is knowing how to strategically select, align, and govern these tools to deliver organisational benefits.
This is precisely where the PRAXIS framework completely changed the game. PRAXIS is not a predictive, adaptive, or hybrid execution methodology. It does not compete with PRINCE2 or AGILE. It is fundamentally about strategic alignment, defining organisational goals, and ensuring benefit realisation (PRAXIS Framework, 2024). PRINCE2 tells you how to document stage plan, while PRAXIS provides the scaffolding to determine if that project should even be funded in the first place, and whether a predictive or adaptive approach is appropriate. It builds the leadership competency required to integrate diverse execution methods into a cohesive strategic portfolio.
Building tomorrow’s leaders
At Kingston University, our new MSc Project Management is engineered to build exact capability. We approach project leadership not as an administrative task of managing paperwork, but as a complex strategic discipline. Students are immersed in complex, high-stakes scenarios where you must exercise strategic judgement. You’ll decide when to enforce strict predictive governance to protect an organisation’s bottom line, and when to pivot to an adaptive mindset to foster innovation. As part of this degree, you will learn to merge those methods with the dynamic capabilities of modern project approaches, ensuring you can deliver value even in the face of permanent uncertainty.
The future of work belongs to versatile leaders more than to methodological purists. The era of permanent uncertainty and the project economy demands professionals who can read the room, select the right approach, and drive strategic outcomes regardless of the chaos.
Step away from the dogma, build your toolbox, and prepare to lead future projects that will define the next decade.
Discover more about the MSc Project Management with Kingston University here.
References:
Brady, T., & Davies, A. (2010). From hero to hubris–Reconsidering the project management of Heathrow’s Terminal 5. International Journal of Project Management, 28(2), 151-157.
Silvius-Zuchi, D., & Silvius, G. (2026). Designing a fitting hybrid project management approach: a contingency perspective. International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management, 14(1), 4.
Ofcom. (2023). Media Nations: UK 2023 Report. Ofcom.org. Available at: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/cy/media-use-and-attitudes/media-habits-adults/media-nations-2023-latest-uk-viewing-and-listening-trends-revealed. (Accessed 21 June 2026).
O’Reilly, C. A., & Tushman, M. L. (2022). Lead and Disrupt: How to Solve the Innovator's Dilemma (2nd ed.). Stanford University Press.
Praxis Framework. (2024). Praxis Framework: Core Guide for the Project, Programme and Portfolio Profession (6th ed.). Praxisframework.org. Available at: https://www.praxisframework.org/. (Accessed 23 June 2026).
