Français (France) 
Finnish (FI) 
English (United Kingdom) 
Project management methodologies are often associated with processes, templates, and role charts. But PM² has a fifth element that holds everything together: Mindsets. They are the soul of the methodology — the part you cannot put in a flowchart.
Why Processes Are Not Enough?
Applying a project management methodology does not simply mean following procedures, using tools and techniques, or filling in templates. When a methodology becomes nothing more than a layer of bureaucracy, it produces the exact opposite of the intended effect.
Effective project management extends beyond methods and tools towards supporting culture, structures and effective teams.
This is precisely where the PM² Mindsets come in. They provide a compass for adapting attitudes and behaviours to the situation at hand.
What Are the Mindsets?
The PM² Mindsets are the soul or 'glue' of the Methodology holding together the four pillars: Governance, Lifecycle, Processes, and Artefacts. Mindsets distinguish excellent projects from ordinary ones..
The Mindsets help project teams view management priorities in a wider context. By providing a common set of beliefs and values for team members, they remind us of successful attitudes and behaviours.
A Guiding Compass
Mindsets are not — and cannot be — as prescriptive as processes. Their role is to provide a behavioural compass that helps make difficult decisions in complex situations. There are already plenty of PM tools and techniques; the Mindsets help with often contradictory situations.
– PM² Alliance
Support for Tailoring
PM² acknowledges that one size never fits all. Tailoring guidelines help adapt the methodology's processes and documentation, but they cannot help adapt attitudes, behaviours, and actions so that teams remain productive.
The Mindsets bridge this gap. They provide a common-sense approach, help align judgement, interpret situations correctly, and choose the right behaviours and actions.
An Example: The Methodology Serves the Project
One of PM²'s key Mindsets states: "Remain mindful that the methodologies are there to serve projects and not the other way around."
It is easy to get lost in the daily project management routines, focusing on doing things right instead of checking whether the team is also doing the right things, at the right time, to the right extent, and with the right level of rigour.
Mindsets in EU-Funded Projects
In EU-funded projects — whether under ERDF, ESF+, or the Just Transition Fund (JTF) — project managers constantly face situations where no process description provides a direct answer: an unexpected audit request from a regional authority, stakeholders interpreting the project plan differently, or a team worn down by heavy reporting obligations.
The PM² Mindsets help keep focus on the project's benefits under administrative pressure.
Mindsets and Effective Teamwork
The PM² Mindsets can also serve as the starting point for a Project Team Charter — agreed team behaviours. Such a charter reminds team members of mutual commitments, and provides a basis for addressing unproductive behaviours.
PM²'s Five Elements
| Element | What It Covers? |
|---|---|
| Governance | Roles and responsibilities |
| Lifecycle | Project phases from initiation to closure |
| Processes | Project management activities |
| Artefacts | Project templates and guidelines |
| Mindsets | Attitudes and behaviours — the 'glue' of the methodology |
This article is part of a series exploring the core elements of the PM² methodology in a practical way.
- Pillar 1 – Governance
- Pillar 2 – Lifecycle
- Pillar 3 – Processes
- Pillar 4 – Artefacts
- This article: PM² Mindsets — The 'Glue' That Holds It All Together
Join the PM² Finland community
LinkedIn group · events · trainings · regional updates · pm2alliance.eu