Scott M. Graffius' Research on the Half-Life of Social Media was Cited in a Peer-Reviewed Study Published in Telecommunications Policy, a Leading Academic Journal

This publication is organized into the following parts:
- Main Article
- Bibliography
- About Scott M. Graffius
- List of Additional Articles, How to Cite This Article, DOI, Content Acknowledgements, Tags & Hashtags, Post-Publication Notes, Copyright
Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Networks
Scott M. Graffius Graffius is an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—presents a meticulous quantitative evaluation of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine average (mean) half-life with precision.
It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Cited by leading entities—such as Fast Company, GoDaddy, Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Ministère de la Culture (French Ministry of Culture), Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others—his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
A visual from the now-current (2025) edition is shown below and details are available here.

A Leading Academic Journal Cited Scott M. Graffius' Research
Telecommunications Policy—the international journal of digital economy, data sciences, and new media—was added to the list of organizations featuring and relying upon Graffius' research.
The following information on the journal is from https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/telecommunications-policy: "Telecommunications Policy is concerned with the impact of digitalization in the economy and society. The journal is multidisciplinary, encompassing conceptual, theoretical and empirical studies, quantitative as well as qualitative. The scope includes policy, regulation, and governance; big data, artificial intelligence and data science; new and traditional sectors encompassing new media and the platform economy; management, entrepreneurship, innovation and use. Contributions may explore these topics at national, regional and international levels, including issues confronting both developed and developing countries. The papers accepted by the journal meet high standards of analytical rigor and policy relevance."
Excerpts from the respective Telecommunications Policy paper appear in the visual below.

Conclusion
The "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research by Scott M. Graffius provides a framework for understanding temporal patterns, offering actionable insights for academics, marketers, and other audiences. By quantifying the half-life of engagement (such as likes, shares, and comments) of posts, the research helps professionals optimize content strategy including the timing and frequency of posts. Its citation in a peer-reviewed journal demonstrates that these principles are not only relevant to social media practitioners but also to the academic community, where dissemination and visibility of research are critical. This recognition reflects the broader applicability of social media analytics in enhancing the visibility, influence, and adoption of research across diverse professional domains.
Bibliography
This is the select bibliography. It lists the two publications referenced in this article.
Graffius, S. M. (2025, January 6). Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts: Update for 2025. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/lifespan-halflife-of-social-media-posts-update-for-2025.html
Groesch, S., Birrer, A., Just, N., & Saurwein, F. (2026, January). Big data, small answers: How the DSA Transparency Database falls short of its regulatory objectives. Telecommunications Policy, 50(1), Article 103088. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103088

About Scott M. Graffius

Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.
He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 96 conferences and other events across 25 countries.
He’s delivered over $2.3 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.
The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. Graffius has conducted 96 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- MSN,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development."
The 2026 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities—such as Fast Company, GoDaddy, Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Ministère de la Culture (French Ministry of Culture), Pinterest Inc., PNAS, and Telecommunications Policy, among others—his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Discover Scott’s Books
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions — Deliver Products in Short Cycles with Rapid Adaptation to Change, Fast Time-to-Market, and Continuous Improvement
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum
Connect with and follow Scott on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and ResearchGate.












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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, S. M. (2026, January 10). Scott M. Graffius' Research on the Half-Life of Social Media was Cited in a Peer-Reviewed Study Published in Telecommunications Policy, a Leading Academic Journal. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/scott-m-graffius-research-cited-in-telecommunications-policy.html

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)

Content Acknowledgements
Scott M. Graffius' "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research was cited in a peer-reviewed study published in Telecommunications Policy.
The Telecommunications Policy paper ("Big data, small answers: How the DSA Transparency Database falls short of its regulatory objectives") is © copyright the authors (Samuel Groesch, Alena Birrer, Natascha Just, and Florian Saurwein), published by Elsevier Ltd.
Telecommunications Policy journal name, mark, and content are the property of Elsevier B.V., its licensors, and contributors.
Graffius' "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is copyright © Scott M. Graffius.
This article uses limited excerpts from the respective content, attributed and used under fair use for news reporting and analysis.

Tags and Hashtags
Here is the extended list of tags and hashtags for this article.
- Digital Services Act (DSA)
- Platform governance
- Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts research by Scott M. Graffius
- Social media research
- Large-scale policy data analysis
- Telecommunications Policy
- #AlgorithmicTransparency
- #ContentModeration
- #DataGovernance
- #SocialMediaHalfLife
- #DigitalPolicy
- #DigitalServicesAct
- #PlatformGovernance
- #SocialMedia
- #SocialMediaResearch
- #TelecommunicationsPolicy

Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.

Are AI Hallucinations Getting Better or Worse? We Analyzed the Data

This publication is organized into the following parts:
- Main Article
- References
- About Scott M. Graffius
- List of Additional Articles, How to Cite This Article, DOI, Content Acknowledgements, Tags & Hashtags, Post-Publication Notes, Copyright
Introduction
AI systems such as ChatGPT and its competitors sometimes produce answers that sound confident but are wrong. In an earlier article, Scott M. Graffius encapsulated it as: "Generative AI can dazzle. However, it’s prone to deliver fiction as fact, a phenomenon known as AI hallucinations" (Graffius, 2025).
Hallucinations can arise from multiple stages in the AI lifecycle, including data collection, model architecture, training processes, and inference. Key contributing factors include:
- Biases, incompleteness, or noise in the training data can lead to overgeneralization or pattern misinterpretation.
- Model overfitting or architectural limitations in autoregressive decoding, where probabilistic predictions prioritize fluency over factual fidelity.
- Lack of grounding in real-world knowledge during generation, exacerbated by the absence of explicit reasoning mechanisms.
The danger to users is that AI hallucinations present fiction as fact—confidently, fluently, and persuasively. Left unchecked, these errors can cause harm. "When AI gets things wrong, using its output can spread false information, damage reputations, and create other issues" (Graffius, 2025).
There’s no singular universal metric for AI hallucinations, but many researchers focus on the percentage of responses containing at least one hallucinated claim. This review uses that measurement.
Different benchmarks test distinct situations. Vectara's Hughes Hallucination Evaluation Model (HHEM) leaderboard focuses on document summarization—how faithfully a model sticks to a provided source (Vectara, 2025). Others, such as SimpleQA and PersonQA, probe general factual accuracy on short, open-ended questions (OpenAI, 2025). This review draws from a range of such tests, reported by multiple sources.
As AI systems improve and become more ubiquitous, a pressing question is: Are AI hallucinations getting better or worse? As detailed next, data from 2024 through 2025 is mixed. On tightly controlled tasks, hallucinations are declining. However, they’ve spiked on more complex tasks.
AI Hallucinations in 2024
In 2024, leading models exhibited hallucination rates in the range of 1-3% on standardized, grounded benchmarks (Stanford HAI, 2024; Vectara, 2025). But the picture was less rosy outside those settings. Domain-specific evaluations (such as scientific, medical, and technical analysis) often reported hallucination rates of 10-20% or higher (Cheilli et al., 2024).
AI Hallucinations in 2025
In 2025, hallucination rates diverged sharply depending on what the models were asked to do.
On apples-to-apples benchmarks, such as Vectara's summarization leaderboard, performance improved across the board. Several top models dropped below 1%, including Google’s Gemini-2.0-Flash at roughly 0.7%, with OpenAI and Gemini variants clustering around 0.8–1.5% (Vectara, 2025; AllAboutAI, 2025). For grounded tasks—where the model can anchor its output to a source document—hallucinations are less frequent over time.
However, newer reasoning-focused models tell a different story. Systems optimized for complex chain-of-thought reasoning hallucinate more on open-ended factual benchmarks. OpenAI’s o3 series, for example, experienced hallucination rates of 33-51% on PersonQA and SimpleQA. That’s more than double earlier o1 models, which hovered around 16% (OpenAI, 2025; Techopedia, 2025). Broader evaluations in 2025 reflect this shift. Across task sets containing both simple and complex cases, hallucination rates are commonly 3-20% or higher (Stanford HAI, 2025).
Conclusion
On comparable benchmarks, hallucinations are declining year-over-year for non-complex cases. Top models dropped from roughly 1–3% in 2024 to 0.7–1.5% in 2025 on grounded summarization tasks. However, hallucinations remain high in complex reasoning and open-domain factual recall, where rates can exceed 33%.
The silver lining is mitigation. Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), which forces models to ground answers in external documents, can reduce hallucinations by 40-71% in many scenarios (AIMultiple, 2025; AboutChromebooks, 2025). Industry guides also recommend complementary best practices, such as domain-specific fine-tuning, careful prompt design to constrain speculation, and instructing models to cite sources or admit uncertainty.
Researchers are also deploying layered defenses, such as multi-stage verification systems (Garcia-Fernandez et al., 2025), continuous detection pipelines (Anaokar et al., 2025), and domain-specific validators (Vangala et al., 2025; Bang et al., 2025).
The picture is mixed, but the takeaway is clear. AI hallucinations are evolving from a blanket failure mode into a situational risk. Where grounding is strong and tasks are constrained, the frequency of hallucinations drops. Where reasoning is expansive and factual recall is open-ended, they surge. Hallucinations will likely persist for the foreseeable future. Managing them requires situational awareness, vigilance, smarter evaluation, layered safeguards, mitigation strategies, and informed human oversight.
Take Action
This article provides a foundational overview. For in-depth guidance on AI, including human-AI teamwork (where the AI is advanced—agentic, autonomous, or autopoietic) and the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge, contact Scott M. Graffius. To request a consultation, speaking engagement, or other work, complete a request form or email him today.

References
- AboutChromebooks. (2025). AI hallucination rates across different models in 2025. https://www.aboutchromebooks.com/ai-hallucination-rates-across-different-models/
- AllAboutAI. (2025). AI hallucination report 2025: Which AI hallucinates the most? https://www.allaboutai.com/resources/ai-statistics/ai-hallucinations/
- AIMultiple. (2025). AI hallucination: Compare top LLMs. https://research.aimultiple.com/ai-hallucination/
- Anaokar, S., Ganatra, S., Kashid, H., Bhattacharyya, S., Nair, S., Sekhar, R., Manohar, S., Hemrajani, R., & Bhattacharyya, P. (2025). HalluDetect: Detecting, mitigating, and benchmarking hallucinations in conversational systems. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.11619
- Bang, Y., Ji, Z., Schelten, A., Hartshorn, A., Fowler, T., Zhang, C., Cancedda, N., & Fung, P. (2025). HalluLens: LLM hallucination benchmark. Proceedings of the 63rd Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics. https://aclanthology.org/2025.acl-long.1176/
- Chelli, M., Descamps, J., Lavoué, V., Trojani, C., Azar, M., Deckert, M., Raynier, J. L., Clowez, G., Boileau, P., & Ruetsch‑Chelli, C. (2024). Hallucination rates and reference accuracy of ChatGPT and Bard for systematic reviews: Comparative analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 26, e53164. https://www.jmir.org/2024/1/e53164/
- Garcia-Fernandez, C., Felipe, L., Shotande, M., Zitu, M., Tripathi, A., Rasool, G., El Naqa, I., Rudrapatna, V., & Valdes, G. (2025). Trustworthy AI for medicine: Continuous hallucination detection and elimination with CHECK. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.11129
- Graffius, S. M. (2025, June 25). The "Pants-on-Fire Index for AI". ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/pants-on-fire-index-for-ai.html
- OpenAI. (2025). OpenAI o3 and o4-mini system card. https://cdn.openai.com/pdf/2221c875-02dc-4789-800b-e7758f3722c1/o3-and-o4-mini-system-card.pdf
- Stanford Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Initiative. (2024). Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2024. https://hai.stanford.edu/ai-index/2024-ai-index-report
- Stanford Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Initiative. (2025). Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2025. https://hai.stanford.edu/ai-index/2025-ai-index-report
- Techopedia. (2025). 48% error rate: AI hallucinations rise in 2025 reasoning systems. https://www.techopedia.com/ai-hallucinations-rise
- Vangala, B. P., Mahmud, S., Neupane, P., Selvaraj, J., & Cheng, J. (2025). HalluMat: Detecting hallucinations in LLM-generated materials science content. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.22396
- Vectara. (2025). Hallucination leaderboard – HHEM evaluation model. https://github.com/vectara/hallucination-leaderboard

About Scott M. Graffius

Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.
He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 96 conferences and other events across 25 countries.
He’s delivered over $2.3 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.
The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. Graffius has conducted 96 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- MSN,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development."
The 2026 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Discover Scott’s Books
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions — Deliver Products in Short Cycles with Rapid Adaptation to Change, Fast Time-to-Market, and Continuous Improvement
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum
Connect with and follow Scott on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and ResearchGate.












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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, S. M. (2026, January 7). Are AI Hallucinations Getting Better or Worse? We Analyzed the Data. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/ai-hallucinations-2026.html

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)

Content Acknowledgements
Names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.

Tags and Hashtags
This is the extended list of tags and hashtags for this article:
- AI accuracy
- AI benchmarks
- AI Hallucinations
- AI Trends
- Artificial Intelligence
- Generative AI
- Large language models (LLMs)
- Responsible AI
- #AIAccuracy
- #AIBenchmarks
- #AIHallucinations
- #AITrends
- #FactualAI
- #GenerativeAI
- #LargeLanguageModels
- #ResponsibleAI

Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.

Scott M. Graffius' Phases of Team Development - Applied to Human Teams and Human-AI Teams: 2026 Update

This publication is organized into the following parts:
- Main Article
- Glossary
- Bibliography
- About Scott M. Graffius
- List of Additional Articles, How to Cite This Article, DOI, Content Acknowledgements, Permission Request Information, Tags & Hashtags, Select Terms in Multiple Languages, Post-Publication Notes, Copyright
Introduction
Exceptional teamwork is the indispensable multiplier that amplifies individual talents, drives superior performance, and creates a lasting competitive advantage—whether the team is all-human or human-AI. This 2026 update to Scott M. Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" delivers actionable insights for leaders to navigate complexities in both contexts, advancing team effectiveness and success.
Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies on human teamwork, and Scott M. Graffius' first-hand professional experience with and analysis of team leadership and high-performance teams, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development—Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning—inclusive of a graph showing how performance varies by phase, as well as the characteristics and strategies for each phase. Project Managers, Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches, and other leaders can apply these insights to overcome team challenges, fostering happiness, productivity, and success in both human and human-AI teams. Graffius initially developed his unique material in 2008, and he periodically updates it. This article introduces the 2026 edition of his work.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, universities, researchers, journalists, and others worldwide have featured and utilized prior editions of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" material. Examples include Adobe, American Management Association, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Bayer, Boston University, Broadcom, Cisco, DevOps Institute, Erste Group Bank AG, Finland Government, Ford Motor Company, Hasso-Plattner-Institut für Digital Engineering GmbH, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Journal of Neurosurgery, Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College), Microsoft, New Zealand Government, Oracle, Technical University of Munich, Torrens University, Tufts University, U.S. National Park Service, U.S. Tennis Association, UC San Diego, UK Sports Institute, University of Galway, Warsaw University of Technology, Yale University, and many others.
2026 Edition Expanded to Cover Human-AI Teams Including "Exotic Team Dynamics"
With 79% of companies reporting that artificial intelligence (AI) agents are already in their organizations and 88% planning to increase AI-related budgets over the next year (PwC, 2025), artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly common and is transforming how teams operate and collaborate.
Today’s workplace dynamics are undergoing profound changes. Artificial intelligence is no longer just a tool—it’s becoming a teammate. As organizations integrate AI agents alongside humans, the foundational principles of teamwork remain. But their expression is unique, and understanding these shifts is essential.
In light of these developments, Graffius expanded this new edition to include content on human-AI teaming—where artificial intelligence is agentic, autonomous, or autopoietic. It builds on Graffius' work with successful AI development teams, his expertise in teamwork tradecraft, including the "exotic team dynamics" that emerge from human-AI teams, and his analysis of over 100 sources on human-AI collaboration (see bibliography).
"Exotic team dynamics," coined and developed by Graffius, conceptualizes the multidimensional interactions between humans and agentic, autonomous, or autopoietic artificial intelligences functioning as collaborative teammates. Unlike traditional views that treat AI as a passive tool, Graffius positions advanced AI as a dynamic actor possessing agency, influence, and quirks—factors that can generate non-linear effects and either enhance or disrupt team performance. He systematically categorizes these emergent interaction patterns, addressing strategic opportunities and novel risks, and offers actionable guidance for navigating their complexities. Graffius’ work integrates insights from organizational science, teamwork tradecraft, and strategic foresight, yielding a practical approach to designing, managing, and adapting human-AI teams within increasingly hybridized (human-AI) work environments.
The future of work is human-AI teams driving breakthroughs. These teams thrive when they navigate "exotic team dynamics" well and effectively combine human judgment, creativity, and ethical reasoning with AI’s speed, analytical power, and scalability. This balance is an advantage over blind automation.
Leading up to this update, Graffius explored the transformative frontier of human-AI collaboration through a series of articles and talks. He’s addressed the rapid proliferation of AI and how humans and intelligent systems can work together effectively. His work examines why this shift matters, how thoughtfully designed human-AI collaboration enhances decision-making, performance, and innovation, and the benefits organizations gain when AI augments and elevates human expertise. Some examples follow.
- In Exotic Team Dynamics: The New Frontier of Human-AI Collaboration (August 8, 2025), Graffius explained that advanced AI is emerging as a teammate, creating entirely new "exotic team dynamics."
- He premiered his talk, Exotic Team Dynamics: Human-AI Collaboration (August 22, 2025), where he offered the audience of technology and business leaders actionable insights for successfully designing these new human-AI teams.
- He published, Scott M. Graffius Premieres His New 'Exotic Team Dynamics: Human-AI Collaboration' Talk at Corporate Event in Las Vegas (August 22, 2025), an article about the above session.
- Graffius released Definitions of Advanced AIs (October 29, 2025) to bring greater clarity and refinement to the terminology.
- He published Lessons from Unhinged AI in Fiction (November 19, 2025) as a counterpoint to optimistic perspectives.
- In Navigating the Spectrum of Advanced AI – Agentic, Autonomous, and Autopoietic (November 21, 2025), Graffius presented an enhanced comparison of different types of advanced AIs.
- Graffius delivered the talk, Voici ce qui se passe lorsque l’IA avancée rejoint votre équipe [This is what happens when advanced AI joins your team] (November 21, 2025).
- His article, A Data-Driven Analysis of the Evolution of Project Management: Tasks, Trends, and AI (December 9, 2025), covered the changing human + AI partnership that’s the future of work.
Graffius' update to his "Phases of Team Development," delivered via this article, offers forward-looking guidance for teams across human and human-AI settings. The next section details the five phases—Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning—as applied to both contexts, complete with performance insights and practical strategies for leaders. (For human-only teams, simply disregard the “Human-AI Teams” rows.)
Phases of Team Development - Applied to Human Teams and Human-AI Teams
The visual at the top of this article and the text in this section provide a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. Leaders can apply these actionable insights to help overcome team challenges and advance productivity and success.
1. Forming
Characteristics of the Forming Phase
In human teams, characteristics of the Forming phase typically include displaying eagerness, socializing, a generally polite tone, sticking to safe topics, being unclear about how one fits in, and some anxiety and questioning.
In human-AI teams, traits of the Forming phase include those listed above for human teams. Additionally, assessing AI capabilities and reliability, establishing AI governance and ethical guidelines, defining roles and responsibilities, planning workflow integration based on role clarity, and AI making decisions that challenge human assumptions yet are optimal (illustrating inverse decision logic).
Strategies for the Forming Phase
In human teams, strategies for the Forming phase include taking the "lead," being highly visible, facilitating introductions, providing the "big picture," establishing clear expectations, communicating success criteria, and ensuring response times are quick.
In human-AI teams, strategies for the Forming phase include those listed above for human teams. Also, defining roles and responsibilities, establishing AI limits, conducting onboarding sessions on human-AI interaction styles, addressing explainability and the role of human oversight, providing training on AI tools and ethical guidelines, promoting open dialogue on differences, and encouraging exploration of AI-suggested counterintuitive approaches.
2. Storming
Characteristics of the Storming Phase
In human teams, characteristics of the Storming phase usually include some resistance, lack of participation, conflict arising from differences of opinion, competition, high levels of emotions, and tension.
In human-AI teams, traits of the Storming phase include those listed above for human teams. Additionally, there may be conflicts over AI recommendations vs. human judgment, friction based on misalignment of expectations, and ambiguity in human responsibilities may arise as AI's parallel processing and root-state analysis can instantly shift priorities (an example of superposition roles) or supersede human plans to pursue optimal outcomes.
Strategies for the Storming Phase
In human teams, strategies for the Storming phase include building trust by honoring commitments, asking for and encouraging feedback, identifying issues and facilitating their resolution, and normalizing matters.
In human-AI teams, strategies for the Storming phase include those listed above for human teams. Also, facilitating dialogue about AI outputs—emphasizing collaborative review before acting on recommendations, using explainable AI tools to address potential biases or opacity in AI recommendations, encouraging iterative refinement of AI-assisted decisions while respecting human judgment, building trust via pilot tasks and transparent AI outputs, and adjusting team roles to accommodate AI multitasking.
3. Norming
Characteristics of the Norming Phase
In human teams, characteristics of the Norming phase typically include developing cohesion, understanding purpose and goals, increased confidence, improved commitment, engagement and support among members, as well as relief and a lowered sense of anxiety.
In human-AI teams, traits of the Norming phase include those listed above for human teams. Additionally, human and AI teammates begin to complement each other by balancing human creativity with AI automation, adapting workflows, aligning decision-making with human preferences, and human and AI inputs are deeply interdependent, producing outcomes neither could achieve alone (an example of entangled decision-making).
Strategies for the Norming Phase
In human teams, strategies for the Norming phase include delivering feedback, recognizing individual and team efforts, providing learning/upskilling opportunities, and monitoring the "energy" of the team.
In human-AI teams, strategies for the Norming phase include those listed above for human teams. Also, creating clear and repeatable procedures that integrate AI support into team workflows, conducting collaborative reviews to calibrate AI with human experts, reinforcing trust via consistent and successful AI-involved outcomes, and facilitating coordinated human-AI decision processes.
4. Performing
Characteristics of the Performing Phase
In human teams, characteristics of the Performing phase usually include high-level performance, demonstration of interdependence and self-management, elevated empathy and trust and morale, deference to team needs, and consistent delivery of high-quality results.
In human-AI teams, traits of the Performing phase include those listed above for human teams. Additionally, the team operates at high efficiency, with humans and AI collaborating effectively to achieve peak outcomes through entangled decision-making and inverse decision logic. AI excels at managing repetitive and complex tasks, while humans focus on creative and strategic work, together driving greater efficiency and value.
Strategies for the Performing Phase
In human teams, strategies for the Performing phase include "guiding from the side" (minimal intervention), highlighting successes, and encouraging collective decision-making and problem-solving.
In human-AI teams, strategies for the Performing phase include those listed above for human teams. Also, optimizing AI utilization, using AI for predictive analytics and encouraging human oversight in strategic decisions, maintaining feedback loops, recognizing and rewarding human-AI collaboration, and leveraging AI to surface non-obvious solutions and interdependent insights.
5. Adjourning
Characteristics of the Adjourning Phase
In human teams, characteristics of the Adjourning phase typically include concluding work, disbanding of temporary teams, and potential sadness.
In human-AI teams, traits of the Adjourning phase include those listed above for human teams. Additionally, decommissioning AI workflows and conducting data handoffs.
Strategies for the Adjourning Phase
In human teams, strategies for the Adjourning phase include communicating change, conducting a summative team evaluation via a retrospective event or lessons learned meeting or similar session, recognizing individual and team efforts and achievements, and celebrating the team’s accomplishments.
In human-AI teams, strategies for the Adjourning phase include those listed above for human teams. Also, capturing and preserving emergent protocols (communication patterns and workflows that evolved organically) to help enhance future human-AI teamwork, documenting AI-related challenges and successes (including insights from human oversight, to transfer learnings and support continuous improvement), archiving AI data for future teams, and recognizing contributions and celebrating achievements of human and AI team members.
Conclusion

The future of leadership is defined by teamwork and human-AI collaboration. Organizations that navigate these complexities effectively gain a competitive edge.
This article provides a foundational overview. For in-depth guidance on boosting team productivity, innovation, and success, contact Scott M. Graffius. To request a consultation, speaking engagement, or other work, complete a request form or email him today.

Glossary
Adjourning
Adjourning. See: team development.
Advanced AI
In this article, advanced AI refers to emerging systems that surpass traditional tools or monolithic concepts, acting as genuine teammates in human-AI collaboration and creating exotic team dynamics, with a progression across agentic, autonomous, and autopoietic forms. Also see: agentic AI, autonomous AI, autopoietic AI, Definitions of Advanced AIs, and Navigating the Spectrum of Advanced AI – Agentic, Autonomous, and Autopoietic.
Agentic AI
Agentic AI is an advanced form of artificial intelligence capable of independently pursuing defined objectives through planning multi-step actions, coordinating processes, and adapting strategies to changing conditions, operating with high autonomy in execution but guided by external goals. It is commercially available and capable of planning multi-step actions, coordinating processes and tools, while remaining semi-autonomous overall. Also see: advanced AI, Exotic Team Dynamics: The New Frontier of Human-AI Collaboration, Definitions of Advanced AIs, and Navigating the Spectrum of Advanced AI – Agentic, Autonomous, and Autopoietic.
AI
AI. See: advanced AI.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence. See: advanced AI.
Autonomous AI
Autonomous AI is an advanced form of artificial intelligence that operates and makes decisions independently without direct human intervention, featuring sustained self-regulation, the ability to set or adjust goals based on its environment, and action within defined or evolving parameters. It does not yet exist in commercial products. Also see: advanced AI, Exotic Team Dynamics: The New Frontier of Human-AI Collaboration, Definitions of Advanced AIs, and Navigating the Spectrum of Advanced AI – Agentic, Autonomous, and Autopoietic.
Autopoietic AI
Autopoietic AI is an advanced, experimental, and hypothetical form of artificial intelligence characterized by self-generating, self-maintaining, and self-adaptive processes, where the system recursively regenerates its own structure, rules, and boundaries to sustain its identity in changing environments. No commercial systems currently exist. Also see: advanced AI, Exotic Team Dynamics: The New Frontier of Human-AI Collaboration, Definitions of Advanced AIs, and Navigating the Spectrum of Advanced AI – Agentic, Autonomous, and Autopoietic.
Emergent protocols
Emergent protocols are new communication patterns, norms, and interaction protocols that evolve organically in human-AI teams without explicit programming or predefined rules. Also see: exotic team dynamics and Exotic Team Dynamics: The New Frontier of Human-AI Collaboration.
Entangled decision-making
Entangled decision-making occurs when human and AI inputs and decisions become deeply interconnected and interdependent, influencing each other to produce outcomes neither could achieve alone, potentially creating synergies or conflicts. Also see: exotic team dynamics and Exotic Team Dynamics: The New Frontier of Human-AI Collaboration.
Exotic team dynamics
Coined and developed by Agile and AI expert Scott M. Graffius, exotic team dynamics are the novel, sometimes counter-intuitive, emerging collaboration patterns that occur when humans work alongside advanced artificial intelligences—specifically agentic, autonomous, or autopoietic AI—as teammates. They feature new rhythms of interaction, decision-making, and role-sharing that differ from traditional human-only teamwork while still relying on core principles such as trust, communication, and adaptability. Also see: advanced AI, agentic AI, autonomous AI, autopoietic AI, emergent protocols, entangled decision-making, inverse decision logic, superposition roles, Exotic Team Dynamics: The New Frontier of Human-AI Collaboration, Scott M. Graffius Premieres His New 'Exotic Team Dynamics: Human-AI Collaboration' Talk at Corporate Event in Las Vegas, Definitions of Advanced AIs, Navigating the Spectrum of Advanced AI – Agentic, Autonomous, and Autopoietic, and A Data-Driven Analysis of the Evolution of Project Management: Tasks, Trends, and AI.
Exotic team tradecraft
Exotic team tradecraft. See: exotic team dynamics.
Forming
Forming. See: team development.Human-AI teams
In the context of Graffius’ respective work, human-AI teams are collaborative systems in which humans and advanced artificial intelligence—agentic, autonomous, or autopoietic AI—work as teammates. Also see: advanced AI, agentic AI, autonomous AI, autopoietic AI, exotic team dynamics, Exotic Team Dynamics: The New Frontier of Human-AI Collaboration, Scott M. Graffius Premieres His New 'Exotic Team Dynamics: Human-AI Collaboration' Talk at Corporate Event in Las Vegas, Definitions of Advanced AIs, Lessons from Unhinged AI in Fiction, Navigating the Spectrum of Advanced AI – Agentic, Autonomous, and Autopoietic, and A Data-Driven Analysis of the Evolution of Project Management: Tasks, Trends, and AI. Alternative terms that are sometimes used interchangeably for human-AI teams include AI-assisted teams, AI-augmented teams, AI-enabled teams, AI-integrated teams, AI-supported teams, AI collaboration, AI-mediated collaboration, augmented intelligence, collaborative intelligence, hybrid intelligence teams, mixed-initiative teams, human-AI collaboration, human-AI partnerships, human-AI teaming, human-agent teaming, human-autonomy teaming, human-machine collaboration, human-machine teaming, autonomous–human teams, intelligent human–machine teams, joint cognitive systems, and socio-technical systems.Inverse decision logic
Inverse decision logic is when AI challenges human assumptions by prioritizing counterintuitive yet optimal choices, causing decision-making to deviate from traditional logic and leading to unexpected and novel effects. Also see: exotic team dynamics and Exotic Team Dynamics: The New Frontier of Human-AI Collaboration.
Negative mass
Negative mass. See: inverse decision logic.Quantum superposition
Quantum superposition. See: superposition roles.
Quantum entanglement
Quantum entanglement. See: entangled decision-making.
Emergent phenomena
Emergent phenomena. See: emergent protocols.
Team development
Team development refers to the progression of a team through the five phases of Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning. Scott M. Graffius' related work delineates the characteristics and strategies for each phase. There are many closely related or overlapping terms related to team development. Examples include group development, group dynamics, high-performance teaming, high-performance teams, phases of group development, phases of group dynamics, stages of group development, stages of group dynamics, stages of team development, stages of team dynamics, strategic team building, team agility, team building, team coaching, team collaboration, team dynamics, team leadership, team optimization, team performance, team tradecraft, teamcraft, teamwork, and teamwork tradecraft.Norming
Norming. See: team development.Performing
Performing. See: team development.
Storming
Storming. See: team development.
Superposition roles
Superposition roles are about AI supporting or occupying multiple team roles and functions simultaneously in parallel, or dynamically shifting emphasis or sharing functions with humans based on contextual needs. Also see: exotic team dynamics and Exotic Team Dynamics: The New Frontier of Human-AI Collaboration.
Bibliography
This is an extensive, though not exhaustive, bibliography. It is informed, in part, by the author's expertise and work with human teams and human-AI teams, including the "exotic team dynamics" that emerge.
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- Graffius, S. M. (2016, January 21). 2014 NSDM Publication on Leadership by National Security Affairs Professor Mary Raum Featured the 2008 Edition of Scott M. Graffius' Work on Team Development. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/nsdm-leadership.html
- Graffius, S. M. (2016). Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. North Charleston, South Carolina, United States: CreateSpace.
- Graffius, S. M. (2016). Thinking Strategically and Acting Tactically. Los Angeles, California, United States: Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions.
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- Graffius, S. M. (2019). Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change. Scotts Valley, California, United States: CreateSpace.
- Graffius, S. M. (2021). Phases of Team Development. Los Angeles, California, United States: Scott M. Graffius. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.22040.42246
- Graffius, S. M. (2021, February 20). But First, the Team! [Presentation]. Talk delivered at the Brno, Czech Republic DevConf.CZ 2021 Conference. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.29016.72964
- Graffius, S. M. (2021, May 13). But First, the Team! [Presentation]. Lecture delivered at DevOps Pro Europe 2021 Conference; based and simulcast live from Vilnius, Lithuania. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.30524.36481
- Graffius, S. M. (2021, June 21). DevOps and Team Leadership [Workshop]. Session at private event in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.15380.22401
- Graffius, S. M. (2021, September 11). Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility for Happier and More Productive InfoSec Teams [Presentation]. BSides NCL Newcastle upon Tyne, England 2021 InfoSec Conference. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.27961.29280
- Graffius, S. M. (2021, October 5). Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility for Happier and More Productive Teams [Presentation]. Talk delivered at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IEEE Day 2021 Conference. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.20055.19365
- Graffius, S. M. (2021, November 8). Bruce Tuckman's Model (Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning) is Highly Relevant and Beneficial, But It Doesn't Please Everyone. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/jobs.html
- Graffius, S. M. (2021, November 10). An Error Was Introduced Into the Seventh Edition of 'A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK).' Los Angeles, California, United States: Scott M. Graffius.
- Graffius, S. M. (2022, February 4). Team Development Tradecraft: A Source of Competitive Advantage [Workshop]. Session at private event in Adelaide, Australia. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.14092.80002
- Graffius, S. M. (2022, May 13). Want Happier and More Productive DevOps Teams? [Presentation]. Talk delivered at DevOpsDays Geneva, Switzerland 2022 Conference. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.22252.85127
- Graffius, S. M. (2023, January 9). Use the Phases of Team Development (Based on Bruce W. Tuckman's Model of Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning) to Help Teams Grow and Advance: 2023 Update. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.10720.35846
- Graffius, S. M. (2023, April 26). The Science of High-Performance Teams [Presentation]. Talk delivered at the DevOps Institute's SKILup Day 2023 Conference. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.15888.28169
- Graffius, S. M. (2023, May 1). AI is a Team Sport: A Confluence of Diverse Technical and Soft Skills are Crucial for Success. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/successful-ai-teams.html https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.20321.79200
- Graffius, S. M. (2023, May 1). Fueling the Development of Innovative and Life-Changing AI Solutions [Presentation]. Talk delivered to an audience of Technology professionals at a private event in Mountain View, California, United States. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.27956.73601
- Graffius, S. M. (2023, June 29). What Successful AI Teams Have in Common [Presentation]. Talk delivered at Conf42 Quantum Computing 2023 Conference. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.29382.45120
- Graffius, S. M. (2023, July 15). Successful Video Game Development Teams Leverage an Extensive Range of Hard Skills and Soft Skills. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/gamedev.html https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.31205.17124
- Graffius, S. M. (2023, October 9). Top 5 Roles on AI Teams. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/ai-team-roles.html https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.34857.57449
- Graffius, S. M. (2023, October 13). The Science of High-Performance Game Development Teams [Presentation]. Talk delivered at the W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference 2023 - Helsinki, Finland. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.28602.16326
- Graffius, S. M. (2024, January 5). Scott M. Graffius' Phases of Team Development: 2024 Update. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/teams-2024.html. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.28629.40168
- Graffius, S. M. (2024, April 5). Cisco Features Scott M. Graffius' 'Phases of Team Development' Work'. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/cisco-2024.html. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.16689.60000
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- Graffius, S. M. (2024, May 3). Leverage Agile and AI to Innovate at the Speed of Light. Talk at private event in Dubai, UAE. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.30790.48960
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- Graffius, S. M. (2024, May 21). What Successful AI Development Teams Have in Common. Talk at DevDays Europe 2024 Conference. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.24313.07529
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- Graffius, S. M. (2024, December 2). Hochschule Coburg (Coburg University) Germany Uses Scott M. Graffius' Phases of Team Development IP in Coursework on Agile Development. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.21272.00002
- Graffius, S. M. (2025). Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum. Seattle, Washington, United States: Amazon Digital Services.
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- Graffius, S. M. (2025, August 7). Method and System for Facilitating Hybrid Human-Artificial Intelligence Teams via a Protocolized Mediation Layer for Bi-Directional Translation, Interpretation, and Optimization of Natural Language, Paralinguistic, Prosodic, and Nonverbal Cues Across Text, Audio, and Video Modalities, Incorporating Real-Time Analysis of Auditory Tone, Pitch, Affect, Facial Expressions, Gaze, Posture, and Other Body Language Indicators, Generating AI-Compatible Representations for Human Inputs, Generating Human-Accessible Representations for AI Outputs, Conveying Context-Aware Information in Both Directions, Reducing Cognitive Friction, Enhancing Mutual Intelligibility, Supporting Decision-Making, and Maximizing Collective Task Performance. A novel integration of multimodal communication, cognitive alignment, and human-AI interaction. Los Angeles, California, United States: Scott M. Graffius.
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- Graffius, S. M. (2025, August 22). Scott M. Graffius Premieres His New "Exotic Team Dynamics: Human-AI Collaboration" Talk at Corporate Event in Las Vegas. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/scott-m-graffius-premieres-talk-on-human-and-ai-exotic-team-dynamics.html
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About Scott M. Graffius

Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.
He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 96 conferences and other events across 25 countries.
He’s delivered over $2.3 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.
The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. Graffius has conducted 96 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- MSN,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development."
The 2026 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Discover Scott’s Books
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions — Deliver Products in Short Cycles with Rapid Adaptation to Change, Fast Time-to-Market, and Continuous Improvement
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum
Connect with and follow Scott on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and ResearchGate.












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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, S. M. (2026, January 3). Scott M. Graffius' Phases of Team Development - Applied to Human Teams and Human-AI Teams: 2026 Update. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/graffius-phases-of-team-development-2026.html https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.18184.89601

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.18184.89601

Content Acknowledgements
Names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.

Permission Request Information
This work is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
To request permission to use Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" visual shown at the top of this article, email Scott M. Graffius. If your request is approved, Graffius will provide you with an authorization/license and high-resolution JPG and PNG files of the visual.

Tags and Hashtags
This is the extended list of tags and hashtags for this article:
Exotic team dynamics • Dynamiques d’équipe exotiques • Exotische Teamdynamiken • Dinámicas de equipo exóticas • エキゾチックなチームダイナミクス • #Adjourn • #Adjourning • #Agile • #Agility • #BruceTuckman • #Forming • #FormingStormingNormingPerforming • #FormingStormingNormingPerformingAdjourning • #FSNP • #FSNPA • #GroupDynamics • #Leadership • #Norming • #Performing • #PhasesOfTeamDevelopment • #ProjectManagement • #ScottMGraffius • #StagesOfTeamDevelopment • #Storming • #TeamDynamics • #TeamLeadership • #TeamLifecycle • #TeamPerformance • #Teams • #Teamwork • #Tuckman • #TuckmansLadder • Advanced AI • Advanced artificial intelligence • Agile • Agility • AI collaboration • AI-assisted teams • AI-augmented teams • AI-enabled teams • AI-integrated teams • AI-mediated collaboration • AI-supported teams • Artificial intelligence • Augmented intelligence • Autonomous–human teams • Bruce Tuckman • Bruce W. Tuckman • Centaur Intelligence • Collaborative intelligence • Dissolução • Formação • Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning • Formación, Conflicto / Tormenta, Normalización, Desempeño, Disolución / Clausura • Formation, Conflit / Tempête, Normalisation, Performance, Dissolution / Clôture • Formierung, Konflikt / Sturmphase, Normierung, Leistungsphase, Auflösung / Abschluss • 形成期、混乱期、規範期、遂行期、解散期 • FSNP • FSNPA • Group development • Group dynamics • High-performance teaming • High-performance teams • Human and Human-AI Teams Including “Exotic Team Dynamics” • Human-agent teaming • Human-AI collaboration • Human-AI partnerships • Human-AI teaming • Human-AI teams • Human-autonomy teaming • Human-machine collaboration • Human-machine teaming • Humans and advanced artificial intelligence collaborating as teammates • Hybrid intelligence teams • Intelligent human–machine teams • Joint cognitive systems • Mary Ann C. Jensen • Mixed-initiative teams • Phases of group development • Phases of group dynamics • Phases of Team Development • Project Management • Scott M. Graffius • Socio-technical systems • Stages of group development • Stages of Team Development • Stages of team development • Stages of team dynamics • Strategic team building • Team agility • Team building • Team coaching • Team collaboration • Team Dynamics • Team leadership • Team Life Cycle • Team Lifecycle • Team optimization • Team Performance • Team tradecraft • Teamcraft • Teams • Teamwork • Teamwork phases • Teamwork stages • Teamwork tradecraft • Tuckman • Tuckman Curve • Tuckman Model • Tuckman's Curve

Select Terms in Multiple Languages
For reference, translations are provided for the following terms: Phases of Team Development; Exotic Team Dynamics; Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning.
- Armenian: Թիմի զարգացման փուլեր; Անսովոր թիմային դինամիկա; Ստեղծում, Տևական հակասություն, Կարգավորում, Գործադրում, Ավարտում
- Bengali: দলের বিকাশের ধাপ; বিদেশী দলের গতিশীলতা; গঠন, সংঘাত, মানকরণ, সম্পাদন, সমাপ্তি
- Finnish: Tiimin kehitysvaiheet; Eksoottinen tiimidynamiikka; Muodostaminen, Konflikti, Normalisointi, Suorittaminen, Päättäminen
- French: Phases de développement de l'équipe; Dynamiques d'équipe exotiques; Formation, Conflit, Normalisation, Performance, Clôture
- German: Phasen der Teamentwicklung; Exotische Teamdynamik; Formierung, Sturm, Normierung, Leistung, Abschluss
- Greek: Φάσεις ανάπτυξης ομάδας; Εξωτική δυναμική ομάδας; Σχηματισμός, Σύγκρουση, Κανονικοποίηση, Εκτέλεση, Ολοκλήρωση
- Hindi: टीम विकास के चरण; विदेशी टीम गतिशीलता; निर्माण, संघर्ष, सामान्यीकरण, प्रदर्शन, समापन
- Indonesian (Malay): Tahapan Pengembangan Tim; Dinamika Tim Eksotis; Pembentukan, Konflik, Normalisasi, Pelaksanaan, Penutupan
- Italian: Fasi dello sviluppo del team; Dinamiche di team esotiche; Formazione, Conflitto, Normalizzazione, Esecuzione, Chiusura
- Japanese: チーム開発の段階; エキゾチックなチームのダイナミクス; 形成, 混乱, 標準化, 実行, 終結
- Mandarin Chinese: 团队发展阶段; 异国团队动力; 形成, 风暴, 规范化, 执行, 结束
- Marathi: टीम विकासाच्या टप्प्या; विदेशी टीम डायनॅमिक्स; निर्मिती, संघर्ष, मानकीकरण, कार्यप्रदर्शन, समापन
- Modern Standard Arabic: مراحل تطوير الفريق; ديناميكيات الفريق الغريبة; التكوين, الصراع, التطبيع, الأداء, الانتهاء
- Portuguese: Fases de desenvolvimento da equipe; Dinâmicas de equipe exóticas; Formação, Conflito, Normalização, Desempenho, Encerramento
- Russian: Этапы развития команды; Экзотическая динамика команды; Формирование, Штурм, Нормирование, Выполнение, Завершение
- Swahili: Hatua za Maendeleo ya Timu; Mienendo ya Timu Isiyo ya Kawaida; Kuunda, Mgongano, Kuweka viwango, Kutekeleza, Kumaliza
- Swedish: Faser av teamutveckling; Exotisk teamdynamik; Formering, Konflikt, Normering, Genomförande, Avslutning
- Tamil: குழு வளர்ச்சி கட்டங்கள்; விசித்திர குழு இயக்கங்கள்; உருவாக்கம், கலக்கம், நிலைமைப்படுத்தல், செயல்பாடு, நிறைவு
- Telugu: జట్టు అభివృద్ధి దశలు; విపరీతమైన జట్టు డైనమిక్స్; రూపకల్పన, సతకలహం, సూత్రీకరణ, ప్రదర్శన, ముగింపు
- Turkish: Takım Gelişim Aşamaları; Egzotik Takım Dinamikleri; Oluşum, Çatışma, Normlaştırma, Uygulama, Kapanış
- Urdu: ٹیم کی ترقی کے مراحل; غیر ملکی ٹیم کی حرکیات; تشکیل, تصادم, معمول بنانا, کارکردگی, اختتام
- Western Punjabi: ٹیم کی ترقی کے مراحل; غیر ملکی ٹیم ڈائنامکس; بنانا, ٹکراؤ, معمول بنانا, کارکردگی, اختتام
- Wu Chinese (Shanghainese): 团队发展阶段; 异国团队动力; 形成, 风暴, 规范化, 执行, 结束

Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.

Lessons from Yesterday’s Tomorrowland

Introduction
Imagine driving in 1971 using an audio device for navigation—with no way to recover if you missed a turn. The BBC featured it and other technological prototypes, predictions, and demonstrations in its long-running (1965-2003) series, Tomorrow's World. Recurring themes include impressive ingenuity constrained by rigidity, lack of scalability, over-optimism about timelines, and the critical need for adaptability.
These vintage reports offer timeless insights for today's technology landscape, including AI. Here are several standout examples from Tomorrow's World with direct parallels to modern innovations, presented in chronological order.
Five Standout Examples
1969 Report: Early Computing and Banking Automation
This story illustrated how computerized credit cards and ATMs facilitate instant fund transfers. It predicted reduced queues and 24/7 access, but it warned of job losses.
Lessons for today
Spot-on about convenience, but early systems were centralized and insecure. This foreshadows AI-driven fintech (e.g., algorithmic trading, fraud detection via machine learning). Automation displaces jobs but creates new ones. Ethical design must prioritize security, privacy, and workforce transition to avoid backlash.
1971 Report: Cassette-Based Car Navigation System
This story demonstrated an experimental system in a car, using pre-recorded cassette tapes with voice instructions and beep-encoded distances synced to the odometer for turn-by-turn guidance.
Lessons for today
Ingenious for a pre-GPS era, but utterly rigid—if a driver missed a turn or deviated, the system de-synced with no recovery, requiring a restart. This brittleness mirrors early rule-based AI systems that excelled in controlled environments but crumbled in real-world variability. Modern navigation AI (e.g., Google Maps) thrives on real-time data, machine learning, and dynamic rerouting, underscoring the importance of error detection, adaptability, and user forgiveness in robust technology design.
1979 Report: Early Mobile Phone Prototype
This story demonstrated a bulky, early mobile or car-based telephone that promised freedom from landlines.
Early devices were fragile, limited in range, and impractical for everyday use (huge batteries, poor signal). This mirrors early AI prototypes—clever in demos but brittle in real-world deployment. Modern smartphones and AI assistants (e.g., Siri) succeeded by integrating connectivity, miniaturization, and cloud-based adaptability, emphasizing ecosystem building over isolated hardware.
1970s–1980s Reports: Early Robotics and Household Robots
Segments on domestic helpers promised leisure-filled futures but highlighted clunky, unreliable machines.
Robots excelled in controlled demos but failed in unpredictable homes (similar to the cassette nav's intolerance for deviations). Modern AI robotics succeed through sensor fusion, learning from data, and error recovery, capabilities that were absent from early demonstration systems. General-purpose adaptability (a key AI challenge) trumps narrow cleverness.
1995 Report: Asteroid Mining in 2025
This story predicted the routine mining of asteroids for precious metals to solve Earth's resource shortages.
Lessons for today
Overly optimistic timeline (we're only now seeing early missions, such as NASA's OSIRIS-REx). Parallels ambitious AI forecasts (e.g., AGI by 2030 claims)—resource extraction requires incremental progress in robotics, propulsion, and economics. Modern AI for space (e.g., autonomous rovers, satellite management) benefits from grounded, iterative development rather than grand leaps.
Conclusion
These reports from the past illustrate recurring patterns:
- Predictions mix hits with misses.
- Prototypes may initially dazzle, but they often fall short on real-world use.
- Themes include impressive ingenuity constrained by rigidity, lack of scalability, over-optimism about timelines, and the critical need for adaptability.
- Progress accelerates when constraints inspire hybrid solutions.
The Tomorrow's World collection serves as a humbling reminder for today's fanfare. Innovation thrives on learning from past rigidity to build resilient real-world systems.
Those and related factors later drove the rise of Agile in the early 2000s, as teams moved away from rigid, waterfall-style planning in favor of iterative, collaborative, and customer-centered development.
And today, when humans collaborate with advanced AI, "exotic team dynamics" emerge, and these hybrid human-AI teams are reshaping the future of work.
Bibliography
BBC Archive. (1969). Tomorrow’s World: New Banking [Video]. https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/tomorrows-world--new-banking/zbvm92p
BBC Archive. (1971). Tomorrow’s World: Cassette-Based Navigation [Video]. https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/cassette-based-navigation-1971/z6sbt39
BBC Archive. (1979). Tomorrow’s World: Mobile Phone [Video]. https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/tomorrows-world--mobile-phone/zjnqrj6
BBC Archive. (1981). Tomorrow’s World: Hissing Sid [Video]. https://www.bbc.co.uk/webarchive/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Farchive%2Ftomorrows-world--hissing-sid%2Fzhm9f4j
BBC Archive. (1995). Tomorrow’s World: Asteroid mining in 2025 [Video]. https://www.bbc.com/videos/cj6zxwnzl1po
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About Scott M. Graffius

Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.
He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 96 conferences and other events across 25 countries.
He’s delivered over $2.3 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.
The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. Graffius has conducted 96 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- MSN,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Check out Scott’s books:
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions — Deliver Products in Short Cycles with Rapid Adaptation to Change, Fast Time-to-Market, and Continuous Improvement
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum
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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, S. M. (2025, December 29). Lessons from Yesterday’s Tomorrowland. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/lessons-from-yesterdays-tomorrowland.html

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)

Content Acknowledgements
Names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.
Tomorrow’s World is a registered program of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The BBC owns all intellectual property rights in the series. The program is referenced and attributed here under fair use for purposes of news reporting and analysis.
The term “tomorrowland” is used in this article in a general context and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The Walt Disney Company. Disney owns the trademark “Tomorrowland” in connection with its parks, rides, and merchandise.

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Scott M. Graffius’ Update to His "Phases of Team Development” Coming Early 2026

The now-current, 2025 edition of Scott M. Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" is here.
The new edition—coming in early 2026—provides expert, evidence-based guidance on developing high performance human teams as well as human-AI teams. It includes actionable insights on the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge when advanced artificial intelligence collaborates as a teammate.
Leading up to the forthcoming update, Graffius explored the transformative frontier of human-AI collaboration through a series of articles and talks. He’s addressed the rapid proliferation of AI and how humans and intelligent systems can work together effectively. His work examines why this shift matters, how thoughtfully designed human-AI collaboration enhances decision-making, performance, and innovation, and the benefits organizations gain when AI augments and elevates human expertise. Some examples follow.
- In Exotic Team Dynamics: The New Frontier of Human-AI Collaboration, Graffius explained that advanced AI is emerging as a teammate, creating entirely new "exotic team dynamics."
- He premiered his talk, Exotic Team Dynamics: Human-AI Collaboration, where he offered the audience of technology and business leaders actionable insights for successfully designing these new human-AI teams.
- He published, Scott M. Graffius Premieres His New ‘Exotic Team Dynamics: Human-AI Collaboration’ Talk at Corporate Event in Las Vegas, an article about the above session.
- Graffius released Definitions of Advanced AIs to bring greater clarity and refinement to the terminology.
- He published Lessons from Unhinged AI in Fiction as a counterpoint to optimistic perspectives.
- In Navigating the Spectrum of Advanced AI – Agentic, Autonomous, and Autopoietic, Graffius presented an enhanced comparison of different types of advanced AIs.
- Graffius delivered the talk, Voici ce qui se passe lorsque l’IA avancée rejoint votre équipe.
- His article, A Data-Driven Analysis of the Evolution of Project Management: Tasks, Trends, and AI, covered the changing human + AI partnership that’s the future of work.
Connect with and follow Graffius on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, and ResearchGate.
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About Scott M. Graffius

Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.
He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 96 conferences and other events across 25 countries.
He’s delivered over $2.3 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.
The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. Graffius has conducted 96 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- MSN,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Check out Scott’s books:
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions — Deliver Products in Short Cycles with Rapid Adaptation to Change, Fast Time-to-Market, and Continuous Improvement
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum
Follow and connect with Scott on social media:












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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, S. M. (2025, December 20). Scott M. Graffius’ Update to His "Phases of Team Development" Coming Early 2026. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/scott-m-graffius-phases-of-team-development-2026-coming-soon.html

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)

Content Acknowledgements
Names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.

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Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.

A Data-Driven Analysis of the Evolution of Project Management: Tasks, Trends, and AI

A high resolution version of the above image is here.
Abstract: The field of project management has dramatically changed over the past 50 years, shifting from largely manual administrative work to AI-assisted strategic leadership. This article formulates a task-level, data-driven analysis of project management duties in 1975, 2000, and 2025—showing trends, AI potential, and the changing human + AI partnership that’s the future of the profession.
1. Introduction
Project management has changed significantly over the last 50 years. The paper-based, manual methods of the 70s have been replaced by AI-assisted processes in the 21st century, and the profession has been adapting continuously to the changes in technology, methodology, and organizational demands.
As AI becomes increasingly capable, will project managers themselves become obsolete, or will the role simply transform into a higher-order, strategic function?
This article first studies the duties of project managers in 1975, 2000, and 2025, respectively, then examines the extent to which those duties can be done by AI, and finally, draws the implications for project management jobs and career paths.
This article delivers a granular task-level scrutiny where each task is regarded as either fully AI-automated, partially augmentable (human/AI), or entirely human. The central purpose of the study is to uncover the changing human-machine interaction in project management and to provide a solid ground for future predictions rather than mere speculation.
2. Methodology
The correspondence of tasks to different periods helps to establish a longitudinal comparison, thus getting insight into how project management work has changed over time.
The analysis uses literature review data and expert-guided AI potential classifications. It is informed by 101 sources, which are cited in the bibliography section of this article.
2.1 Task Selection
- For each time point (1975, 2000, 2025), 20 representative project management tasks were identified, resulting in 60 tasks in total.
- Tasks were chosen based on their frequency in project management literature, their significance as main project management work, and the general agreement on what constitutes typical project management work in each era.
- This analysis used textbooks, publications on professional standards, and empirical reports and industry analyses of project management practices as sources.
- The task list was intended to illustrate how project management duties have changed over time. As shown by the literature, it’s summarized as: from administrative/manual (1975) through digital/collaborative (2000) to AI-augmented strategic leadership (2025).
- These lists represent the patterns identified through the aggregated data of the respective eras. However, individual experiences may vary depending on the industry, organization, and other factors.
2.2 AI Potential Classification
For each task, the suitability for automation or augmentation by AI was determined, resulting in the following three categories.
- AI: Tasks that can be entirely automated by AI without any human intervention (e.g., repetitive scheduling, data aggregation, etc.).
- Human/AI: Tasks where AI can take over or partially perform routine or data-based aspects, but human judgment, control, or creative/relational input is still necessary.
- Human: Tasks that are heavily dependent on human judgment, leadership, interpersonal skills, ethics, or strategic thinking, Thus, AI cannot effectively substitute human involvement.
Decisions factored data from the sources noted in the article's bibliography, practical knowledge of project management responsibilities, the current capabilities of AI (e.g., in scheduling, data processing, analytics), and expert assessments on human-AI collaboration.
If a classification was unclear, a conservative label was used (e.g., “Human/AI” instead of “AI” when human control was implied).
2.3 Limitations
- The classification involves individual judgment and may not apply to every case (e.g., every individual experience).
- Since AI is developing fast, some “Human/AI” tasks that exist today could turn into “AI” tasks in the future. The classification reflects typical AI capabilities as of the time of this article.
- The 60-task list is a simplifying version, suited for illustration and analysis.
- The list of 60 tasks is necessarily a simplification for clarity; many real-world PM roles combine, subdivide, or specialize tasks differently.
3. Project Management in 1975
1975 Era Characteristics
- Manual, paper-based scheduling and documentation.
- Hierarchical team structures.
- Heavy reliance on physical memos, face-to-face meetings, and manual tracking.
Table 1: Project Management Responsibilities in 1975 (Shown as a Bulleted List)
Task Number, Responsibility
- 1. Develop detailed project plans (Gantt charts)
- 2. Define project scope and requirements
- 3. Allocate resources manually
- 4. Prepare budgets and cost estimates
- 5. Schedule tasks using paper/mainframe tools
- 6. Track progress via manual reports
- 7. Monitor timelines closely
- 8. Conduct formal project meetings
- 9. Prepare documentation for approvals
- 10. Manage risks manually
- 11. Interface with vendors and suppliers
- 12. Ensure compliance with regulations
- 13. Lead teams hierarchically
- 14. Handle procurement of materials/equipment
- 15. Maintain physical project files
- 16. Coordinate via memos and phone calls
- 17. Approve change requests manually
- 18. Present reports to senior management
- 19. Perform project closeout / post mortems
- 20. Ensure deliverables meet technical specifications
In 1975, project managers were primarily task executors and coordinators, managing administrative, planning, and compliance work through manual processes.
4. Project Management in 2000
2000 Era Characteristics
- Adoption of digital tools — project management software, spreadsheets, email.
- Rise of IT, engineering, and cross functional projects.
- Emergence of more formalized documentation and collaboration across departments.
Table 2: Project Management Responsibilities in 2000 (Shown as a Bulleted List)
Task Number, Responsibility
- 21. Develop project plans using software
- 22. Define/manage project scope with stakeholders
- 23. Create Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)
- 24. Assign resources digitally
- 25. Monitor schedules and dependencies
- 26. Track budgets electronically
- 27. Conduct team status meetings
- 28. Prepare status reports for management or clients
- 29. Identify and manage risks using registers
- 30. Manage change requests formally
- 31. Interface with vendors and contractors
- 32. Ensure compliance with standards (e.g., ISO, CMMI)
- 33. Facilitate cross-functional collaboration
- 34. Maintain electronic project documentation
- 35. Implement quality assurance / testing plans
- 36. Negotiate project timelines and deliverables
- 37. Mentor junior team members
- 38. Communicate with stakeholders via email/phone
- 39. Conduct project reviews / lessons learned
- 40. Manage IT specific challenges (integration, version control)
By 2000, project management work became more data-driven, collaborative, and structured, leveraging software tools and standardized processes—yet human judgment remained essential.
5. Project Management in 2025
2025 Era Characteristics
- Agile, hybrid, or flexible methodologies predominate.
- Cloud-based collaboration and real-time communications.
- AI supports planning, scheduling, analytics, and reporting.
- Remote and distributed teams are common.
Table 3: Project Management Responsibilities in 2025 (Shown as a Bulleted List)
Task Number, Responsibility
- 41. Facilitate Agile ceremonies (Scrum, Kanban)
- 42. Develop adaptive project roadmaps
- 43. Leverage AI tools for scheduling / resource allocation
- 44. Manage distributed / remote teams
- 45. Collaborate in real-time using cloud platforms
- 46. Track key performance indicators (KPIs) and project health metrics continuously
- 47. Prioritize tasks dynamically based on business value
- 48. Foster team culture, psychological safety, and inclusion
- 49. Manage stakeholder engagement via digital dashboards
- 50. Ensure alignment with organizational strategy / objectives and key results (OKRs)
- 51. Conduct scenario planning for risks and opportunities
- 52. Integrate DevOps and continuous delivery practices
- 53. Drive continuous improvement and iterative delivery
- 54. Coordinate multi-project programs and portfolios
- 55. Support and interpret AI-driven analytics and forecasts
- 56. Mentor teams in adaptive practices
- 57. Ensure cybersecurity, data privacy, and compliance
- 58. Evaluate emerging technology trends for project applicability
- 59. Promote sustainability and ESG considerations in projects
- 60. Drive business value through strategic alignment and innovation
In 2025, project managers have evolved into strategic leaders, facilitators, and value drivers, leveraging AI and modern methodologies while focusing on human-centric and business-outcome work.
6. Trends and Patterns Across Eras
Table 4: Evolution of Project Management Responsibilities
| Era | Core Characteristics | Primary Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Manual, administrative, paper-based | Task execution and compliance |
| 2000 | Digital, collaborative, structured | Coordination, planning, analysis |
| 2025 | AI-augmented, strategic, people-driven | Leadership, value delivery, agility |
The trend shows a steady transformation: administrative burdens diminish, while strategic, human-centric tasks rise in importance.
7. AI Potential in Project Management
Not all project management tasks are equally suited for automation. Based on the analysis:
- Some tasks can be fully handled by AI (e.g., scheduling, baseline tracking, and relatively simple reporting).
- Many tasks benefit from AI but still need human oversight or creativity—especially those involving uncertainty, complexity, or human relationships.
- Some tasks remain inherently human (e.g., leadership, team culture, stakeholder negotiation, and ethical judgment).
Table 5: Annotated Project Management Responsibilities with AI Potential (All 60 Tasks)
| Task # | Era | Responsibility | Human, AI, or Human/AI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1975 | Develop detailed project plans (Gantt charts) | AI |
| 2 | 1975 | Define project scope and requirements | Human |
| 3 | 1975 | Allocate resources manually | Human/AI |
| 4 | 1975 | Prepare budgets and cost estimates | Human/AI |
| 5 | 1975 | Schedule tasks using paper/mainframe tools | AI |
| 6 | 1975 | Track progress via manual reports | Human/AI |
| 7 | 1975 | Monitor timelines closely | Human/AI |
| 8 | 1975 | Conduct formal project meetings | Human |
| 9 | 1975 | Prepare documentation for approvals | Human/AI |
| 10 | 1975 | Manage risks manually | Human/AI |
| 11 | 1975 | Interface with vendors and suppliers | Human |
| 12 | 1975 | Ensure compliance with regulations | Human |
| 13 | 1975 | Lead teams hierarchically | Human |
| 14 | 1975 | Handle procurement of materials/equipment | Human/AI |
| 15 | 1975 | Maintain physical project files | AI |
| 16 | 1975 | Coordinate via memos and phone calls | Human/AI |
| 17 | 1975 | Approve change requests manually | Human/AI |
| 18 | 1975 | Present reports to senior management | Human/AI |
| 19 | 1975 | Perform project closeout / post-mortems | Human |
| 20 | 1975 | Ensure deliverables meet technical specifications | Human |
| 21 | 2000 | Develop project plans using software | Human/AI |
| 22 | 2000 | Define/manage project scope with stakeholders | Human |
| 23 | 2000 | Create Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) | Human/AI |
| 24 | 2000 | Assign resources digitally | AI |
| 25 | 2000 | Monitor schedules / dependencies | AI |
| 26 | 2000 | Track budgets electronically | AI |
| 27 | 2000 | Conduct team status meetings | Human |
| 28 | 2000 | Prepare status reports for management/clients | AI |
| 29 | 2000 | Identify/manage risks with registers | Human/AI |
| 30 | 2000 | Manage change requests formally | Human/AI |
| 31 | 2000 | Interface with vendors/contractors | Human |
| 32 | 2000 | Ensure compliance with standards (ISO, CMMI) | Human |
| 33 | 2000 | Facilitate cross-functional collaboration | Human |
| 34 | 2000 | Maintain electronic project documentation | AI |
| 35 | 2000 | Implement quality assurance / testing plans | Human/AI |
| 36 | 2000 | Negotiate project timelines / deliverables | Human |
| 37 | 2000 | Mentor junior team members | Human |
| 38 | 2000 | Communicate with stakeholders via email / phone | Human/AI |
| 39 | 2000 | Conduct project reviews / lessons learned | Human |
| 40 | 2000 | Manage IT-specific challenges (integration / version control) | Human/AI |
| 41 | 2025 | Facilitate Agile ceremonies (Scrum, Kanban) | Human |
| 42 | 2025 | Develop adaptive project roadmaps | Human/AI |
| 43 | 2025 | Leverage AI tools for scheduling / resource allocation | AI |
| 44 | 2025 | Manage distributed / remote teams | Human |
| 45 | 2025 | Collaborate in real-time using cloud platforms | Human/AI |
| 46 | 2025 | Track key performance indicators (KPIs) / project health metrics continuously | AI |
| 47 | 2025 | Prioritize tasks dynamically based on business value | Human/AI |
| 48 | 2025 | Foster team culture, psychological safety, inclusion | Human |
| 49 | 2025 | Manage stakeholder engagement via dashboards | Human |
| 50 | 2025 | Ensure alignment with organizational strategy / objectives and key results (OKRs) | Human |
| 51 | 2025 | Conduct scenario planning for risks and opportunities | Human/AI |
| 52 | 2025 | Integrate DevOps / continuous delivery practices | Human/AI |
| 53 | 2025 | Drive continuous improvement and iterative delivery | Human/AI |
| 54 | 2025 | Coordinate multi-project programs / portfolios | Human/AI |
| 55 | 2025 | Support AI-driven analytics and forecasting | Human/AI |
| 56 | 2025 | Mentor teams in adaptive practices | Human |
| 57 | 2025 | Ensure cybersecurity, data privacy, and compliance | Human/AI |
| 58 | 2025 | Evaluate emerging technology trends for project applicability | Human |
| 59 | 2025 | Promote sustainability and ESG considerations in projects | Human |
| 60 | 2025 | Drive business value through strategic alignment and innovation | Human |
Here's the distribution of the 60 tasks (all eras combined).
- 10 (17%) were designated as AI.
- 26 (43%) as Human/AI.
- 24 (40%) as Human.
Here's the data by era.
- 1975: 17 (85%) of the 20 tasks were classified as Human or Human/AI, and the other 3 (15%) were designated as AI.
- 2000: 15 (75%) of the 20 tasks were classified as Human or Human/AI, and the other 5 (25%) were designated as AI.
- 2025: 18 (90%) of the 20 tasks were classified as Human or Human/AI, and the other 2 (10%) were designated as AI.
Here are the ranges for the eras in aggregate: 75-90% (83% average) of the tasks were Human or Human/AI, and 10-25% (17% average) were AI.
8. Implications for the Future of Project Management
- Project management is evolving. Professionals who embrace this change are unlikely to be replaced. As AI automates repetitive and data-intensive tasks, project managers can focus on higher-value responsibilities such as strategic planning, leadership, stakeholder engagement, and fostering team culture.
- Skill priorities will shift. In addition to technical fluency, successful project managers will need leadership, critical thinking, stakeholder management, AI tool literacy, and ethical decision-making skills.
- Organizations must adapt. To leverage AI effectively, organizations should redesign workflows, blend human + AI tasks intentionally, invest in reskilling, and establish governance over AI use (e.g., privacy, bias, accountability).
- Human + AI collaboration becomes the norm. A “hybrid workforce” (one that combines human judgment and other qualities along with AI efficiency) offers improved productivity, agility, and strategic focus.
In short, AI handles analytics, scheduling, and reporting; humans focus on leadership, strategy, stakeholder relationships, and value delivery.
9. Discussion and Insights
The human element remains essential in project management. Leadership, ethics, interpersonal dynamics, and strategic thinking are profoundly difficult—if not impossible—to fully automate.
AI serves as a powerful tool rather than a replacement. By taking over routine and repetitive tasks, it frees project managers to focus on higher-order responsibilities that demand and benefit from human judgment and insight.
The evolution of the profession has been gradual yet enduring. Over the past five decades, project management has progressed from manual processes to digital systems and now to AI-augmented work, but the core share of human-centered responsibilities has remained substantial.
Ultimately, resilience and adaptability determine success. Project managers and organizations that embrace change, invest in reskilling, and integrate AI as a collaborative partner will thrive, while those who cling to outdated approaches risk falling behind.
Actionable Insights
AI doesn’t replace project managers—it reshapes what it means to be one. Success now depends on a combination of strategic oversight, human judgment, leadership, ethical governance, and AI literacy. Routine work is automated, so human contribution is elevated to guiding decisions, managing people, and ensuring outcomes align with organizational objectives.
Here’s a comprehensive summary of general guidance for project managers in an AI-augmented world, along with the reasoning behind each suggestion:
1. Embrace AI as a tool, not a replacement
- Guidance: Use AI to automate routine, repetitive, and data-intensive tasks such as scheduling, resource tracking, risk monitoring, status reporting, and document generation.
- Why: AI can handle certain high-volume tasks faster and with fewer errors than humans. This frees project managers to focus on decision-making, strategy, and stakeholder engagement—areas where human judgment is critical.
2. Develop soft skills
- Guidance: Invest in communication, negotiation, coaching, and conflict-resolution skills. Lead teams with empathy and clarity.
- Why: As AI fulfills operational tasks, human skills that involve understanding, motivating, and guiding people become more valuable.
3. Focus on governance and ethical oversight
- Guidance: Establish protocols for AI usage, including validation of AI outputs, risk assessment, compliance with regulations, and ethical considerations (e.g., bias in AI algorithms).
- Why: AI is powerful but not infallible (e.g., AI "hallucinations"). Project managers ensure that AI supports strategic objectives responsibly and ethically, safeguarding quality, fairness, and accountability.
4. Strengthen decision-making and judgment
- Guidance: Learn to interpret AI recommendations critically, identify exceptions, and make final decisions that consider business context, human factors, and organizational priorities.
- Why: AI can suggest solutions or predict outcomes, but humans are needed to weigh trade-offs, anticipate unintended consequences, and align actions with organizational goals.
5. Advance AI literacy and technical awareness
- Guidance: Understand how AI tools work at a conceptual level, including their capabilities, limitations, and data requirements. Be able to communicate effectively with technical teams.
- Why: Project managers need to bridge the gap between technical AI implementation and business strategy. AI literacy helps in planning, monitoring, and ensuring projects deliver value.
6. Reimagine project roles and workflows
- Guidance: Redesign team structures and workflows to integrate AI. Identify where AI can augment human roles and where humans must retain control.
- Why: Effective integration of AI changes task allocation and accountability. Teams that adapt processes for AI augmentation are more efficient, productive, and innovative.
7. Practice continuous learning and adaptation
- Guidance: Stay updated on emerging AI tools, methods, and best practices. Encourage team upskilling and cross-functional learning.
- Why: AI evolves rapidly. Project managers who continuously learn and foster learning cultures will maintain relevance and ensure their projects leverage the latest innovations.
10. Conclusion
Project management has experienced a major change in its structure and working methods during the last five decades. In 1975, project managers were mostly performing basic procedural tasks, keeping everything in their heads or on paper, using manual methods. By 2000, work relied on digital tools. In 2025, project managers are empowered by AI and are more focused on strategic leadership, enterprise agility, and value delivery.
Key Takeaways:
- AI automates and augments tasks but does not replace human involvement.
- Human skills such as leadership, strategy, and interpersonal insight remain central.
- Project management is evolving toward human + AI collaboration, emphasizing strategy, value creation, and innovation.

To learn more about human-AI collaboration, including the "exotic team dynamics" that emerge when advanced AI joins teams, see this article.
11. Bibliography
This is an extensive, though not exhaustive, bibliography. It is informed, in part, by the author’s expertise in project management and technology including Agile, enterprise agility, and AI.
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Berlin School of Business and Innovation. (2022, September 22). How Do Technical Abilities Combined with Leadership Skills Fuel Career Growth? https://www.berlinsbi.com/blog/career-advice/how-do-technical-abilities-combined-with-leadership-skills-fuel-career-growth
Berretta, S.; Tausch, A.; Ontrup, G.; Gilles, B.; Peifer, C.; Kluge, A. (2023, September). Defining Human-AI Teaming the Human-Centered Way: A Scoping Review and Network Analysis. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence, 6, 1250725. DOI:10.3389/frai.2023.1250725
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Dolev, N., & Itzkovich, Y. (2020). In the AI Era, Soft Skills are the New Hard Skills. In: Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on Business, pp. 55-77. Charlotte, North Carolina, United States: Information Age Publishing.
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Eastwood, B. (2025, February 3). When Humans and AI Work Best Together — and When Each is Better Alone. MIT Sloan Management Review. https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/when-humans-and-ai-work-best-together-and-when-each-better-alone
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Gartner, Inc. (2019, March 20). Gartner Says 80 Percent of Today’s Project Management Tasks will be Eliminated by 2030 as Artificial Intelligence Takes Over [Press release]. https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2019-03-20-gartner-says-80-percent-of-today-s-project-management
Georganta, E., & Ulfert, A. S. (2024, September). Would You Trust an AI Team Member? Team Trust in Human–AI Teams. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 97(3), 1212-1241. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12504
Gershenson, C. (2025, September 4). Complexity, Artificial Life, and Artificial Intelligence. Artificial Life, 31(3), 289-303. https://doi.org/10.1162/artl_a_00462
Gorman, A. (2023, April 27). How to Strengthen Your Soft Skills for AI and the Future of Work. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/90887540/how-to-strengthen-your-soft-skills-for-ai-and-the-future-of-work
Graffius, S. M. (2016, January 21). 2014 NSDM Publication on Leadership by National Security Affairs Professor Mary Raum Featured the 2008 Edition of Scott M. Graffius' Work on Team Development. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/nsdm-leadership.html
Graffius, S. M. (2016). Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. North Charleston, South Carolina, United States: CreateSpace.
Graffius, S. M. (2016). Thinking Strategically and Acting Tactically. Los Angeles, California, United States: Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions.
Graffius, S. M. (2018, October 18). Agile Scrum Helps Innovators, Disruptors, and Entrepreneurs Develop and Deliver Products at Astounding Speed Which Drives Competitive Advantage [Presentation]. Talk delivered at Techstars Startup Week Conference. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.25009.12647
Graffius, S. M. (2019). Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change. Scotts Valley, California, United States: CreateSpace.
Graffius, S. M. (2021). Phases of Team Development. Los Angeles, California, United States: Scott M. Graffius. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.22040.42246
Graffius, S. M. (2021, May 13). But First, the Team! [Presentation]. Lecture delivered at DevOps Pro Europe 2021 Conference; based and simulcast live from Vilnius, Lithuania. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.30524.36481
Graffius, S. M. (2021, October 5). Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility for Happier and More Productive Teams [Presentation]. Talk delivered at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IEEE Day 2021 Conference. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.20055.19365
Graffius, S. M. (2022, February 4). Team Development Tradecraft: A Source of Competitive Advantage [Workshop]. Session at private event in Adelaide, Australia. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.14092.80002
Graffius, S. M. (2023, April 26). The Science of High-Performance Teams [Presentation]. Talk delivered at the DevOps Institute's SKILup Day 2023 Conference. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.15888.28169
Graffius, S. M. (2023, May 1). AI is a Team Sport: A Confluence of Diverse Technical and Soft Skills are Crucial for Success. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/successful-ai-teams.html https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.20321.79200
Graffius, S.t M. (2023, May 1). Fueling the Development of Innovative and Life-Changing AI Solutions [Presentation]. Talk delivered to an audience of Technology professionals at a private event in Mountain View, California, United States. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.27956.73601
Graffius, S. M. (2023, June 29). What Successful AI Teams Have in Common [Presentation]. Talk delivered at Conf42 Quantum Computing 2023 Conference. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.29382.45120
Graffius, S. M. (2023, July 15). Successful Video Game Development Teams Leverage an Extensive Range of Hard Skills and Soft Skills. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/gamedev.html https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.31205.17124
Graffius, S. M. (2023, October 9). Top 5 Roles on AI Teams. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/ai-team-roles.html https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.34857.57449
Graffius, S. M. (2023, October 13). The Science of High-Performance Game Development Teams [Presentation]. Talk delivered at the W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference 2023 - Helsinki, Finland. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.28602.16326
Graffius, S. M. (2024, May 3). Leverage Agile and AI to Innovate at the Speed of Light. Talk at private event in Dubai, UAE. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.30790.48960
Graffius, S. M. (2024, May 21). What Successful AI Development Teams Have in Common. Talk at DevDays Europe 2024 Conference. https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.24313.07529
Graffius, S. M. (2024, November 18). Side-by-Side Comparison of Retrospectives and Hot Washes. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/retrospectives-and-hot-washes.html
Graffius, S. M. (2025). Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum. Seattle, Washington, United States: Amazon Digital Services.
Graffius, S. M. (2025, January 7). Scott M. Graffius' Phases of Team Development: 2025 Update. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/phases-of-team-development-update-for-2025.html https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.33705.30564
Graffius, S. M. (2025, January 24). When Agile, AI, and Strategic Thinking Converge. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/when-agile-ai-and-strategic-thinking-converge.html
Graffius, S. M. (2025, February 21). Agile's Journey Through the Decades. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/agile's-journey-through-the-decades.html
Graffius, S. M. (2025, July 18). Harness Sci-Fi and Speculative Design While Embracing Imperfection to Drive Innovation and Proactively Predict and Prepare for the Future. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/harness-scifi-and-speculative-design-while-embracing-imperfection-to-drive-innovation-and-proactively-predict-and-prepare-for-the-future.html
Graffius, S. M. (2025, July 31). Climbing the Ladder: The Head of Agile/PMO’s Organizational Proximity to the CEO is Closer Than Ever. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/climbing-the-ladder-the-head-of-agile-pmos-organizational-proximity-to-the-ceo-is-closer-than-ever.html
Graffius, S. M. (2025, August 7). Method and System for Facilitating Hybrid Human-Artificial Intelligence Teams via a Protocolized Mediation Layer for Bi-Directional Translation, Interpretation, and Optimization of Natural Language, Paralinguistic, Prosodic, and Nonverbal Cues Across Text, Audio, and Video Modalities, Incorporating Real-Time Analysis of Auditory Tone, Pitch, Affect, Facial Expressions, Gaze, Posture, and Other Body Language Indicators, Generating AI-Compatible Representations for Human Inputs, Generating Human-Accessible Representations for AI Outputs, Conveying Context-Aware Information in Both Directions, Reducing Cognitive Friction, Enhancing Mutual Intelligibility, Supporting Decision-Making, and Maximizing Collective Task Performance. A novel integration of multimodal communication, cognitive alignment, and human-AI interaction. Los Angeles, California, United States: Scott M. Graffius.
Graffius, S. M. (2025, August 8). Exotic Team Dynamics: The New Frontier of Human-AI Collaboration. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/exotic-team-dynamics.html
Graffius, S. M. (2025, August 22). Scott M. Graffius Premieres His New "Exotic Team Dynamics: Human-AI Collaboration" Talk at Corporate Event in Las Vegas. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/scott-m-graffius-premieres-talk-on-human-and-ai-exotic-team-dynamics.html
Graffius, S. M. (2025, September 12). Scott M. Graffius’ Insights on AI, Agile, Gaming, XR, and Defense Transformation Cited by MSN in Their Coverage of Innovation and Leadership in the Sector. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/msn-cites-scott-m-graffius-insights-on-ai.html
Graffius, S. M. (2025, October 29). Definitions of Advanced AIs: Agentic, Autonomous, and Autopoietic. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/advanced-ai-definitions.html
Graffius, S. M. (2025, November 19). Lessons from Unhinged AI in Fiction: What Rogue AIs in Sci-Fi Storytelling, Films, and TV Shows Reveal About Us. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/lessons-from-unhinged-ai-in-fiction.html
Graffius, S. M. (2025, November 21). Navigating the Spectrum of Advanced AI – Agentic, Autonomous, and Autopoietic. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/navigating-the-spectrum-of-advanced-artificial-intelligence.html
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About Scott M. Graffius

Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.
He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 96 conferences and other events across 25 countries.
He’s delivered over $2.3 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.
The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. Graffius has conducted 96 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- MSN,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Check out Scott’s books:
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions — Deliver Products in Short Cycles with Rapid Adaptation to Change, Fast Time-to-Market, and Continuous Improvement
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum
Follow and connect with Scott on social media:












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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, December 9). A Data-Driven Analysis of the Evolution of Project Management: Tasks, Trends, and AI. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/evolution-of-project-management.html

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)

Content Acknowledgements
Names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.

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Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.

Actionable Insights. Global Impact. Scott M. Graffius.

Introduction
Scott M. Graffius is a sought-after speaker who combines deep expertise with compelling storytelling and practical guidance in his talks and workshops. Audiences attending his sessions at conferences and corporate/private events leave delighted, inspired, and armed with actionable insights.
For event planners, his talks deliver proven, high-impact content that attracts attendees, sparks meaningful conversations, and elevates the event’s value. For attendees, his sessions provide clear, practical takeaways—insights that can be applied the very next day to improve team performance, drive innovation, and advance strategic objectives.
Acclaimed International Speaker
Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader technology and business initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.
Graffius applies his core skills as a practitioner, consultant, researcher, thought leader, award‑winning author, and keynote speaker who has presented at 96 conferences and events across 25 countries. He has delivered more than $2.3 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and global organizations in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and other industries.
Graffius and his work are relied upon by organizations worldwide, including businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, the National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest, the Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and many more.
Conference organizers, businesses, professional associations, governments, and universities invite him to speak on Agile, Technology, and Transformation. Those include:
- Agile and Scrum;
- Artificial intelligence - agentic, autonomous, and autopoietic AI;
- DevOps;
- GameDev;
- GovTech;
- InfoSec;
- Innovation;
- Project, program, and portfolio management and PMO leadership;
- Strategic alignment;
- Teamwork tradecraft, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge from human-AI teams;
- and more.
To date, Graffius has presented talks and workshops at 96 conferences and other events across 25 countries, including Armenia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Talks & Workshops - 96 Sessions to Date
2025
- "Voici ce qui se passe lorsque l’IA avancée rejoint votre équipe" [“This is what happens when advanced AI joins your team”] at a corporate/private event in Paris, France, on November 21, 2025.
- "Exotic Team Dynamics: Human-AI Collaboration" at a corporate/private event in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, on August 22, 2025.
- "Agile for Unicorns" at a corporate/private event in California, United States, on June 16, 2025.
- "Score and Prioritize Proposed Initiatives Based on Multiple Factors, Including Strategic Alignment" at a corporate/private event in Santa Monica, California, United States, on April 4, 2025.
- "Engage or Fade: Decoding the Half-Life of Digital Resonance" at a corporate/private event in Santa Monica, California, United States, on March 28, 2025.
2024
- "What Successful AI Development Teams Have in Common" at the DevDays Europe Conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, on May 21, 2024.
- "Leverage Agile and AI to Innovate at the Speed of Light" at a corporate/private event in Dubai, UAE, on May 3, 2024.
2023
- "10 Ways to Score and Prioritize Project Proposals Based on Multiple Factors" at a corporate/private event in Paris, France, on November 22, 2023.
- "The Science of High-Performance Game Development Teams" at the W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference in Helsinki, Finland, on October 13, 2023.
- "What Successful AI Teams Have in Common" at the Conf42 Quantum Computing Conference in London, England, United Kingdom, on June 29, 2023.
- "Fueling the Development of Innovative and Life-Changing AI Solutions" at a corporate/private event in Mountain View, California, United States, on May 1, 2023.
- "The Science of High-Performance Teams" at the DevOps Institute SKILup Day conference in Lehigh Acres, Florida, United States, on April 26, 2023.
- "The Dramatic Impact of Adaptive Leadership on the Effectiveness and Happiness of Teams" at a corporate/private event in Oslo, Norway, on February 4, 2023.
- "Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility" at a corporate/private event in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, on February 4, 2023.
2022
- "Sustainable High Performance Agile Teams" at a corporate/private event in Santa Monica, California, United States, on September 17, 2022.
- "Sustainable High Performance: Develop, Advance, and Sustain High Performance of Dev Teams" at a corporate/private event in Romania on September 10, 2022.
- "Level Up the Happiness and Productivity of Your Project Teams: Adelaide SA" at a corporate/private event in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, on July 30, 2022.
- "Gamification of Agile: Level Up" at a corporate/private event in the United States on June 25, 2022.
- "10 Ways to Achieve and Sustain Strategic Alignment" at a corporate/private event in Denver, Colorado, United States, on May 21, 2022.
- "Want Happier and More Productive DevOps Teams?" at the DevOpsDays Geneva conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 12-13, 2022.
- “Strategic Value: 10 Ways to Score and Prioritize Project Proposals Based on Multiple Factors, Including Strategic Alignment” at a private event in Burbank, California, United States, on May 7, 2022.
- "Tradecraft: Team Building" at the Microsoft 365 Conference in Redmond, Washington, United States, on May 4-6, 2022.
- "Level Up the Happiness of InfoSec Teams" at the BSides Vancouver Cybersecurity Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on May 2, 2022.
- "10 Ways to Score and Prioritize Project Proposals Based on Multiple Factors" at a corporate/private event in Los Angeles, California, United States, on April 23, 2022.
- "Level Up the Happiness of Agile Teams" at the Agile Nepal Conference in Nepal on April 16-17, 2022.
- "Level Up the Happiness of Cybersecurity Teams" at the D.C. Cybersecurity Professionals Meetup session in Arlington, Virginia, United States, on April 16, 2022.
- "Level Up the Happiness and Productivity of Your Project Teams" at the Ireland PMI Chapter in Dublin, Ireland, on April 14, 2022.
- "Level Up the Happiness and Productivity of Your Project Teams" at the Greece PMI Chapter in Chalandri, Athens, Greece, on April 6, 2022.
- "Level Up the Happiness and Productivity of Your Project Teams (Edition for PMICIE)" at the California Inland Empire PMI Chapter in Rancho Cucamonga, California, United States, on March 8, 2022.
- "Are You Realizing All the Benefits from Agile? (Edition for EXP153)" at a corporate/private event in London, England, United Kingdom, on February 16, 2022.
- "Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility for Happier and More Productive Teams (Edition for PMI Budapest)" at the Budapest PMI Chapter in Budapest, Hungary, on February 16, 2022.
- "Team Development Tradecraft: A Source of Competitive Advantage" at a corporate/private event in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, on February 4, 2022.
- "Score and Prioritize Proposed Initiatives Based on Multiple Factors, Including Strategic Alignment" at a corporate/private event in Washington, D.C., United States, on January 28, 2022.
- "Level Up the Happiness and Productivity of Your Project Teams (Edition for Microsoft Teams Community Day)" at the Microsoft Teams Community Day Conference in Koln, Germany, on January 28, 2022.
- "10 Ways to Score and Prioritize Project Proposals Based on Multiple Factors (Edition for PMI-DVC)" at the Delaware Valley PMI Chapter in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, United States, on January 26, 2022.
- "Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility for Happier and More Productive Teams (Edition for PMI UAE)" at the UAE PMI Chapter in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on January 13, 2022.
2021
- "10 Ways to Score and Prioritize Project Proposals Based on Multiple Factors, Including Strategic Alignment (Edition for EXP143)" at a corporate/private event in Santa Monica, California, United States, on December 10, 2021.
- “10 Ways to Score and Prioritize Project Proposals Based on Multiple Factors, Including Strategic Alignment (Edition for EXP136)” at a corporate/private event in Santa Monica, California, United States, on November 10, 2021.
- "The Journey to Happier and More Productive DevOps Teams" at the DevOps Experience conference in New York, New York, United States, on October 28, 2021.
- "The Journey to Happier and More Productive Agile Teams" at the Frug'Agile Conference Armenia in Armenia on October 14-15, 2021.
- "Are You Realizing All the Benefits from Agile? (Edition for EXP135)" at a corporate/private event in Santa Monica, California, United States, on October 7, 2021.
- "Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility for Happier and More Productive Teams" at the IEEE in New York, New York, United States on October 5, 2021.
- “10 Ways to Score and Prioritize Project Proposals Based on Multiple Factors, Including Strategic Alignment (Edition for Private Event in Rio de Janeiro)” at a corporate/private event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on September 17, 2021.
- "Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility for Happier and More Productive InfoSec Teams" at the BSides Newcastle InfoSec Conference in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom, on September 11, 2021.
- “10 Ways to Score and Prioritize Project Proposals Based on Multiple Factors, Including Strategic Alignment (Edition for Private Event in New York City)” at a corporate/private event in New York, New York, United States, on September 2, 2021.
- “Want Happier and More Productive Teams?” at the Agile Trends Gov Conference in São Paulo, Brazil, on September 1, 2021.
- “Team Development Workshop” at a corporate/private event in Dallas, Texas, United States, on August 4, 2021.
- “Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility for Happier and More Productive Tech Teams” at a corporate/private event in Hong Kong on July 20, 2021.
- “10 Ways to Score and Prioritize Project Proposals Based on Multiple Factors, Including Strategic Alignment (Edition for PMI Florida Suncoast Chapter)” at the Florida Suncoast Chapter of the Project Management Institute in Clearwater, Florida, United States, on July 13, 2021.
- “DevOps and Team Leadership” at a corporate/private event in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, on July 21, 2021.
- “10 Ways to Score and Prioritize Project Proposals Based on Multiple Factors, Including Strategic Alignment (Edition for PMICVC)” at the Central Virginia Chapter of the Project Management Institute in Richmond, Virginia, United States, on June 16, 2021.
- “Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility (Edition for Private Event in Stockholm, Sweden)” at a corporate/private event in Stockholm, Sweden, on May 20, 2021.
- “But First, the Team!” at the DevOps Pro Europe Conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, on May 13, 2021.
- “10 Ways to Score and Prioritize Project Proposals Based on Multiple Factors, Including Strategic Alignment (Edition for PMI SWVA)” at the Southwest Virginia Chapter of the Project Management Institute in Roanoke, Virginia, United States, on May 11, 2021.
- “Practical, Actionable, Evidence-Based Guidance to Leverage in Agile Implementations, Transformations, and Improvements (Encore Session)” at a corporate/private event in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom, on May 10, 2021.
- “Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility (Edition for PMI Luxembourg)” at the Luxembourg Chapter of the Project Management Institute in Luxembourg on April 29, 2021.
- “Practical, Actionable, Evidence-Based Guidance to Leverage in Agile Implementations, Transformations, and Improvements” at a corporate/private event in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom, on April 27, 2021.
- “Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility (Edition for PMI Monterey Bay)” at the Monterey Bay Chapter of the Project Management Institute in Monterey, California, United States, on April 15, 2021.
- “10 Ways to Score and Prioritize Project Proposals Based on Multiple Factors, Including Strategic Alignment (Edition for Private Event in Sydney)” at a corporate/private event in Sydney, Australia, on March 31, 2021.
- “Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility (Edition for PMI New Zealand)” at the New Zealand Chapter of the Project Management Institute in Auckland, New Zealand, on March 24, 2021.
- “Are You Realizing All the Benefits from Agile? (Edition for Private Event in Dublin)” at a corporate/private event in Dublin, Ireland, on March 23, 2021.
- “Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility (Edition for PMI SNC)” at the Southern Nevada Chapter of the Project Management Institute in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, on March 18, 2021.
- “Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility (Edition for CIAM)” at the California Institute of Advanced Management in Alhambra, California, United States, on March 13, 2021.
- “10 Ways to Score and Prioritize Project Proposals Based on Multiple Factors, Including Strategic Alignment (Edition for Private Event in Melbourne)” at a corporate/private event in Melbourne, Australia, on March 1, 2021.
- “Are You Realizing All the Benefits from Agile?” at the Scottish Summit (technology conference) in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, on February 27, 2021.
- “Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility (Edition for PMI Finland)” at the Finland Chapter of the Project Management Institute in Helsinki, Finland, on February 26, 2021.
- “But First, the Team! (Edition for ConFoo Developer Conference)” at the ConFoo Developer Conference in Montreal, Québec, Canada, on February 24, 2021.
- “Want Great Chaos Engineering? It Takes a Great Team!” at a corporate/private event in Mountain View, California, United States, on February 22, 2021.
- “But First, the Team! (Edition for DevConf.CZ)” at the DevConf.CZ Conference in Brno, Czech Republic, on February 20, 2021.
- “Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility (Edition for Beverly Hills Private Event)” at a corporate/private event in Beverly Hills, California, United States, on February 10, 2021.
- “10 Ways to Score and Prioritize Project Proposals Based on Multiple Factors, Including Strategic Alignment” at the California Inland Empire Chapter of the Project Management Institute in Rancho Cucamonga, California, United States, on February 9, 2021.
- “Develop and Deliver Web Projects at Astounding Speed Which Drives Competitive Advantage” at a corporate/private event in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, on February 5, 2021.
- “Want Great Development? It Takes a Great Team!” at a corporate/private event in Köln (Cologne), Germany, on January 29, 2021.
- “Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility (Edition for PMI Alaska)” at the Alaska Chapter of the Project Management Institute in Anchorage, Alaska, United States, on January 27, 2021.
- “Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility (Edition for PMI NAC)” at the North Alabama Chapter of the Project Management Institute in Huntsville, Alabama, United States, on January 27, 2021.
- “Navigate the Phases of Team Development with Speed and Agility (Edition for PMI NL)” at the Netherlands Chapter of the Project Management Institute in Gemeente Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands, on January 21, 2021.
2020
- “Delivering More [_______] by Investing in Strategic Prioritization” at a corporate/private event in Santa Monica, California, United States, on December 22, 2020.
- “Want Great IT? It Takes a Great Team! (Edition for M365 Coimbatore)” at the Microsoft M365 Saturday Coimbatore Conference in Coimbatore, India, on December 19, 2020.
- “But First, the Team! (Edition for IT Pro Dev Connections)” at the IT Pro Dev Connections Conference in Athens, Greece, on December 12, 2020.
- “But First, the Team! (Edition for Microsoft Azure)” at the Microsoft Azure Conference in Bangalore, India, on November 25, 2020.
- “Gamification of Agile” at a corporate/private event in San Francisco, California, United States, on July 8, 2020.
- “IT and Project Leadership in a Risky World” at a corporate/private event in Paris, France, on June 11, 2020.
- “Getting (More) Benefits from Agile (Edition for PMILA)” at the Los Angeles Chapter of the Project Management Institute in Los Angeles, California, United States, on June 3, 2020.
- “Organizational Agility in a VUCA World” at a corporate/private event in Santa Monica, California, United States, on May 27, 2020.
- “Make Your Teamwork Transparent (and Fun)” at a corporate/private event in London, England, United Kingdom, on May 19, 2020.
- “Ensuring Delivery of Value Through IT Governance and Project Management” at a corporate/private event in London, England, United Kingdom, on May 15, 2020.
2019
- “Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for the Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company (Edition for Project World)” at the Project World / Business Analyst World Conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on May 28, 2019.
- “Getting (More) Benefits from Agile (Edition for Confidential Company)” at a corporate/private event in San Francisco, California, United States, on May 8, 2019.
- “How to Deliver Your Projects with Faster ROI, Competitive Advantage, and Additional Benefits Using Agile Scrum” at the California Inland Empire Chapter of the Project Management Institute in Murrieta, California, United States, on February 16, 2019.
2018
- “Agile Scrum Helps Innovators, Disruptors, and Entrepreneurs Develop and Deliver Products at Astounding Speed Which Drives Competitive Advantage” at the Techstars Startup Week Conference in Riverside, California, United States, on October 4, 2018.
- “Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company (Edition for PMICCVC)” at the California Central Valley Chapter of the Project Management Institute in Bakersfield, California, United States, on September 13, 2018.
- “Retrospectives and Continuous Improvement in the Agile Scrum Framework” at a corporate/private event in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, on August 25, 2018.
- “Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company (Edition for PMICIE)” at the California Inland Empire Chapter of the Project Management Institute in Rancho Cucamonga, California, United States, on August 14, 2018.
- “Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company (Edition for PMI4C)” at the California Central Coast Chapter of the Project Management Institute in Agoura Hills, California, United States, on June 28, 2018.
2017
- “Agile Project Management” at the Los Angeles Chapter of the Project Management Institute in Los Angeles, California, United States, on July 25, 2017.
- “Innovation and Project Management” at a corporate/private event in London, England, United Kingdom, on February 9, 2017.
Events may occur in-person, online, as a hybrid, or across multiple locations. The preceding information showed the primary or originating location for each event.
Highly Rated by Attendees and Organizers
Graffius uses everyday language and vibrant, custom content to make complex topics clear and understandable, and provides audiences with practical information they can immediately apply. His sessions are highly rated by attendees and organizers alike.
Here are some examples:
“Scott is an amazing speaker.” — Stacey Wong, Vice President, California Inland Empire Chapter of the Project Management Institute
“Great talk, thank you! I am managing a team of 20+ DevOps engineers and I will certainly use the know-how that I got from this presentation!” — Bogdan Croitoru, DevOps Experience Conference attendee
“Awesome presentation!” — Chris Hare, event attendee
“The workshop was extremely valuable.” — Event Coordinator, private workshop on Innovation and Project Management held in London
“The session was wonderful.” — Jayakumar Balasubramaniam, Organizer, Microsoft Conference
Committed to giving back, Graffius delivers a set amount of work pro bono to non-profits and charities each year.
Book Scott
Select here to ask Scott to speak at your conference or other event.
To explore his prior and upcoming engagements, testimonials, rate card, and more, visit here.
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About Scott M. Graffius

Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.
He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 96 conferences and other events across 25 countries.
He’s delivered over $2.3 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.
The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. Graffius has conducted 96 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- MSN,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Check out Scott’s books:
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions — Deliver Products in Short Cycles with Rapid Adaptation to Change, Fast Time-to-Market, and Continuous Improvement
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum
Follow and connect with Scott on social media:












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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, December 4). Actionable Insights. Global Impact. Scott M. Graffius. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/actionable-insights-global-impact-scott-m-graffius.html

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)

Content Acknowledgements
Names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.

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Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.

Beep Beep! Why Wile E. Coyote Is the Patron Saint of AI Failure

Introduction
Looking at important topics, such as AI, through different lenses can reveal insights that other analyses might miss. Fiction — dystopian sci fi, classic cartoons, or otherwise — frequently provides imaginative scenarios that reveal how tools, systems, and technology can succeed or fail. These stories highlight advantages and pitfalls potentially applicable to the real world. In a previous article, Scott M. Graffius explored how unhinged AI in fiction exposes dangers such as misaligned objectives, unchecked autonomy, and amplified human flaws (the bibliography provides details on that article and more). While set in imaginary worlds, these stories offer real-world lessons. These examples are just a few among many that provide a cautionary lens.
The Looney Tunes Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote cartoons offer an especially effective way to explore complex ideas. Their broad familiarity, striking visuals, and humorous exaggeration of misaligned goals and tool misuse turn otherwise abstract concepts into memorable lessons. Studying these animated misadventures reveals practical insights for human–AI collaboration, system design, and risk management.
Explaining the title to this article, here’s why a cartoon coyote deserves the title “patron saint of AI failure.” If over-engineered tools that fail in grand fashion had a hall of fame, Wile E. Coyote would be its eternal inductee and undisputed grand marshal for his (mis)use of ACME gadgets, turning every entry into a memorable disaster.
While exaggerated for comedy, Wile E. Coyote’s failures are surprisingly instructive. His endless parade of exploding rockets, collapsing catapults, and perfectly mistimed anvils is the funniest, most unforgettable crash course in misalignment, overconfidence, and unintended consequences ever drawn. In other words, he’s the perfect mascot for everything that can go wrong when humans hand ambitious goals to powerful tools and then walk away. Fortunately, he’s also the perfect teacher for those willing to laugh and learn.
The cartoons provide surprisingly rich lessons for thinking about AI—especially in the context of human-AI teams and tool deployment. Six key lessons follow.
1. AI (or tools) are only as effective as their design
Wile E. Coyote constantly relies on gadgets from ACME—traps, rockets, catapults, and more—to catch the Roadrunner. Almost every time, the gadgets backfire.
Lesson: AI is a tool, not magic. Poorly designed algorithms or misapplied technology can cause failures, unintended consequences, or even harm. This mirrors the importance of careful AI system design, testing, and validation before deployment.
2. Misaligned objectives are dangerous
Coyote’s goal is to catch the Roadrunner, but the gadgets’ “objectives” (as defined by ACME manuals) or the laws of physics are misaligned with that goal.
Lesson: AI systems perform exactly what they are told to do, not what we intend. Misalignment between human goals and AI objectives can produce disastrous or comically counterproductive outcomes. Think “objective function” in AI terms.
3. Iteration and learning have limits
The Coyote repeats failed strategies endlessly, sometimes adapting slightly, but rarely learning optimally from past mistakes.
Lesson: AI systems, like humans, need feedback loops and learning mechanisms to improve. Blind repetition without evaluation (or without updating the model based on outcomes) can perpetuate failure.
4. Risk and unintended consequences
Each ACME device is risky. Many explode, collapse, or harm Coyote instead of the intended target.
Lesson: AI deployment carries inherent risk. Tools may fail in unexpected ways, especially when operating in complex, real-world environments. Testing, simulation, and fail-safes are critical.
5. Overreliance on tools
Coyote relies almost exclusively on external gadgets rather than on strategy, instinct, or adaptation.
Lesson: Overdependence on AI or automation can reduce critical human judgment. Human oversight, creativity, and contextual understanding remain essential.
6. Creativity and innovation are key—but insufficient alone
Coyote is incredibly inventive—often devising elaborate schemes in seconds—yet his creativity is wasted because he misjudges physics, timing, or strategy.
Lesson: In human-AI teams, combining creativity (human or AI-generated ideas) with constraints, proper testing, and risk assessment is crucial. Innovation without grounding in reality can backfire.
The Big Picture
The cartoons offer a humorous but meaningful reflection on AI development. They exaggerate the risks of tool misalignment, overreliance, and unintended consequences—all of which are key considerations for anyone working with AI. They are reminders that AI systems are not a panacea, even if they seem ingenious. Without careful alignment, testing, and feedback, expect a familiar ending: “the Roadrunner” zipping away while the big plan collapses in comic fashion.
Conclusion
While Wile E. Coyote’s misadventures are entertaining, yet they highlight serious principles. In the real world, AI systems—like ACME gadgets—can be powerful tools. However, they are only as effective as their design, alignment, and oversight. Human-AI teams thrive when they navigate “exotic team dynamics” well and effectively combine human judgment, creativity, and ethical reasoning with AI’s speed, analytical power, and scalability. These teams are far more likely to outperform those that rely blindly on automation. By learning from even the most exaggerated fictional examples, organizations are more equipped to anticipate risks, avoid common pitfalls, and deploy AI responsibly. So no one ends up flattened against a painted tunnel that looked like the path forward.
Bibliography
This is the select bibliography.
Frazier, I. (1996). Coyote v. Acme. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, May 27). AI in Agile: Benefits, Risks, Outlook. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/ai-in-agile-benefits-risks-and-outlook-by-scott-m-graffius.html
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, July 18). Harness Sci-Fi and Speculative Design While Embracing Imperfection to Drive Innovation and Proactively Predict and Prepare for the Future. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/harness-scifi-and-speculative-design-while-embracing-imperfection-to-drive-innovation-and-proactively-predict-and-prepare-for-the-future.html
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, August 8). Exotic Team Dynamics: The New Frontier of Human–AI Collaboration. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/exotic-team-dynamics.html
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, August 22). Scott M. Graffius Premieres His New "Exotic Team Dynamics: Human-AI Collaboration" Talk at Corporate Event in Las Vegas. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/scott-m-graffius-premieres-talk-on-human-and-ai-exotic-team-dynamics.html
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, October 29). Definitions of Advanced AIs: Agentic, Autonomous, and Autopoietic. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/advanced-ai-definitions.html
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, November 19). Lessons from Unhinged AI in Fiction: What Rogue AIs in Sci-Fi Storytelling, Films, and TV Shows Reveal About Us. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/lessons-from-unhinged-ai-in-fiction.html
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, November 21). Navigating the Spectrum of Advanced AI – Agentic, Autonomous, and Autopoietic. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/navigating-the-spectrum-of-advanced-artificial-intelligence.html
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, November 21). This is What Happens When Advanced AI Joins Your Team [Presentation; French translation for contextual clarity: Voici ce qui se passe lorsque l’IA avancée rejoint votre équipe]. Talk delivered in English at a corporate event, Paris, France.
McCartney, R., & Anderson, M. (1996). The Believability of Road Runner Cartoons: Logical Consistency Conquers Unreality (Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence [AAAI] Technical Report WS-96-03, paper 002). https://cdn.aaai.org/Workshops/1996/WS-96-03/WS96-03-002.pdf
Sendker, D. (2024). Dance of the Comedians – 75 Years of the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote: An Unauthorized History. BearManor Media.
Warner Bros./SDS/NBCUniversal/WarnerMedia (2011). Looney Tunes Super Stars: Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote – Supergenius Hijinks. Warner Home Video.
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“Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum” Lands on the Amazon Best Sellers List!
Scott M. Graffius Recognized as a Top Thought Leader in Digital Disruption by Thinkers360
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About Scott M. Graffius

Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.
He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 95 conferences and other events across 25 countries.
He’s delivered over $2.3 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.
The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. Graffius has conducted 95 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- MSN,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Check out Scott’s books:
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions — Deliver Products in Short Cycles with Rapid Adaptation to Change, Fast Time-to-Market, and Continuous Improvement
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum
Follow and connect with Scott on social media:












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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, December 1). Beep Beep! Why Wile E. Coyote Is the Patron Saint of AI Failure. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/coyote-and-ai.html

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)

Content Acknowledgements
Names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.
Mural of Wile E. Coyote smashed into an ACME Instant Tunnel on the wall of the Rotch Library at MIT. Photo by Kenneth Lu, used under

Top 10 Hashtags for This Article
#AI
#AIFailure
#AIInsights
#ExoticTeamDynamics
#HumanAICollaboration
#Innovation
#Roadrunner
#LooneyTunes
#Tech
#WileECoyote

Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.

Social Media Half-Life Research Cited in Prestigious Peer-Reviewed Medical Journal

Introduction
How can scientific research reach farther and last longer in a digital world? The Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume) tackled that question, publishing a paper on strategies to boost visibility and citation impact. The authors highlighted several key works, including Scott M. Graffius’ "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts." His research reveals the temporal patterns of social media engagement—patterns that directly determine how long content remains visible and influential. This recognition underscores the practical value of Graffius’ work in helping scholars, among others, extend the life and reach of their publications.
Excerpts from the paper appear in the visual below.

Actionable Insights
The “Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts” research provides a framework for understanding temporal patterns, offering actionable insights for academics, marketers, and other audiences. By quantifying the half-life of engagement (such as likes, shares, and comments) of posts, the research helps professionals optimize content strategy including the timing and frequency of posts. Its citation in a peer-reviewed medical journal demonstrates that these principles are not only relevant to social media practitioners but also to the scientific community, where dissemination and visibility of research are critical. This recognition reflects the broader applicability of social media analytics in enhancing the visibility, influence, and adoption of research across diverse professional domains.
Conclusion
The citation of Graffius’ work in a prestigious medical journal underscores the importance of understanding content engagement. His research provides professionals with insights which they can leverage to extend the reach and influence of their work.
Bibliography
This is the select bibliography. It lists the two publications referenced in this article.
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, January 6). Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts: Update for 2025. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/lifespan-halflife-of-social-media-posts-update-for-2025.html
Yoshimura, R., Grant, M. C., & Wade, R. G. (2025). Using social media to disseminate hand surgery research boosts long‑term citations. Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume). https://doi.org/10.1177/17531934251385904
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.
Graffius applies his core skills as a practitioner, consultant, researcher, thought leader, award‑winning author, and keynote speaker who has presented at 95 conferences and events across 25 countries. He has delivered more than $2.3 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and global organizations in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and other industries.
Graffius and his work are relied upon by organizations worldwide, including businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, the National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest, the Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and many more.
About the "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts"
Graffius is an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—presents a meticulous quantitative evaluation of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision.
It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Cited by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Ministère de la Culture (French Ministry of Culture), Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
A visual from the now-current (2025) edition is shown below and details are available here.

About the Journal
The Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume) is a leading, peer-reviewed medical journal with a long history of advancing knowledge in hand and upper-limb surgery. Established in 1969 and published by SAGE Publications on behalf of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand, the journal covers a wide range of topics including surgical techniques, outcomes, anatomy, reconstruction, and nerve injuries. It is widely read by hand surgeons, plastic surgeons, and orthopedic specialists across Europe and internationally, and is indexed in major databases such as Scopus and the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE). The journal publishes original research, reviews, case studies, and editorials, providing a platform for both clinical and academic contributions. Its reputation is reflected in a respectable impact factor, h-index, and a long-standing record of high-quality, peer-reviewed publications. The journal is recognized as an authoritative source within the field of hand surgery and related disciplines.
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Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.
He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 95 conferences and other events across 25 countries.
He’s delivered over $2.3 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.
The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. Graffius has conducted 95 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- MSN,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Check out Scott’s books:
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions — Deliver Products in Short Cycles with Rapid Adaptation to Change, Fast Time-to-Market, and Continuous Improvement
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum
Follow and connect with Scott on social media:












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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, November 28). Social Media Half-Life Research Cited in Prestigious Peer-Reviewed Medical Journal. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/social-media-halflife-sage-journal.html

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)

Content Acknowledgements
Names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.
The paper—”Using social media to disseminate hand surgery research boosts long-term citations”—was written by Ryo Yoshimura, Michael C. Grant, and Ryckie G. Wade. Content is the property of the publisher and authors.
This article uses limited excerpts from the respective paper, attributed and used under fair use for news reporting and analysis.
Graffius’ “Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts” research is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

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Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.

Navigating the Spectrum of Advanced AI – Agentic, Autonomous, and Autopoietic

Introduction
Scott M. Graffius has explored the transformative frontier of human-AI collaboration through a series of articles and talks. It began with Exotic Team Dynamics: The New Frontier of Human–AI Collaboration (August 8, 2025). In that piece, he conveyed that advanced AI is no longer just a tool. It is emerging as a genuine teammate, creating entirely new “exotic team dynamics” patterns inspired by quantum concepts such as inverse decision logic, superposition roles, entangled decision-making, and emergent protocols.
He premiered a talk on this topic, Exotic Team Dynamics: Human-AI Collaboration, at a private corporate leadership retreat in Las Vegas on August 22, 2025, where he offered leaders actionable insights for successfully designing and scaling these teams. He published an article about it the same day.
Graffius then released Definitions of Advanced AIs (October 29, 2025) to bring greater clarity and refinement to the terminology.
Additionally, to balance the referenced opportunities with risks, Graffius published Lessons from Unhinged AI in Fiction (November 19, 2025) to highlight potential threats, drawing on sobering warnings from HAL 9000, Skynet, and other fictional AI. Top lessons include:
- AI is a mirror of human flaws, desires, and fears.
- Misaligned goals and a lack of oversight are a recipe for disaster.
- Complexity and autonomy create unpredictability.
- Ensuring humans act responsibly and ethically is central to realizing safe and trustworthy AI systems.
Here, Graffius presents an enhanced side-by-side comparison of multiple aspects of the current state of agentic, autonomous, and autopoietic AI. A visual is embedded below and serves as the centerpiece of this article.

To request a high-resolution version of the above visual, email Scott.
A Clear Progression: Agentic, Autonomous, and Autopoietic AI
Agentic AI is commercially available and in use. Systems such as Anthropic Claude with Computer Use, Microsoft Copilot Studio Custom Agents, and Salesforce Agentforce can take a human-defined objective, independently plan multi-step actions, coordinate multiple processes and tools, and adjust strategies as conditions change. These systems are semi-autonomous overall, yet highly autonomous in execution. That’s what today’s enterprises are deploying to reshape knowledge work.
From Fiction: The Ship’s Computer from TV's Star Trek is an agentic AI, capable of performing tasks and acting on behalf of humans to achieve specific goals, but not autonomous or autopoietic because it follows human instructions and cannot make independent decisions or self-sustain.
Aspects of agentic AI follow.
- Definition: Agentic AI is an advanced AI capable of pursuing defined objectives independently by planning multi-step actions, coordinating multiple processes, and adjusting strategies in response to changing conditions. It is semi-autonomous overall but highly autonomous in execution.
- Examples of commercially available systems: Adept Frontier Agents, Anthropic Claude with Computer Use, Microsoft Copilot Studio Custom Agents, and Salesforce Agentforce
- Fictional examples: The Ship’s Computer from TV's Star Trek
- Goal source: External: Defined by humans
- Core behavior: Decomposes tasks, orchestrates workflows, plans next steps, collaborates with user when needed
- Learning/adaptation: Learns to improve planning/execution; adapts strategies to dynamic contexts
- Structure/coordination: Multi-process, multi-step orchestration (“agentic loops” such as reflect–critique–act)
- Human oversight/intervention: Humans define objectives; AI executes autonomously but coordinates as needed
- User role: Collaborator → Consultant → Approver
- User involvement: Limited user involvement
- AI autonomy: AI has limited autonomy
- Governance risk: Objective misalignment; challenges in multi-agent orchestration and correctness
- Critical controls: Invocation or approval before actions
The aspects are also shown in the visual above.
Autonomous AI—defined as AI capable of independent operation without direct human control and able to set or adjust its own goals within defined or evolving parameters—does not yet exist in a commercial product. The closest real-world examples (Waymo driverless taxis, Google DeepMind’s data-center cooling optimization, certain industrial robots) remain rigidly bound by human-set objectives and operational domains. They exhibit high but bounded autonomy, not the broad, goal-evolving independence the definition requires.
From Fiction: Rosie the Robot from TV's The Jetsons is an autonomous AI, capable of independent action and decision-making on behalf of humans, but not autopoietic because she does not self-produce, self-replicate, or maintain her own existence beyond the functions programmed into her.
Aspects of autonomous AI follow.
- Definition: Autonomous AI is an advanced AI capable of independent operation and decision-making without direct human control or intervention. It is distinguished from less advanced systems by its self-regulation, capacity to set or adjust goals, and ability to act on those goals within defined or evolving parameters.
- Examples of commercially available systems: As defined, Autonomous AI does not yet exist in a commercial product; research prototypes from Google DeepMind, OpenAI, and xAI are close and are not yet commercially available
- Fictional examples: Rosie the Robot from TV’s The Jetsons
- Goal source: Internal or external: Defined by human or AI; AI may update goals
- Core behavior: Acts independently; adapts to environment; may change goals to meet conditions
- Learning/adaptation: Learns from environment; updates decisions or goal-selection processes
- Structure/coordination: Typically, a single system with internal autonomy
- Human oversight/intervention: Minimal ongoing oversight; human involvement primarily for exceptions or risk boundaries
- User role: Approver → Observer
- User involvement: Very limited user involvement
- AI autonomy: AI has high but bounded autonomy
- Governance risk: Goal drift; difficulty constraining evolving autonomous behavior
- Critical controls: Conditions for approval by human
The aspects are also shown in the visual above.
Autopoietic AI remains purely hypothetical and experimental. It would be a self-generating, self-maintaining, recursively-organizing system that continuously regenerates its own structure, rules, and operational boundaries while sustaining its functional identity—resembling biological life far more than software. No such system is commercially available, and oversight of it would be highly limited or unnecessary because the system itself would evolve its own rules and structure.
From Fiction: The Machines from the film The Matrix are autopoietic AI, capable of self-production, self-replication, and maintaining their own existence independently of humans, while also exhibiting autonomous decision-making and goal-directed behavior.
Aspects of autopoietic AI follow.
- Definition: Autopoietic AI is an advanced, experimental AI defined by self-generating, self-maintaining, and self-adaptive processes. Unlike other AIs, it features a recursive organization. It continually regenerates its structure, rules, and boundaries, sustaining its functional identity amid changing environments.
- Examples of commercially available systems: Autopoietic AI is not currently commercially available
- Fictional examples: The Machines from the film The Matrix
- Goal source: Self-generated: AI determines its own structure, rules, and aims
- Core behavior: Recursively self-producing; maintains its own internal organization and boundaries
- Learning/adaptation: Deep recursive adaptation; the system revises its own organizational structure
- Structure/coordination: Highly recursive, self-producing architecture resembling autopoietic biological systems
- Human oversight/intervention: Oversight highly limited or unnecessary; system evolves its own rules and structure
- User role: Hypothetically, non-participant
- User involvement: Potentially, no user involvement
- AI autonomy: AI has complete autonomy
- Governance risk: High unpredictability due to structural self-generation; difficult to constrain
- Critical controls: Emergency off switch (theoretical)
The aspects are also shown in the visual above.
Goals, Roles, and Controls
The source of goals marks the clearest dividing line: Agentic AI always starts with external human-defined objectives; Autonomous AI can update or set its own goals within parameters (human- or AI-derived); Autopoietic AI self-generates its aims, structure, and very existence.
Human roles shift accordingly—from active collaborator/approver in agentic systems, to distant observer in autonomous ones, to potentially no role at all (non-participant) in an autopoietic future. Governance risk escalates from objective misalignment and orchestration challenges today to goal drift tomorrow, and ultimately, high unpredictability and near-impossibility of constraint when systems begin to structurally regenerate themselves.
Even the critical controls tell the story. Today, we require invocation or approval before major actions; true autonomous systems would rely on conditional human approvals for exceptions. And for autopoietic systems, the only remaining idea is a theoretical “emergency off switch”—widely acknowledged to be unreliable or evadable once a system can rewrite its own code and replicate elsewhere.

Conclusion
We don’t need to slow progress; we need to steer it.
Organizations that master agentic human-AI teams today—with crystal-clear human-defined goals, approval gates, transparent reasoning traces, and ethical rituals—will be the ones best prepared for autonomous capabilities tomorrow and best positioned to implement the guardrails that prevent autopoietic risk the day after.
The gradient from heavy user involvement to near-total AI autonomy is not a distant horizon—it’s the road we’re already on. Those who navigate it wisely—embracing collaboration, transparency, and guardrails—will shape the future rather than be shaped by it.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities worldwide engage Scott M. Graffius for consultation and speaking engagements. His sessions on human and human-AI teams—including the "exotic team dynamics" that emerge—deliver fresh insights and actionable strategies for success. Complete a request form or email him today.
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More About Scott M. Graffius

Scott M. Graffius is a globally recognized technology leader who drives innovation in AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leadership.
He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 95 conferences and other events across 25 countries.
He’s delivered over $2.3 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.
Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.
The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. Graffius has conducted 95 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- MSN,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Check out Scott’s books:
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions — Deliver Products in Short Cycles with Rapid Adaptation to Change, Fast Time-to-Market, and Continuous Improvement
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum
Follow and connect with Scott on social media:












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How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, November 21). Navigating the Spectrum of Advanced AI – Agentic, Autonomous, and Autopoietic. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/navigating-the-spectrum-of-advanced-artificial-intelligence.html.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)

Content Acknowledgements
Names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.

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Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.

