Visibility is key! 

The interview with Elise Stevens, Podcaster, Speaker, Facilitator, conducted by Ewa Serwa

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I would like to ask you why is the project management profession not equally represented by both men and women? 

I believe that men and women both have the skills to be exceptional project managers. So if we all have the capability to be exceptional project managers, why is there still a big gap in the numbers of men and women in the profession? The answer to this question is complicated. Here are some things to consider.

The first is lack of flexible working environments. This is a big issue for working parents. I know a lot of organisations that claim to have flexible working arrangements, although I am yet to see one that actually works. I have had colleagues tell me that they felt they had to choose between their family and career as there was “not enough room” for both. The lack of flexible working environments often means that women leave the profession, make career changes to professions that are family friendly and opt-out of the workforce to concentrate on family.

The second thing is no acknowledgement that there is a diversity issue in the workplace. Project management has a diversity problem. While the number of women may vary across organisations, overall – women make up only 30% of the profession.

If we don’t acknowledge that there is a problem, then how can we tackle it? 

I once asked a client where all the women were in the team of project managers as there were not many. This was a team of about 25-30 project managers. He replied that one team member was on maternity leave, and that there was one other woman. The client felt that this was an okay situation and that women were fairly represented in their team even though it was very obviously mostly men. I found this an interesting perspective, as there wasn’t a diversity problem in the company – there were indeed women in the organisation, they were simply not in the project management team. Until we challenge the status quo, change will never happen.

In the 2017 survey, Tackling Resource Shortage in Project Management Industry, the ILX group identified that men outnumber women 4 to 1, in the senior roles. With so few women in senior project management roles, it can be hard for junior women to identify that there are realistic career paths for them in their future. I believe it is also fundamental for junior men in project management to work with women as their seniors in the workplace to learn the importance of diversity. The best way to learn is by example.

In February and March, to celebrate International Women’s Day, you were sharing the profiles and stories of some incredible women who have flourished in their project management careers. Could you tell our readers what inspired you to lead such a great initiative #CelebratingWomenInProjectManagement? 

I was disappointed by the lack of women’s voices online in blog posts, podcasts, and webinars, etc. I kept thinking that there are all these fabulous women working in the field of project management, and we hardly ever get to see or hear about their stories: what it is like to be a woman working in the field of project management, what the strengths are that we bring to the profession, and why we bring much needed team diversity.

My overall impression of conferences, papers, books and social media channels is that there are great women doing great things and yet we never seem to hear about these achievements. I wondered why women are under-represented in the profession. Is it the lack of visible female role models? If most of the voices are male, then women will struggle to be seen and heard, and to feel inspired by the great achievements of both men and women.

If we look at the project management conference environment (apart from PMI Poland Chapter and APM in the UK) there appears to be few events where women get the opportunity to learn from other women about how to have a great career in project management, and how to deal with issues that specifically relate to women. It was time to do something about this imbalance and showcase women’s achievements in the field. International Women’s Day offered a fantastic event to tie into the initiative. 

The profiles offered a channel that women can express in their own words the achievements they have made, and how to support other women to flourish in the profession. The project attracted a global response which was awe inspiring.

Being able to share all the fabulous profiles and showcase so many great achievements was beautiful, and highly satisfying. I am looking forward to seeing what next year’s initiative can achieve. My goal for next year is 100 profiles. I look forward to seeing the amazing women who step forward to register! Be sure to follow me online to join in. It has been a tremendous inspiration to my followers to see all of these incredible women, from all over the globe share their stories. 

Let me ask one of your questions. How can women stand out in the field of project management?

I believe that women can stand out in the field of project management by doing these 5 things.

First: Be yourself – the real you! Often, we change ourselves to fit in with the group. When teams of project managers comprise mostly of men, women often try to change themselves into something else ‘more suitable’, when in fact it is very important that we be honest about who we are and what we stand for. It is when we are ourselves that we truly believe in what we are doing, and can achieve the best results, and make genuine connections with colleagues. There is no standard template that identifies how to be a project manager – you do not need to look, dress and lead your teams in a certain way.  Simply be yourself – it keeps things interesting! No great opportunity, change or joy comes from acting like everyone else – in life, or in the workplace.

Second: Visibility is key! Be visible to your stakeholders, to your organisation, and in the project management community. There is nothing wrong with a being a self-promoter. If you are not going to say how fabulous you are, and what a great job you are doing, then you can’t expect others to know about or recognise your great achievements. We need to change the mindset of: I don’t need to do anything for people to realise my brilliance. Unfortunately, in the workplace it simply doesn’t happen that way. 

Third: Encourage other women to be visible. Being a champion of other women is a great way to increase the visibility of women in the profession. Encouraging others to share their achievements, and to be vocal in the community whether it is at events, online, or in the workplace with colleagues is a great way to give back.

Fourth: Have a great network. It’s not just about having a great network of supporters, but a great network of people who employ project managers. Having a strong network provides you with a fantastic way to find like-minded women to discuss experiences with, learn from, and share your own expertise. My network is very important to me and includes women from diverse backgrounds. They provide support, encouragement and a sounding board for discussing opportunities, issues and frustrations. In turn, I provide my ongoing support and encouragement to them. Networking is a great way to give back – the more you give, the more you grow! Your random acts of kindness and encouragement help women more than you may realise, and your involvement in your network is very likely to help you find your next big, exciting role.

Fifth: Take advantage of opportunities. Often opportunities are presented to us on a platter, and we don’t take advantage of them. Taking advantage of opportunities as they arise is a great way to explore new things.

Ok! Let’s talk about the future of project management. Do you think project manager is the most wanted profession? 

I think the profession is under-valued in some organisations. There are some organisations that have great project managers, they are valued and great outcomes are delivered. In my experience these organisations are rare. 

For example, let’s look at start-ups – If you were to ask the management team of a start-up, should they employ a project manager to assist them to deliver, they would probably say no – why do we need all that governance and process to deliver our product? Yet a project manager with the right skills could add significant value to the start-up.  

The skills and experience in delivering outcomes can sometimes be perceived as overhead, and not adding value to the process. I believe that this is linked to low levels of project management maturity within the organisation. 

Project management is not often viewed as a ‘professional’ career. I love hearing people say: “I can be a project manager – how hard can it be”. To be a highly effective project manager requires high levels of leadership, EQ and technical project management skills. 

If we look at the work that Colin Ellis is doing about the importance of EQ, the nature of work is changing to be more “project based” as part of our normal work. I am already seeing that with my clients. 

By changing things around including the PMO, we can demonstrate what it means to deliver great outcomes. Organisations need to take a tough look at their project management capability and want more from it. It also means that operational departments need to understand how they have contributed to the situation and change as well. I believe that the new breed of PMOs will make a significant difference to the future of project management.

I also think it is about how project managers perceive themselves and the work they do. 

Is there the need to change project management and simplify processes to meet satisfaction of the clients? 

Yes, the profession needs to change – too much governance and everyone is unhappy; too little governance and it can be chaos. It is all about identifying what is important to the customer and working together efficiently to establish what the best process is to ensure that the project delivers the correct outcome.

I think the first step is to discuss with the customer what do they want and how do they want to be engaged with during the project. This can be challenging as the PMO often has very structured approach to the delivery of projects. 

Producing 25 documents “just because it is part of the process” is not doing any body any favours. 

If a part of the process is not adding any value, influence others to change. There are always opportunities to influence and bring about transformation. Actively seek out improvement opportunities.

What was the biggest challenge in your projects? And how did you deal with it? 

I have found the ‘people aspects’ of a project to be one of the biggest challenges; whether that be managing stakeholder expectations, creating and leading the team, or managing vendors. My goal is always to be an exceptional leader. I believe it is a continual learning process – there is no such thing as a finish line!

My approach to be an exceptional leader is to:

• Understand my strengths and opportunities for improvement
• Invest in my leadership development
• Take a coaching approach to leadership
• Know, understand and support all members of the team
• Try new approaches to leadership
• Retain my sense of humour throughout the project journey.

What is effective leadership? 

Projects can be hard work – sometimes nothing goes right, and you can feel that you are one step ahead of impending disaster (and unhappy stakeholders).

To be an effective project manager, one must be an effective leader. Just because you are the project manager, doesn’t mean that people will give their 110% for you. People smell fake very quickly. 

Being an effective leader to me means being myself, showing passion and commitment, so that people want to bring their “A” game to work every day, and be with you through the good times and the bad. There are several elements to effective leadership, including: never take your team for granted; take time to understand your team, and the team dynamics; understand the politics of the environment; and assist your team to be best they can be.

Effective leadership is all about creating and maintaining the most effective environment for the team to work in, and allowing them to be the best they can be.

What are your golden recommendations for successful project managing? 

My golden recommendations for successfully managing projects are: Believe in yourself and your abilities – if you don’t, no one else is going to! Invest in yourself – taking time to learn new things will help keep you fresh and relevant! Know and understand your stakeholders. Be the kind of leader you would look up to and respect yourself as a team member. Always look for opportunities to improve the project delivery process.