5 Reflections on Women in Project Management

Yasmina Khelifi is a French project manager with 3 PMI certifications. She has been working in an international environment for more than 20 years. Yasmina can speak 6 languages and has an MSc in Mobile Telecommunications. She is a passionate PMI volunteer. Yasmina's new co-authored book 'The Volunteering Journey to Project Leadership' (CRC Press). is now available. Connect with her to continue the conversation.

  Career Development   Organizational Culture  

I've worked as a project manager in a male-dominated environment for two decades. I want to share thoughts and pose some questions that we (regardless of gender) must reflect on to avoid perpetuating confirmation bias—which stops us from looking for different perspectives because we select information that validates our views. We repeat things we listen to without checking if they are factual.

1. Don’t associate good communication with gender. I often get feedback that I communicate very well in projects. I am thrilled to hear that because it was not always the case. At the beginning of my career, I was a poor communicator. I was focused on facts and things to be done without considering the circumstances or the emotions. With feedback (and sometimes harsh feedback), I have made efforts to improve.

Today, my communication skills are not the result of being a woman, but of hard work. Associating women with good communication downplays their other skills. Communication is crucial in project management, but different skills are also needed—including technical skills—where women can excel.

We must not judge communication mastery based on gender. Communication is a skill that can be learned. Let's take a communication assessment to know our strengths and areas of improvement. Aim higher!

2. Do women suffer more from impostor syndrome? …

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