Those who collaborate in this blog, are participating in the meetings of the Community of Interest of Women in Leadership, sponsored by PMI Buenos Aires, Argentina Chapter. We want to share with you the contents of the last published Newsletter

On July 4, the second monthly meeting of the community was held, in which we had as guest Elena Espil, psychologist and research professor from the University of Buenos Aires, who specializes in Women and Gender Studies.

We had proposed her to give us a brief informal talk on women's leadership and gender issues in order to open the debate among us on such relevant issues. Gender Studies, as she told us, is a very complex and relatively new discipline, and one that entails strong controversies.

She first introduced us to the history of Gender Studies and then she shared with us some of the main theoretical notions of the Women Studies’ framework (it must be noted, however, the Gender Studies is a branch of the latter). We didn’t just learn but we also started to question many of our habits and beliefs which more often than not act as obstacles in our careers.

One of these notions, for example, the glass ceiling, points at how hard is for women to reach high positions in the workplace not only due to external factors but surprisingly as a consequence of a strong inner belief of not being able to achieve such a goal.

After the meeting we started questioning our own prejudices, ideals, standards and we all remained with a strong desire to delve deeper into these matters that pertain both to women and men.  But above all we agreed that our first and main commitment should be the raising of awareness. We need to be aware of our thoughts, expectations and practices when it comes to gender differences in the workplace to avoid gender bias a frequent form of subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) discrimination for gender reasons.     

Gender equality in the workplace will add to a more balanced form of leadership combining both styles, male and female, and moreover employees will benefit from a healthier work environment.

But these goals will not be achieved until men and women together manage to take action in the empowerment of women in the workplace, who are still struggling to reach their full potential.

--Español

Hora de tomar conciencia

Quienes colaboramos en este blog, participamos en las reuniones de la Comunidad de Interés de Liderazgo Femenino, patrocinadas por PMI Buenos Aires, Capítulo Argentina. Queremos compartir con ustedes el contenido del último Boletín publicado.

El 4 de julio se realizó la segunda reunión mensual de la comunidad, en la cual tuvimos como invitada a Elena Espil, psicóloga y profesora de investigación de la Universidad de Buenos Aires, especialista en Estudios de las Mujeres y de Género.

Le propusimos que nos diera una breve charla informal sobre el liderazgo de las mujeres y las cuestiones de género para abrir en nuestra comunidad el debate sobre temas tan relevantes. Los Estudios de Género, como ella nos dijo, son disciplinas muy complejas y relativamente nuevas, que implican fuertes controversias.

En primer lugar nos introdujo en la historia de los Estudios de Género y luego compartió con nosotros algunas de las principales nociones teóricas del marco de los Estudios de las Mujeres (debe señalarse, sin embargo, que los Estudios de Género son una rama de estos últimos). No solo aprendimos sino que también comenzamos a cuestionar muchos de nuestros hábitos y creencias, que a menudo actúan como obstáculos en nuestras carreras.

Una de estas nociones, por ejemplo, el techo de cristal, señala cuán difícil es para las mujeres alcanzar altas posiciones en el lugar de trabajo no solo debido a factores externos sino sorprendentemente como consecuencia de una fuerte creencia interna de no poder lograr tal objetivo.

Después de la reunión, comenzamos a cuestionar nuestros propios prejuicios, ideales y normas, y nos fuimos con la firme intención de ahondar más en estos asuntos que atañen tanto a las mujeres como a los hombres. Pero, sobre todo, acordamos que nuestro primer y principal compromiso debería ser la concientización. Necesitamos prestar atención a nuestros pensamientos, expectativas y acciones cuando se trata de las diferencias de género en el lugar de trabajo para evitar el sesgo de género, una forma frecuente de discriminación sutil (y a veces no tan sutil) por razones de género.

La igualdad de género en el lugar de trabajo contribuirá a una forma más equilibrada de liderazgo que combine ambos estilos, masculino y femenino, y como consecuencia, los empleados se beneficiarán de un ambiente de trabajo más saludable.

Pero estos objetivos no se alcanzarán hasta que los hombres y las mujeres juntos logren tomar medidas para empoderar a las mujeres en el lugar de trabajo, donde aún luchan por alcanzar su máximo potencial.

References:

https://eige.europa.eu/ (European Institute for Gender Equality)

https://gem-report-2017.unesco.org/en/chapter/gender_monitoring_leadership/

https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/blog/the-state-of-gender-inequality-at-work/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-42026266 (First use of term “glass ceiling”)

 

Contacting Elena:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/elena-espil-martínez-22aa3413

We have the pleasure of relaunching these blog that had been without movements since a while as this is a topic of great interest to our community of women leaders in project management.

Precisely, in the PMI Buenos Aires, Argentina Chapter, we have recently formed a community of interest on this topic where a group of women and men are investigating and sharing experiences in this field.

We started by trying to know the relative participation of women in the world of project management and we found ourselves with the first difficulty: PMI has no record of the number of women among their members or among certification holders. There is no record of the gender of members in PMI’s databases.

Checking my profile in "My PMI", I could see that it does not appear anywhere if I am female or male. Additionally, when one of my students registered as a new member of PMI, I had the opportunity to review the data he entered and, again, I noticed that the gender is not included in the demographic data

That is, we do not have the information about the percentage of women in project management.

This caught our attention. As Peter Drucker said: "What is not measured, cannot be managed".

How can we then work on women's leadership in project management when we do not have information about the actual proportion of women in the profession?

How can we then work on any subject or field if we are not aware of what the current situation is?

We could take, as a reference, the data of the recently published PMI salary survey Project Management Salary Survey 10th Edition,  in which around 30% of respondents were women, so we might think that this is the female representation in project management.

To complement this information, I’ve asked the Latin America PMI Chapters if they could send me the information of their affiliates and, compiling the data received from them, I found that in this region, between 20 and 30% out of the total chapter members are women. I'm extending the research to all regions, but it's really hard to get the data.

The main difficulty for the chapters is that they must distinguish each of their members as being men or women, based on their first name. It’s not only a tedious job for large chapters but, in some cases, the given name can be valid for both women and men, and sometimes the gender of the name is totally unknown.

Let's suppose from now on, that women have a representation of 30% of the total of project managers at the global level.

If we take into account what was published by PMI in the Report “Project Management Job Growth and Talent Gap Report”, the demand for project managers worldwide is not only very high, but it is also growing by more than 30%, adding, on average, 2.2 million positions per year.

Adding to this that 83% of organizations have difficulties to get the talent they need to carry out their strategic objectives, according to the PMI white paper Building High-Performance Project Talent, we can see a great unsatisfied demand for project managers.

Considering all the above, we can conclude that if we could attract more women to our profession, raising that low 30% of participation, we could cover a large part of that unmet demand.

We should bear in mind that:

1. Today we are seeing that women are as much or more prepared than men. In universities, more women graduate than men in undergraduate careers and more than half of the workforce in the world, is made up of women.
2. Women, in general, naturally exercise leadership with a strong focus on relationships, collaboration and teamwork. All these aspects are becoming indispensable for success in organizations in today's world.
3. Together, women and men, create diverse teams that are much more effective for creativity, innovation and problem solving.

Our goal of relaunching this Women in Project Management Leadership Blog is to share our findings and our uncertainties with the global project management community, in order to generate a space for dialogue and learning.

We invite you to read and comment on our publications with your sincere points of view, as well as to propose topics that you would like us to post and discuss, so that, together, we can become aware of this great opportunity that we have ahead to develop our profession.

--- Español

Relanzamiento del Blog Women in Project Management Leadership

Tenemos el gusto de relanzar este blogs que había quedado sin movimientos, siendo éste un tema de gran interés para nuestra comunidad de mujeres en liderazgo de dirección de proyectos.

Justamente, en el Capítulo PMI Buenos Aires, Argentina, hemos formado una comunidad de interés sobre esta temática y un grupo de mujeres y hombres estamos investigando y compartiendo experiencias en este campo.

Comenzamos por tratar de conocer cuál es la participación de las mujeres en el mundo de la dirección de proyectos y nos encontramos con la primera dificultad: PMI no tiene registro del sexo de los miembros ni de los certificados.

Verifique mi perfil en “My PMI” y pude comprobar que en ningún lugar aparece si soy mujer o varón. Adicionalmente, cuando uno de mis alumnos se inscribió como nuevo miembro de PMI, aproveche para revisar los datos que ingresaba y nuevamente noté que no estaba el género en ningún lugar.

Es decir que no tenemos la información acerca del porcentaje de mujeres en la dirección de proyectos.

Esto nos llamó mucho la atención. Como decía Peter Drucker: “Lo que no se mide, no se puede gestionar”.

¿Cómo podemos  entonces trabajar en el liderazgo femenino en dirección de proyectos si no tenemos información confiable de cuál es proporción actual de mujeres en la profesión?

¿Cómo podemos  entonces trabajar en cualquier tema o campo si no tomamos consciencia de cuál es la situación actual?

Podríamos tomar como referencia los datos de la última encuesta de salarios Project Management Salary Survey 10th Edition,  publicada recientemente por PMI, en las cuales alrededor de 30%  de las personas que responden, son mujeres, por lo cuál  podríamos pensar que esta es la representación femenina en la dirección de proyectos.

Para complementar esta información, solicite a los capítulos de Latinoamérica si me podían enviar la informacion de sus afiliados y con la respuesta que obtuve de algunos de ellos, encontré que en esta región, hay una participación de mujeres entre un 20 y un 30% del total de los miembros de capítulos. Estoy extendiendo la investigación a todas las regiones, pero es complicado conseguir los datos.

La principal dificultad para para los capítulos es que deben distinguir entre hombres y mujeres a cada uno de sus miembros, a partir del nombre de pila. Además de ser un trabajo tedioso para los capítulos grandes, en algunos casos, el nombre  de pila puede ser válido para ambos sexos, o también, a veces se desconoce cuál es el género del nombre.

Ahora bien, de aquí en adelante, supongamos qué las mujeres tenemos una representación del 30% de los directores de proyectos a nivel global.

Si tenemos en cuenta lo publicado por PMI en el Reporte “Project Management Job Growth and Talent Gap Report”, la demanda de directores de proyectos a nivel mundial no solo ya es muy alta, sino que además está creciendo en más del 30%, agregándose, en promedio, 2,2 millones de posiciones por año.

Agregando a esto que, según el white paper de PMI Building High-Performance Project Talent, el 83% de las organizaciones tienen dificultades para conseguir el talento que necesitan para llevar a cabo sus objetivos estratégicos, vemos que queda una gran demanda de directores de proyectos insatisfecha.

Con todo lo anterior, llegamos a la conclusión que si pudiéramos atraer en mayor medida a las mujeres a nuestra profesión, elevando ese escaso 30% de participación, podríamos cubrir gran parte de esa demanda insatisfecha.

Deberíamos tener en cuenta que:

1. Hoy se está viendo que las mujeres se están preparando tanto o más que los hombres. En las universidades se gradúan más mujeres que hombres en carreras de grado y más de la mitad de la fuerza laboral en el mundo, está conformada por mujeres.
2. Las mujeres, en general, ejercen naturalmente un liderazgo con un fuerte foco en las relaciones, en la colaboración y en trabajo en equipo. Todos estos aspectos se están volviendo indispensables para el éxito en las organizaciones en el mundo actual.
3. Juntos, mujeres y varones, conformamos equipos diversos que son mucho más efectivos para la creatividad, la innovación y la resolución de problemas.

Nuestro objetivo de relanzamiento de este Blog de Mujeres en Liderazgo de Dirección de Proyectos es compartir con la comunidad de dirección de proyectos global nuestros hallazgos y nuestras incertidumbres, para así generar un ámbito de diálogo y aprendizaje.

Los invitamos a leer y comentar nuestras publicaciones con sus sinceros puntos de vista, como también proponertos temas que les gustaría que abordáramos, sobre los cuales les gustaría debatir, para así, entre todos, tomar conciencia de esta gran oportunidad que tenemos frente a nosotros para desarrollar nuestra profesión.

On 9 October, I facilitated a panel discussion with Beth Partleton, PMP, Debbie O’Bray (PMI Fellow), Marge Combe and Yanping Chen MD, PhD, PMP (PMI Fellow) at PMI’s Leadership Institute Meeting in Orlando, Florida. These former PMI Board Members shared how they got their start in project management, and also how they were introduced to PMI and came to lead in volunteer roles eventually serving at PMI’s highest levels. While it was emphasized that women and men participating on project teams are “more often alike than not,” the audience leaned in to know what diminutive or limiting behaviors they have seen their female colleagues (or themselves) engage in that lessened the effectiveness of women practitioners. Here are a few said during the discussion.

• “My problem is….I don’t take credit for my work. I am collaborative.” When talking about accomplishments, there is an appropriate time to talk about team contributions and individual effort. Let’s say you are interviewing for a job. The hiring manager is likely going to want to know what you are capable of, what credits you have to your name, and what kind of team player you are. Distinguish yourself on all these points by using an appropriate mix of “I” and “We” in your summarizations. Describe yourself as an involved team member as well as a standout project lead.  
• “My problem is….my colleagues don’t respect my position and authority when I speak up.” Yes, you are speaking up! Not always easy to do in some environments. Now, how do you deliver your message? Debbie described a colleague who would end her sentences with an upward swing in her intonation, sounding as if she was asking a question rather than issuing a statement. Speak with confidence and authority, be yourself, and use a tone and intonation that doesn’t invite your colleagues to question whether you are sure what you said.
• “In the beginning, I enjoyed a collegial relationship with my older colleague. Now, we aren’t so close. How can I work with someone who views me as fierce and competitive?” This scenario highlights the challenges and opportunities of multiple generations in the workplace. More senior and tenured staff usually earn and command the role of mentor to newer and younger colleagues. Then one day, the younger colleague who has caught on quickly maybe doesn’t see as great a need for her senior coworker.  How to keep peace in the workplace? The panelists shared that they enjoy being asked about their experiences. Younger colleagues, ask your seasoned co-workers, “What have you learned in your time here? What were your hard knocks? What mistakes can I avoid?” Listen and absorb, and some details about your organizational culture will likely emerge as well.

What behaviors have you personally witnessed – either for yourself or for your female counterparts – where colleagues have given up opportunities to impress their knowledge and skill? Or what behaviors have you seen to be quite effective in female practitioners you have worked with?

One of the great benefits of getting involved in PMI, especially as a volunteer, is the confidence that is built through demonstrated leadership experiences. Recently I’ve been interviewing panelists and preparing for an upcoming discussion on Women in Leadership at PMI’s North American Leadership Institute Meeting in Orlando.  Former PMI Board Members Beth Partleton, PMP, Debbie O’Bray (PMI Fellow), Marge Combe, and Yanping Chen MD, PhD, PMP (PMI Fellow) will take the executive chairs to share insights into how volunteering has accelerated their leadership ability not only in PMI but also in their “day jobs” as senior executives.

Combined, they have over 90 years of PMI membership experience, joining the PMI organization in the early 1990s. Professionally they come from every background imaginable – from architecture to civil engineering, financial services to telecommunications, and even medicine (Yanping started her career as a cardiologist)!  In the span of their work, they have come to recognize that skills and intellect may be the “price of admission” for a blossoming career, but an aptitude in emotional intelligence is what makes for success. “In order to grow and advance, the skills that are going to count include self-awareness, empathy for others, compassion and emotional maturity,” Beth tells me. In a later post, I’ll share with you their thoughts on what separates the women from the men when it comes to emotional intelligence.

What I have come to value in preparing for this panel discussion with these senior executives is the wealth of their wisdom - each has played coach and mentor to new and experienced co-workers and direct reports. Debbie shared that age and generation play a big part in these kind of interactions. Younger people come to her for advice because they don’t know the answers while more seasoned leaders come to talk because they are comfortable with her and themselves. The generation in between is more reserved - “perhaps they hold some fear that they are expected to know something they don’t, so they don’t ask,” Debbie says. 

I look forward to introducing you to these women and their experiences over the next few posts. In the meantime, what do you want to know about their experiences as female leaders in project management? And if you are that “in between” generation (i.e. Generation X), how do you seek out mentoring and coaching advice? Or . . .  don’t you? Would love to hear your reactions and real world experiences!