Do more even when you don’t have enough time
Why is there a lack of female PM's?
It has always been discussed why there is a shortage of women in certain industries, more so in project management .
Of course most interviews I have read about have more than often say- its true but I have been very lucky and haven’t encountered it personally. Sure- because those few chosen women are lucky, so you interviewed them in the first place.
This is always not perhaps true with 60 million working women (in America alone), it’s strange why women are not seen in lead roles. The Glass ceiling report found 95-97% senior managers of the Fortune 1000 Industrial and Fortune 500 were male.
Factors that you cant avoid and women in the work force encounter everyday:
•Glass ceiling effect- During 1991 to 1996 the Glass Ceiling Commission studied how the barriers applied to women and minorities for real.
•The discrimination against women at the workplace result in a lack of career progress, inappropriate job assignment and training opportunities available for women. The discrimination is not only against women but race comes in most cases. Though most women face the glass ceiling, how it effects women depends on the race as well.
•It’s well known that trying to balance work and home is always a women’s job and the difficulties of combining work and family are obvious in most women’s life.
•Low level of motivation, self-confidence, and career aspiration are also considered as reasons why women don’t get to the top of the ladder.
So, to get over the hindrances, there is a Genderless possibility of new leaders who should possess the following traits:
• Speaking and Paradoxical ways–these leaders are consistently tough and empathic, flexible and orderly, patient and timely, diplomatic and candid, competitive and collaborative.
• Community builders-promote interactive leadership; create a strategy to bring people together, believing that an organization without weaving unravels into dysfunction. These leaders believe power is to be shared. It is power within-not power over.
• Holistic thinkers-are adept at building trust, and understand it to be a key element for creating a productive and creative culture. They see beyond the obvious and connect the dots between important issues.
• Relational intelligence-they hold themselves and others to high ethical standards, and believe the integrity of relationship is paramount. Third possibility leaders demonstrate relational intelligence by being sensitive to context, expert at clarifying issues, but willing to be confrontational and compassionate as necessary.
I know it all sounds so serious, I am just glad I live today, in this age- were at Least I have a fair share of chance to come extent. The glass ceiling still exists but when someone at least tries to break it, you know, I know- we women know there’s new hope and a chance for all of us there.
So, thank you to all women and men you there, who have made our job easy and paved the way for us and shared the responsibilities at work and home to create a happier space, so that we can do our job and ask for a raise.
The Style Quotient
Why some people make it and others don’t?
Hows your team doing today?
When your teams down what can you really do? Pushing harder might end up creating more mess, instead why not help them go through this.
I work with a small team of 3-4 people and an extended team of some more and like all of you I always know when they are down. You can feel it- in their work, the way they respond, how easily they loose their cool…..
You cannot sort out their problem, however you can help them to overcome it in your own way- is that not what leaders do? You inspire to bring out the best in others.
I simply start with the basics and work upwards-
- Is everything alright? Most people don’t want to come up with their problems at work and will rarely confide when asked first.
- Help them with more breaks, a partner to work with or some time to cool off. If is still persists, dig deeper.
- Ask them if they like what they do. Do they want to try out something else? Have they been doing the same thing over a long period of time that work doesn’t interest them anymore- no thrills, no challenges, same drab work. No one likes that.
- Thankfully I work in an environment which is flexible and we try to be happy with our work, create challenges and keep up to them. I encourage learning something new, delegating a new work to break the monotony and give a chance to think about something new. This helps them love their job not because of the paycheck but something more.
- They don’t suddenly become experts in their chosen new trial field, however they have the chance to do what they do and try out something new. If they want to change departments after a while, we encourage that as long as you can prove you are good at it and have learned the skills
- If there’s one thing I ask- it is to come to work every day the way you came in your first day. It not always very realistic, but closer we are to our first day emotions, better we will be.
(Pic Courtesy)
Automate and Schedule More
- Have a schedule and you’ll be surprised at how much you can get done within a day.
- Keep a diary, paper anything; I recently got a planner for myself. I write down my thoughts, ideas for blogs, something I have to read and to do list so I don’t forget and get it before time.
- You will notice you will do more and be more active when you have things written down.
- Repeat your schedule that you have set for yourself and it will become second skin to you. It can be anything- going to the gym, writing your blog, planning your book, calling 2 friends everyday. If you know what needs to be done and when you will start doing it.
- Every day you think- how do these people get so much done within the same 24 hours, the funny thing is you can too! Get into the rhythm of your schedule and you will not only enjoy it but get more done. Your friends will be surprised how much you are doing at the same time.
- You will stop giving excuses before you know. You suddenly realize how much can be scheduled and done because you have just minimized the planning and confusion phase.
- You will enjoy your work more. You not only know what you are doing, your are planning it along the way. So, things just happen but its part of the path you want to follow. You are achieving more because when we sit down quietly and plan, we plan good things.
- Achieve things you always wanted to. This year be strong and do something you wanted to do.
Interview with the Lazy PM
What's New in Project Management
Economy and Project Management
Social Media and Project Management
There are new blogs in PM town, find them here and some more here.
If you have questions, you want to ask- don't wait any longer, try out this site
This year will certainly be interesting, lots of new stuff happening now.
Plan for 2010
This year I am bringing in a lot of new goodies to the blog!
The regular postings continue twice a week with Expert Interviews happening every month. We talk to Project Managers, Human Resource experts, Marketing Gurus and almost anyone who has been there and done that transition- from being a newbie to the expert. We also talk about what newbie’s should do to be noticed and taken seriously other than running errands and doing photocopies.
We are starting the Coffee Break Series because newbie’s -let’s face it don’t have the luxury of an hour long lunch. This will be a 2-4 minute of audio, video, postings that center around discussion and issues that all newbie’s face and how to get through them. So, while you munch down on your sandwich and coffee and run to your next meeting trying to get into a project where you happily volunteer your lunch time- this is it- a 2 minute Coffee Break moment that will help take you to the next level. Listen to it while you doze off on the couch after a long day or first thing in the morning when you know it’s going to be difficult.
You are still here because you are not the quitter; your brother once said you were. You know what you want and will not give up till you get it. So, this year is for all your dreams, the dreams you believed in when no one else did!
With best wishes,
Soma
(Pic Courtesy)
Sneak peek into the life of Project Manager's- Pt 2
Are there any other PM’s out there who love planning and goal setting so much that they do it all through the year? I actually couldn't wait for January 1 and revised my latest goals and objectives this past week. Don't want to give anything away - but let's just say that I can't wait to do some new things with my blog. In terms of project management, I'm excited to be part of the PMI New Media Council, and look forward to helping bring information both to and from Project Management International.
Here's to a successful, happy and healthy 2010 to you Soma, and all your readers.
In 2010 I will start active virtual mentoring and coaching.
In the last 20 years I have had the same new year's resolution every single year. It is "I will not make any new year's resolutions.". I have a 20 year record of successfully completing this resolution.
New years resolution...I don't really make New Years Resolutions because a lot of the New Year thinking for me happens in the fall at the Jewish New Year. And even then I don't always remember to come up with specific goals, except the general one of trying to be a better person. This year I am definitely trying to work on improving my work/life/family balance... I need to make more quality time to spend with my kids before they get too old and tell me I'm not cool enough to hang out with them (they are ages 3 and 5 :)
Finish the jumper I am knitting.
I say this every year, but be better at managing risks and issues. They should be active documents, not just a worksheet in a spreadsheet!
I think my New Year's resolution will center around balance. I tend to schedule/accept too many meeting invitations in a day. This, in turn, leads to less time available to reflect on what was discussed and follow up on actions promised during each meeting. This is how project managers end up in the office late in the evening. Blocking time during the day so that you can reflect/plan/follow up is crucial to having time left for yourself at the end of each day.
My own NY resolution related to project management is based around PMO (Programme Management Office), I’m a member of a voluntary group called PPSOSIG (Programme and Project Support Office Specialist Interest Group http://www.ppsosig.co.uk/) and we’ve been putting on conferences for the last 9 years in the UK. We’ve been holding two conferences a year and in 2010 I want to expand what we do so we can engage even more PMO professionals.
I’ve launched two local groups which concentrate on two major cities in the UK and I’m really excited about growing that in 2010. The events are going to be free, which is going to be great news for people and I’m looking forward to not only hosting the conferences but also project managing them (and hopefully making them a great success!)
Samad Aidane (www.
My New Year resolution, related to project management, is to enroll in and complete a meditation class. I want to learn how to use meditation to manage stress better. I have a major project coming up next year and I need all the help I can get.
I could not implement or complete many of previous year’s resolutions – mainly related to acquiring some more academic qualifications and formal learning. However professionally it was a “happening” year with some interesting projects.
I don’t really have any bad habits to quit. How ever I am looking forward to upgrade my skills in management and technical aspects.
To read Part 1 of the interview and detailed bio of the interviewed Project Manager's click here.