The above-described features undoubtedly help women find their way in the world of project management. Organizational skills and multitasking are inherent elements of the role of a Project Manager, and yet women in society are expected to fulfill many roles at the same time: mother, wife, partner, caregiver. Therefore, it turns out that women are perfectly adapted to multitasking, so important in the role of the Project Manager.
The large number of small tasks during the day related to these roles means that women must effectively combine time management and the scope of these responsibilities, while keeping the budget in mind. Risks often arise that need to be controlled and managed effectively so that they do not negatively impact our activities. Managing such a project also means managing the team (family) and its internal communication.
So you can see that women are almost naturally suited to the role of Project Manager, because they have the required features and skills required for effective project management. The tendency for women to take up management positions is getting stronger. An initiative was created to strengthen the position of women on management boards “30% Club Project”, which aims to increase the participation of women in the bodies of the largest listed companies to 30%. This international initiative has gained partners among many companies, including: Orange Polska, Benefit Systems, Wirtualna Polska and Blue Media.
The Scientific Circle of the Management Process at the Department of Management Process at the University of Economics in Krakow, together with PMI Polska, conducts a series of meetings Women in Project Management. As they inform on their website: “The idea of this event is for the female PM community to have the opportunity to improve their qualifications by sharing their own experiences and building their networking network. The addressees of these meetings are project managers, leaders and women interested in improving their competences“[2].
Project Manager positions are becoming more and more common in organizations. She is one of the Project Managers MSc. Karolina Boguszewska, who has been involved in project management since 2010. She works in the field of scientific and event projects, is the President of the Boost Biotech Polska Association, a PhD student at the Medical University of Lodz, a biotechnologist, scientist, project manager and a graduate of “Project Management” studies at the Warsaw University of Technology.
We asked Ms. Karolina how she sees the roles of women in the world of project management.
“My experiences and observations show that Women Project Managers are still faced with the need to adapt to “male standards” of project management. Business, for years perceived as a mainly male space, has only in the last dozen or so years in Poland begun to notice that feminine qualities and energy are very beneficial in this profession and therefore increasingly sought after. Maintaining open communication, intuition, coping with stress and perseverance are the characteristics of women that make projects run by women very well managed. We are currently witnessing a reversal of global trends in project management and more and more women’s initiatives are being implemented. Projects such as Women in Project Management show how great business demand is for women performing management roles in projects. Personally, I see a lot of opportunities in this to change how projects function, which, when run by Project Managers, are implemented more efficiently, often in a better atmosphere and with an attitude towards cooperation. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule and it should be remembered that each PM is different and brings his own strengths and weaknesses to the project.
More and more women are taking up the challenge of holding managerial positions, even though they often have to prove their competences. As a consulting and training company, we are observing an increasing interest in project management among women, which is a positive forecast for the future. We hope to continue to observe an increase in the number of female project managers who, although still underestimated, are doing great as leaders.
