This year’s theme for the APM Women in Project Management Conference was ‘Leadership Unlocked’. Our Nine Feet Tall Consultants who attended have jotted down their 9 key takeaways from the packed day of talks and workshops:
1. Purpose, Passion, Pace
Natalie Campbell (MBE) shared her trick to delivering successful change through the ‘3 Ps’ of Purpose, Passion and Pace.
Make sure you have a clear purpose to your work and let that guide you. Looking ‘up and out’ of the day-to-day can help you focus on your purpose and not get too stuck in the weeds. Sharing this purpose with everyone around you is also critical to ensure everyone is aligned on the end goal.
Be passionate about what you do and don’t be afraid to show this. Project Management isn’t easy, but if you have passion about the work you are doing, it will be easier to work through the difficult times and remain motivated.
Work at pace and create momentum for the project, throughout all stages. Lean into your passion to generate this and motivate others around you.
2. Promoting safe spaces in teams
When discussing the creation of and leading high-performance teams, the subject of ‘safe spaces’ was something that really stood out to us. Building a safe space for your team to offer their opinions, share their concerns and hear each other’s stories without judgement allows team members to share ideas that aren’t perfect, which they might have held back. Likewise, actively listening and the removal of ‘but’ from vocabulary was pulled out as a key skill for reducing conflict and increasing team cohesion. If you can build trust, people will go on the journey with you.
3. Power of neurodiversity in project teams
There was a very interesting panel discussion around the benefits of neurodiversity in project teams and ways to support neurodivergent team members. An analogy that was shared helps to appreciate the importance of this diversity: let’s say you were making an orange from scratch; you would want a team that had a perfect split of their strongest senses. One which has strong taste, one with strong smelling senses and the same for our other senses hearing, touch and sight. Only with that diversity will you be able to recreate a perfect orange.
4. Leading with your strengths
When discussing what makes a great leader, whether within projects or not, encouraging your team to lead with their strengths was highlighted. Everyone has different strengths, and it is these elements that leaders should encourage their team members to ‘lead’ with. This is not to say that someone with a strength of listening should only draw on that skill, but it suggests that they should be in an environment or role where they can fully utilise that capability. This can help build confidence, productivity and an overall stronger team if each member can ‘play to their strengths’.
5. Impact leads to impact
Whether you are in a position of leadership or not, creating a positive impact on those around you means others will want to follow. In this sense, you can ‘pass on’ impact. This mindset can be especially helpful when considering a difficult or turbulent time on a project. If you can do something to support your team or stakeholders, you may create a ripple effect of positive impact. This perspective may not change the world, but it can be instrumental in creating a positive environment for people going through intense periods of work, including challenging projects.
6. If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you
During an incredibly engaging and inspirational talk by Maggie Alphonsi MBE, a former England Rugby Player, on the topic of leadership and mindset, one particular quote stood out: ‘If it doesn’t challenge you, it wont change you’. Maggie used this statement to emphasise the need to seize opportunities that are presented to us in order to grow and develop. Project work is often challenging, and it can be beneficial to see this as an opportunity to learn, rather than something to fear.
7. Visible Leadership
As leadership was the theme of the conference, leadership styles were discussed throughout the day. One approach that stood out, and one that Maggie Alphonsi was advocating, was ‘Visible Leadership’. This is where leaders are actively involved with their teams and lead by example. Underpinning this approach is understanding what ‘drives’ your team. What are their motivators? What do they want to achieve? When leaders know these answers, they can help support their team members to achieve their goals, which if led effectively, should be aligned to the goals of the overall team.
8. Flexibility in high performing teams
Flexibility was a key theme that came to the forefront in creating high performing team environments. We were encouraged, as leaders, to demonstrate the human side by putting non-negotiables in the diary and making them visible. One speaker gave the example of collecting her son from school. By leading by example, you give your team permission to live their lives and make choices that work for them. This in turn usually results in team members delivering more value.
9. Investment in self
The importance of investment in your own training, learning and development was a key theme throughout the day. This was not only through education and qualification, but also psychological development. Confidence and self-belief, we found through the days discussions, was a topic that kept resurfacing. The words ‘I am supposed to be here’ were repeated in a number of sessions, as were the themes of networking and finding allies. Maggie Alphonsi’s keynote towards the end of the day really hit the nail on the head for us with her tag line of ‘feel it, believe it, back it’.
Exploring theories around project management and meeting likeminded project specialists are part of our culture of learning and development. If you need support on the delivery of a project or programme which has stalled or yet to take flight, get in touch with us today.
