Empowered - Vol 8/2022 October 2022

Who are we?

A global network of individuals who believe that everyone has some unique skill. We just PowerUP! Here’s presenting a group of passionate individuals (of all genders) who are positive, with a make-it-happen and lead-by-example attitude. A peer-to-peer network to support and PowerUP each other! Do I need to be an expert to be a part of this group? NO. We do not need to be experts to PowerUP each other. We just need to be good enough; Good enough to own up to our limitations, be willing to respond to others, and be social and acceptable.

Leader's speak - Cecilia Boggi

Why me? – The Impostor Syndrome Last week, my friend, Engineer Iris Gasta?aga received a phone call announcing that she had been selected to receive an award for her outstanding participation in the information technology industry. The first thing that came to her mind was: "Why me?" Iris is an Information Systems Engineer, a professor, and a role model for entrepreneurship and project management. She is a PMP and founder and first President of the PMI Córdoba, Argentina Chapter. However, with all the above, Iris wonders "Why me?" when they announced her award. And why not? Why do women not value our achievements? Why do we feel like "imposters" when we are recognized? Known as "imposter syndrome" is a psychological phenomenon by which successful people, especially women, are unable to assimilate their achievements and tend to minimize or underestimate their success, probably due to perfectionism. The worst thing about this syndrome is that many women miss opportunities for development and professional growth because they don’t feel ready for the responsibility, capable, qualified, or prepared. They feel like a fraud. They cannot recognize their achievements, even with great experience and preparation, they remain convinced that they are a fraud and that they do not deserve the success they achieved. The question we should ask ourselves is:

What strategies can women develop to minimize the effects of this self-trap that limits them? Alejandra Marcote (2022) in her very interesting book called “How to transform the impostor syndrome into your ally” recommends some actions to put into practice to defeat the negative effects of this disorder:

The first thing we should do is to be aware we are not the only ones to go through this situation. Sharing it, just as Iris shared her feeling with us, helps us to see it from another dimension.

Review our achievements and competencies as if they were someone else's. What would you think if you see your professional career headed with the name of another person? Would you feel that person is not capable?

 Validate in the case of mistakes and failures, which we all have, validate the learning obtained!

Visualize the future we want to reach, design the journey we want to travel, take actions to feel safe in the challenges we set for ourselves, and rely on colleagues, mentors, and friends (women and men) who can help us flourish!

From the Editor's desk - Anuj Jain

Hello Readers, Am excited to introduce you to our October newsletter . The theme of this month is Women in Leadership

Imposter’s syndrome, want to know more read the “Leaders Speak “ section by Cecilia Boggi for more. Aligned with the theme is an inspiring quote of the month on self-love and happiness by Disha Agarwal. Who else can  beautifully visualize the theme then our visual thinker Fernanda

And guess who is under spotlight this month ? Someone who describes herself as 3P. A visual recap of our past event – leading projects in a changing world and a peak into our upcoming event – Women in Project Management. We also have a project management influence, author – Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez featured along with his book  “How to launch, lead, and sponsor successful projects (HBR Project Management Handbook)” Read on to know more.

Women in Leadership visual quote by Fernanda

?Quote of the month - Disha Agarwal

Women have to stop trapping themselves into believing that they have to be super mom, wife, or daughter-in-law at the cost of self burnout, they need to prioritize themselves and their happiness, because if they are happy, can they keep others around them happy and let them all be responsible and accountable.

Member Spotlight: - France Ibuzo

How would you describe yourself in 1 word? 3P ((Team) Player, People-Oriented, and Passionate)

What is the most cherished moment of your career? The most cherished moment of my career is when I became a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), Business Intelligence Expert, and Data Analyst.  I now assist people to transition into Tech careers to Inform & transform their businesses, give them a competitive edge, increase their efficiencies.

Your advice to the members of this community? My advice to the members of the community is to support, inspire, empower and encourage each other by networking.

Past Power Connect: Leading Projects in a Changing World with Corrine Mtumbuka

Last month our community got some golden nuggets of wisdom from our key note speaker on project leadership in this ever changing world.

Here is a visual summary of the session by our talented graphic recorder Fernanda

Missed the event ? Here is the recording for your reference

Upcoming Power Connect: Women In Project Management

Women In Project Management with Cecilia Boggi 

While projects are growing exponentially, organizations don’t have enough talent to lead them, and only 30% of PMs are women. Findings at the Lecturer’s Doctoral Research show that traits like empathy, listening, collaboration and servant leadership, considered feminine, motivate collaborators more. Projects and organizations benefit recruiting more women!

Learning Objective #1 Evaluate and discuss the gender gap, stereotypes, prejudices and barriers that women face in their professional careers.

Learning Objective #2 Assess the benefits women leaders provide to projects and organizations, motivating their teams, promoting diversity and reaching Inner Development Goals.

Learning Objective #3 Learn from the experience of the Women in Project Management Leadership” CoP of the Buenos Aires Chapter, as a roadmap to support the growth of women in any organization

Use the Power of Project Management to PowerUP at Home with Hilary Kinney 

Women often have just as much work to do at home as at their office. Learn how to use professional project management principles to reduce stress and streamline life outside of work. Hilary Kinney will cover topics to support your growth so you have time to focus on your priorities and lead the life you want.

Learning Objective #1 How to prioritize your schedule and focus on your priorities using the principle of constraints.

Learning Objective #2 How to build teamwork and maximize productivity at home using resource capacity planning (so you are not doing it all yourself!).

 Sounds exciting ? Register here for more

Special Feature :How to launch, lead, and sponsor successful projects (HBR Project Management Handbook) by Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez 

In the HBR Project Management Handbook you'll find everything you need to know about project management in practical, nontechnical language.

A definitive taxonomy of project types, from product launches to digital transformations to megaprojects

A road map for becoming an effective project leader and executive sponsor

A new, simple, and universal project framework, the Project Canvas, breaks down any project into essential building blocks that can be easily understood by all project stakeholders

Original concepts and exclusive case studies from the public- and private-sector organizations worldwide

You'll learn:

A common language for project managers and executives to run successful projects across your organization.

When to use agile, traditional, or hybrid methods in your projects.

The twelve principles of successful projects, including purpose, agility, and a focus on outcomes

Techniques for selecting and advancing the best projects and managing a strategic and balanced project portfolio

How today's projects will help address some of the most pressing global trends, including automation, sustainability, diversity, and crisis management. Why project management needed to be reinvented and what the future holds. Read more about the book here

About the author

Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez is the world’s leading champion of Project Management and Strategy Implementation. Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez is the global champion of project management. He has transformed project management into one of the central issues on every CEO’s 2030 agenda. He is the creator of concepts such as the “Hierarchy of Purpose” featured by Harvard Business Review, or the “Project Economy“; which argues that Projects are the lingua franca of the business and personal worlds from the C-suite to managing your career or relationships.

Antonio’s research and global impact in modern management has been recognized by Thinkers50 with the prestigious award “Ideas into Practice” and is ranked #17 in the global gurus Top 30 list. He is part of Marshall Goldsmith 100 coaches.

He was the global Chairman of the Project Management Institute in 2016. He is the co-founder of the Brightline Initiative and the Strategy Implementation Institute.

The Women PowerUP Network Team: