PM Domain or Skillset

Domestic Role

Working Role as a PM

Project Integration Management

Integration is an art and science.  Even at home as Females, Integration among many family members, external stakeholders such as schools, environment etc., exists.  Strong communication and ability to properly manage what tasks that needs to be done and proper coordinating is all part of integration by a Female.

As said, Integration across the several functions requires a very dynamic skillset in terms of communication, systems, coordination etc., Females by virtue of handling multi tasks and cooperating across the layers is a very big asset and a female can easily bring this skill to a role as a PM.

Project Scope Management

Scope management even in a domestic role is very essential.  Females all the time manage and coordinate from the House maids to the Children tuitions, teachers at schools, husband, in laws etc., to electricity/water billing department, environmental aspects, society workers, and so on.  Hence that that scope managing is very crucial.

Females are perfect candidate for PM as they very well understand the scope and play a crucial role to know where to lay the boundary so that they don’t overspend or provide under-attention to certain tasks.

Multitasking

Females have been more working in cooking, washing, taking care of children, groceries, making up the home etc.,

Has to coordinate/manage multiple project activities- Schedule management, Resource Management, contractor management, cost management etc.,

Stakeholders Management

Being a house wife (for eg.,) you need to manage your husband, children, Mother in laws, sister in laws you children, your niece.  The list is endless.  Most of the time you need to manage all of these expectations one or the other time but it’s about mapping stakeholders expectations.

Has to really map the stakeholders’ expectations, project sponsors', project team members, external stakeholders like suppliers, clients, contractors, subcontractors, designers and others. Females can no wonder better understand the stakeholders and their expectations.

Time Management

As a mother, as a wife etc., female manage time very well. For eg., you need to prepare breakfast within time, prepare lunch within time(Deadline 1pm.  No lunch you are thrown out of the house!!), prepare dinner on time.  Everything is time bound and guess who does all these nasty work most of the time its FEMALES!! We!!!

Has to map the WBS, OBS etc., and break down the activities (of course with the help of the supporting team) and bring the timelines to the activities.  Manage the time factor and keep watching the clock if the activities and phases/milestones are achieved on Time or not.  if not justification etc., if yes we get credits!!!

Resources management

As a female we do this very well. For eg., if we know what kind of activity(Project/subproject lets say) requires what kind of resources.  For eg., if we need to go to a far off place for the groceries we know we need the driver, we can very well know that the husband can do the dropping and picking up of the children from school etc.,

As PMs we know which resources fit the different roles in a project.  And we are very good in mapping or what kind of resources can fit the project.

Cost Management

This is the best domain that females are so professionals.  Traditionally in certain culture the men give their salary to the wife and ask her to manage the entire household expenses.  The poor wife has to manage the cost in such a way that after covering all expenses she is left with nothing except to overwork day and night to keep the stakeholders happy.  Rentals, vegetables, groceries, bills, saving, children school fees, commuting to places all is MONEY management.

As PMs cost control and managing it is the most important task.  Managing the schedule , cost of items that may be involved in the project, contractor fees, subcontractor, changes etc., so who do you think can be better PMs?/

Change Management

Females have managed the changes very dynamically than anyone ever can do.  The classic example is once you get married you go with your husband and start living with their family members and you leave your own family with whom you grew along lets say 18 years!! so what best example one can give to manage changes ( Note: This may not be true in all culture but majority of the cultural background have this tradition). 

As PMs Scope Creep is always a big challenge.  Client always wants more and more no matter he realizes or not that what he pays is already finished long time back. !! But Change Management is an inevitable part of a PM.  But as given in my example Females can best handle the situation more carefully than anyone else.!!

Project Procurement Management

Procurement is an inherent function of a Woman.  Whether it is grocery to the multibillion dollar acquisition, its there.  For eg., if we want to procure anything @ home nowadays via Online Shopping we get the best deals done, We compare we find out where it is more cost effective and worthiness for the value for Money and so on.

As explained a Woman Can be a Perfect Fit for the Procurement controlling function as the skillsets are there already built-in. Hence it is not very difficult for a woman handling any kind of projects under any kind of environment and of course any amount of $$$$.

Project Risk Management

With many things at stake, a woman in her domestic duties are always faced with multiple challenges and threats amounting to tremendous pressure of multiple risks.  May it be exams for the kids, preparing food for the family, if the house maid doesn’t turn up enormous risks pops up and so on.  Hence Risks are in many forms and in many ways from different layers of family and environment.

Taking the example a woman can seamlessly handle the Risks as it has been her Walk of Life throughout.  So it does not matter if it is project related risks. I am not undermining the corporate risks to a domestic risks.  But I am trying to highlight the capabilities and the competencies that a woman can definitely excel in her role as  PM.