Projectified cover logo

Project Professionals Making a Positive Impact

17m · Projectified · 01 Nov 04:00

We know that projects drive change, and today, more and more project professionals are managing initiatives to deliver positive impacts across the globe. Two 2023 PMI Future 50 leaders—Johnnie Stark, PMP, a project manager at BP in London, and Nuha Hashem, co-founder and CTO at Zywa in Dubai—discuss why the world needs project professionals, what sparked their passion to lead the innovative projects they’re managing today and their top advice for future project professionals.

Key themes

[01:59] Igniting a passion for project leadership

[04:33] Developing a low-carbon energy solution to help the U.K. decarbonize its electricity grid

[07:11] Creating a payment platform to boost financial literacy for Gen Z in the Middle East and North Africa

[10:20] How project management is changing—and how project professionals can adapt

[11:47] Advice for future project leaders: Be flexible, be willing to dive right in and care for team members’ well-being

The episode Project Professionals Making a Positive Impact from the podcast Projectified has a duration of 17:25. It was first published 01 Nov 04:00. The cover art and the content belong to their respective owners.

More episodes from Projectified

What’s Next? Navigating Your Project Management Career

A career in project management isn’t always linear. Some people gradually advance from one position to the next, while others come to the profession from a different career path altogether. Guests discuss the moves they’ve made, how they assess when they’re ready for a new role, what they’ve learned from opportunities that didn’t work out, and why you should always invest in yourself—so you’re ready for next opportunity before it arrives.

Key themes
[02:17] How helping a colleague became a project management career
[04:51] Asking managers and colleagues for career advice and support
[06:20] Lessons learned from not getting hired—and upskilling for the next opportunity
[10:27] Starting a new position? Don’t be afraid to ask for help
[13:55] What’s the right time for a career move?
[15:54] Taking a job in a new sector—or a new country
[19:50] How transparency and vulnerability can help you succeed
[22:40] Gauging whether or not you’re ready to take on a new role

Using Technology to Make a Positive Social Impact

Technology is helping project teams make a positive social impact—an accelerator for addressing everything from the effects of climate change to gender equality. Guests discuss how they’re using tech in two projects: One helps adolescent girls develop skills in STEAM—science, technology, engineering, arts and math—to create future tech leaders and build a more inclusive sector. The other project pairs tech tools with Indigenous knowledge to ensure local communities can more safely travel across Canada’s arctic region.

Key themes
[01:21] How UNICEF is preparing girls for futures in tech
[06:39] Using tech tools to gather feedback from stakeholders across the globe
[09:10] Measuring the Game Changers Coalition’s direct and indirect social impact
[14:26] Using tech in your project? Ensure it’s making a real difference
[16:14] Pairing tech with Indigenous knowledge: How SmartICE works with communities to measure sea ice thickness
[21:41] Engaging with stakeholders to create customer-centric project processes
[23:14] Embracing continuous improvement to develop better tech and training practices
[27:16] How project managers can focus on the social impacts of any project—no matter the sector

How Project Teams Are Building Climate-Resilient Infrastructure

Building sustainable infrastructure doesn’t just protect people and the planet—it boosts the bottom line. Project teams must deliver assets that can withstand the extreme effects of climate change. Guests discuss the growing focus on climate-resilient infrastructure, how to manage stakeholders across project partners and communities, and which skills project professionals need to lead these initiatives. Plus, an in-depth discussion about a major infrastructure overhaul program in Peru, with projects focused on climate resilience and delivering long-term value.

Key themes
[02:28] Climate change’s systemic effects on infrastructure—and why that’s a challenge for project professionals
[07:49] Must-haves for climate resilience projects: Curiosity, communication skills and community engagement
[13:49] What trends are next in climate-resilient infrastructure
[17:29] The growing momentum for climate-resilient infrastructure
[19:53] How Peru is rebuilding after 2017 El Niño, creating climate-resilient infrastructure, education and health centers
[25:39] Future-proofing Peru’s reconstruction program through knowledge transfer

Advancing Your Project Management Career in 2024

Navigating change is nothing new for project professionals. And this year is no different. How can being flexible and resilient help them seize job opportunities—and deliver value for organizations? Guests in this roundtable discussion talk about sector-specific job trends, the must-have skills needed to navigate challenges and how AI is changing project management now and in the years ahead.

Key themes
[01:30] Job opportunities for project professionals in IT, renewable energy and construction
[07:13] Top challenges project professionals might face for the rest of this year
[11:18] Market knowledge, influence, and leadership skills: The must-haves for today’s project professionals
[14:27] AI’s effect on project management
[18:32] What trends are creating a buzz for project professionals in 2024 and beyond

Support System: Empowering Project Professionals to Find Better Ways of Working

In today’s ever-evolving project environment, project professionals need to be flex-ready problem solvers. But how do they learn to choose the right ways of working—or know when to anticipate the need to adapt to change? Guests discuss how they empower project professionals at their organizations to become strategic decision makers—whether it means tailoring ways of working to fit projects and teams or implementing new tech tools.

Key themes

[02:19] Updating CDW’s PMO for greater collaboration, knowledge sharing and upskilling among project professionals
[05:34] How continuous learning encourages greater autonomy
[08:21] Empowering project professionals with clear guidelines, expectations and ownership of initiatives
[13:13] Delegation and trust: Two must-haves for empowering project and program managers
[14:52] How Airbus’ engineering PMO focuses on tailored, empathetic project support
[17:42] Why empowerment leads to better engagement and project outcomes
[19:56] What you need to know to choose the right ways of working for your team
[21:46] How PMO leaders can encourage teams to embrace unknowns in new tech or ways of working

Every Podcast » Projectified » Project Professionals Making a Positive Impact