We were excited to partner with the Association of Project Managers to produce an event focused on the power of cognitive diversity in project teams, and how this will accelorate recovery post-pandemic.
As we all know, COVID-19 has put organisations, teams and individuals under pressure. This pressure has caused organisations to re-focus on survival. Yet, as we move out of the crisis, we consider why diversity and inclusion remains as important as ever – particularly in driving innovation to recover from the pandemic.
There is currently a blind spot when discussing ethnic minority inclusion when it comes to the largely interim project management market. D&I within project teams is not discretionary but is still seen so and is not regulated by in-house D&I programmes.
Association of Project Managers BAME roadshow found that BAME talent felt:
- There was not a clear talent pipeline for BAME talent
- There were few role models for BAME talent in project management
- There were fewer opportunities presented to BAME PMs
- Additional issues around performance gap and assumptions of performance delivery. BAME PMs largely start each project with having to build credibility and influence, then delivering.
In this webinar, we covered how CV19 offers unique opportunities to BAME PMs;
- The conversation around the need for demographic and cognitive diversity in teams has fresh life.
- The need for innovation to respond to the crisis creates a potential for cognitive diversity.
- People that have gone through exclusionary experience are usually more resilient and therefore will cope with the stresses of short- and medium-term challenges.
- It’s now been proven that project management can happen remotely, and we are now in a global marketplace. So, talent pools have significantly broadened.
- BAME PMs can be used to grow into emerging markets or manage scaled back operations in smaller territories, remotely, with cultural and social empathy.
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