Episode 506: Project Management Volunteering as a Leadership Career Boost

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Episode Summary

Volunteering in project management is much more than just lending a hand. It's a powerful personal and professional growth tool, particularly in honing leadership abilities. In this episode, we’re joined by Mayte Mata Sivera and Yasmina Khelifi, co-authors of the book The Volunteering Journey to Project Leadership, who share their experiences and insights into how project managers can leverage volunteering opportunities to develop critical skills.

Mayte, a PMO Director with a background in chemical engineering, shares how her involvement with TEDx Salt Lake City opened doors to new networks and industries. She explains how leading volunteer projects teaches essential skills such as delegation, adaptability, and networking, which translate seamlessly into the workplace. Yasmina, a global project manager in the telecom industry, discusses her experiences volunteering for multiple PMI chapters and how it helped her improve her communication skills and work with diverse, international teams.

The discussion also touches on how project managers can strategically choose volunteering roles to align with their career goals, and how the experiences gained through these opportunities can enhance their professional network and provide practical leadership experiences. They both highlight the importance of adaptability, commitment, and managing expectations in volunteer work to ensure meaningful, transferable leadership development.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• How volunteering develops leadership skills - Understand how leading volunteer projects helps project managers practice key leadership skills like delegation and communication.
• Tips for aligning volunteer opportunities with career goals - Learn how to strategically choose volunteering roles that align with your professional development objectives.
• The role of adaptability in volunteering - Discover how volunteering forces project managers to adapt quickly, manage change, and work in diverse environments.

Resources Mentioned

• The Volunteering Journey to Project Leadership: A Pathway to Improving Leadership Skills, Broadening Networks, and Exploring New Fields - The book explores how volunteering can help develop leadership skills and more.

Quotes from This Episode

• "Volunteering is not just a good deed, it’s career rocket fuel." - Mayte Mata Sivera
• "Networking through volunteering can open doors to opportunities you never thought possible." - Yasmina Khelifi
• "You don’t need to commit a lot of time to benefit from volunteering; it’s about finding the right fit." - Mayte Mata Sivera

Connect with The Guests

• LinkedIn: Mayte Mata Sivera
• LinkedIn: Yasmina Khelifi

Time-Stamped Show Notes

• [00:00] - Episode introduction and overview of volunteering’s impact on leadership.
• [05:02] - Mayte explains what project volunteering is and how it differs from one-time volunteer activities like Habitat for Humanity.
• [10:00] - Mayte discusses how volunteering has helped her improve her communication skills, especially in international environments.
• [17:19] - Yasmina joins the discussion and explains how volunteering for various PMI chapters helped her adapt communication styles.
• [20:17] - Networking through volunteering and how supportive environments like PMI chapters aid personal growth.
• [35:40] - Yasmina shares a personal story of how she overcame her limitations in creating social media visuals through volunteering.
• [48:04] - Mayte gives advice on how to find volunteer opportunities that align with your personal interests and career goals.

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