Every single WIPM Conference is worth a million dollars

Did you know that nearly one million workers in the UK suffer from work-related stress, depression or anxiety? It's not surprising that so many projects fail.

The challenge is how to think differently to ensure project success and avoid burnout. In the afternoon session of the Women in Project Management Conference 2023, we will discuss ways to recognise stress triggers and effectively deal with stressful situations at work. Only by supporting fellow experts we can achieve our collective ambition of improving our performance as leaders. Nothing is better at lift my mood than a conference room buzzing with fellow women professionals.

Attracting women to project management is not an easy task and maintaining and growing them is even more challenging. What could help in retaining women in the project management space is by designing a career progression roadmap that should involve learning how to deal with anxiety and distress. Intelligent, more sustainable project management remodelling includes practical techniques to combat workplace stress and sharing years of practical experience and skillsets plays a central and decisive role in helping fellow project professionals bridge the gap between theory and application. Another way to ensure women are included is by perusing APM qualifications and using these to engage and operate much more astutely.

At the next WIPM conference, we’re eager to enhance leadership skills and empower project teams by harvesting our diversity and inclusion within transformational projects. We will be celebrating our achievements, personal growth and professional development which I’m sure can easily add up to a million dollars. I’m looking forward to hearing from many inspirational, exquisite speakers from various backgrounds and discipline and both themes of 'Strategies for Progressing your Career' and 'Think Differently: Project Success from the Inside Out' resonate with me. Admittedly, I’m struggling to decide which session to attend! But my preference is to attend as many of the interactive sessions as possible.

Having previously met Prof Adam Boddison, CEO of APM, I'm looking forward to his opening remarks. Dame Inga Beale, Portfolio Director and Workplace Equality Advocate, has achieved what most of us strive for, so I'm looking for practical tips on promoting diversity and building a portfolio of non-executive director roles for various multinational companies. Mastering emotional intelligence is high on my agenda and I plan to join the interactive morning session to learn more about developing these skills, which are critical to navigating the maze of social interactions. Lunchtime networking activities with facilitated topic tables are perfect for catching up with old friends like Marion Thomas. Dr Tammy Watchorn, the author of The Change Ninja Handbook, who will be talking at the session Thinking Differently About Change afternoon that I will attend.

Meanwhile, our session is at 3:35pm: how to manage stress in a project management environment. The closing remarks by our Board Chair, Milla Mazilu, Principal Programme Controls Manager at Network Rail Wales and Western Region is a colleague I've known for years and a woman professional I greatly admire.

In my heart of hearts, I'd strongly recommend you phone today, sign up with the Association for Project Managers (APM) and join us.

You may also be interested in:

• Sunchana's book on advancing your career in project management and PMO
• Sunchana's latest book, Successfully Managing Stress For Project Managers
• What is diversity and inclusion in project management?
• Strategies for attracting women into project management