{"id":44946,"date":"2023-06-06T14:55:04","date_gmt":"2023-06-06T12:55:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bioforce.org\/?p=44946"},"modified":"2023-06-06T14:55:07","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T12:55:07","slug":"i-listen-therefore-i-lead-lessons-from-women-humanitarian-managers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bioforce.org\/en\/i-listen-therefore-i-lead-lessons-from-women-humanitarian-managers\/","title":{"rendered":"I listen therefore I lead? Lessons from women humanitarian managers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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I listen therefore I lead? Lessons from women humanitarian managers<\/h1>\n <\/div>\n\n
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\n 05 june 2023<\/span> \n <\/div>\n
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Discover the skills for humanitarian management and leadership, an article written by Diane Cadiergue, the coordinator of our “Humanitarian programme manager” training course.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n

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Learn how to build skills for humanitarian management and leadership<\/h2>\n\t\t

Any industry needs efficient, supportive, and inspiring managers and the aid sector is no exception. Women can lead significant and successful careers there, and have access to executive positions in NGOs, be them international, national or local organisations. Not always, not everywhere, but the non-profit sector would not be the driving force against inequality that it is now, without them.<\/p>\n

I am a daily witness of it, whether I look at colleagues and friends around me or following the career development of Bioforce alumni I have had the privilege to meet and support in their early humanitarian steps.<\/p>\n

This article is both a tribute to their contribution to the delivery of aid worldwide, focusing on\u00a0people management and leadership<\/strong>, and an opportunity to explore their specifics:<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

what do they do well? What lessons to take from their experience?<\/strong>\u00a0And what are the challenges, if any, still lying ahead for them to unleash their full potential?<\/p>\n

In my opinion (by the way, this is an opinion piece, based on experience and observation, not science),\u00a0management takes skills: both technical and soft. Skills can be learnt<\/strong>, which is precisely why we design and have been delivering training programmes at Bioforce for 40 years!\u00a0Leadership\u00a0<\/strong>is somehow one step further, since it has to do with guiding and inspiring, and\u00a0probably requires an additional dose of confidence<\/strong>. But there is room for learning there as well\u2026<\/p>\n

The technical skills of a manager are related to\u00a0organisation, anticipation, planning,<\/strong>\u00a0in order to successfully reach specific objectives despite specific constraints that are in the way (context, time, resources). And to make those technical choices work, the manager needs to use\u00a0soft skills of interpersonal communication:\u00a0<\/strong>active listening, questioning, speaking abilities, driven with empathy. Among those,\u00a0questioning<\/strong>\u00a0is particularly powerful, for in complex situations, answers more often lie in one\u2019s ability to ask the right questions, rather than just relying on science and knowledge. As for\u00a0empathy<\/strong>, it is often disregarded due to its suspicious connection with feelings, but it is essential to fuel honest communication strategy and practice.<\/p>\n

For Edithe, from Haiti, a 2021 Bioforce Humanitarian Programme Manager (HPM) alumna and now manager with ICRC in Burkina: \u201cWhen I review [my experience as team manager, moving from one to fourteen team members over 12 years], I identify\u00a0<\/em>competences, knowing what I am doing with clear goals, being open and supportive to the team members<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0as my strengths:\u00a0<\/em>With that, we have a very good work environment.<\/p>\n

When the work environment is good, it can be seen on the face of each member of the team, it impacts me positively and I have more energy to continue. These important elements help me to stay focused, be able to face challenges and give good results.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Bringing support to one\u2019s team helps create trust, and providing vision on top, helps foster autonomy, empowerment. So with the aforementioned skills, technical and soft,\u00a0plus an additional dose of confidence, and trust, one can start moving from management to leadership.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Confidence (in oneself) \u2026 trust (among team members)\u2026 Do they not sound cool? The virtuous circle of harmony and fulfilment at work\u2026 But how do we get there?<\/p>\n

I believe confidence and trust can be built through practice and feedback and my point is that:<\/h3>\n