Innocentia Mahlangu
Project Manager at Hatch, Founder of SHEngineers,
PMI Future 50 Honoree, TEDxSpeaker, Author Founder
South Africa
About
Innocentia Mahlangu (Pr.Eng, PMP, MSc Eng, AgilePM, FSAICE) is an award winning and internationally recognised Professional Project Manager & Senior Civil Engineer. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Master of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Wits University.
Innocentia has held positions such as design engineer, resident engineer as well as roles in project and construction management. In her current role at Hatch, she is a specialist project manager, overseeing projects in the mining, metals and infrastructure sectors as part of the project delivery group. She also serves as a project delivery sponsor, providing governance oversight on several projects.
Innocentia is the current chair of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering’s (SAICE) Diversity & Inclusivity panel as well as the Education and Training committee and a member of the Executive Board. In 2022, she became the youngest SAICE fellow. She is currently Vice President for Professional Development at the Project Management Institute (PMI) South Africa Chapter.
Additionally, she is the founder of a non-profit organisation for women in engineering, SHEngineers. Innocentia is recipient of several local and international awards including being named 1 of 150 Global Women Leaders as well as 1 of 50 Young Global Project Leaders of the Future.
Innocentia is also a recipient of the 2021 SAICE President’s award for her contributions to the industry. She has become a thought leader in project management, diversity, equity, inclusion as well as advancement of women. She was recently featured on the Project Management’s Institutes’ Projectified Podcast, where she shared emerging trends on project delivery and the PMI’s Megatrends of 2022, providing commentary on diversity, equity and inclusion. She is a TEDxSpeaker and delivered a TEDxTalk titled Mobilising Project Professionals for Climate Change.
She is also the Author of Unleash Your Unique Advantage, a book dedicated to advancing women in male dominated fields of engineering, construction, mining and project management.
To connect with Innocentia, please check her LinkedIn profile.
Title & Abstract
Leading the way with diverse teams
Project controls and project management are the cornerstones of any successful project, and effective project controls are essential to ensure that our projects are delivered on time, on budget, and to the satisfaction of all stakeholders. Leading the way in project controls and project management means that we are constantly striving to improve our processes, tools, techniques and approaches to ensure that our projects are managed effectively and efficiently. It means being proactive in identifying potential issues and risks and developing mitigation plans to address them before they become problems.
At the heart of effective project management and project controls is not only strong leadership, clear communication, and a commitment to delivering results. But we must be able to inspire and motivate our teams and communicate clearly with all stakeholders. We must also be able to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, whether it is a change in scope, culture, schedule, team or budget.
To lead the way in project controls, we must also be willing to embrace new technologies, new techniques and new leadership styles. However, leading the way in project controls and project management is not just about embracing new technologies and techniques. It is also about fostering a culture of continuous improvement and of inclusion when leading diverse teams where we are constantly learning, adapting, and improving our approaches.
When it comes to leading diverse teams, we should accept that diversity is not just a buzzword – it is a critical component of successful project delivery. Diverse teams bring a variety of perspectives, experiences, and skills to the table. They challenge assumptions, bring fresh ideas, and can help us identify and mitigate risks that we might otherwise have missed. However, managing diverse teams also presents unique challenges, particularly when it comes to communication and collaboration.
Leading the way in project controls and project management means recognizing the value of diversity and taking proactive steps to foster an inclusive culture that values and respects all team members. This means actively seeking out diverse talent, creating opportunities for diverse team members to take on leadership roles, and providing training and support to help team members communicate effectively across cultures and backgrounds. It also means recognizing the unique needs and challenges of diverse team members and making adjustments as necessary to ensure that everyone feels supported and included.
Ultimately, leading the way in project controls and project management with diverse teams means recognizing that our differences are a strength, not a weakness. By embracing diversity, we can create a stronger, more resilient teams that are better equipped to tackle complex projects and deliver exceptional results.
This talk will present practical approaches to fostering diverse and inclusive culture, as one of the levers of leading the way in project controls and project management.