What is one way you work today as a project manager at U+A that your younger self at the start of your career would never have expected?

Early in my career, I thought the role of a project manager was mainly about tracking tasks and making sure deadlines were met. Over time, I realized that a large part of the job is actually shaping how the team works together.

Today, I spend more time simplifying workflows than chasing deliverables. If a process creates friction between teams, it eventually affects quality and timelines. Instead of pushing people to work faster within a complicated structure, I try to remove unnecessary steps so the team can focus on the design itself.

That shift from managing tasks to managing the working environment is something I would not have expected when I first started..  

Can you share a time when listening to a non-senior team member changed the way everyone worked on a project?

On one project, a junior architect pointed out that the coordination comments between disciplines were getting lost across different email threads and drawing markups. His suggestion was simple: create a shared issue log where every comment from architecture, structure, and MEP could be tracked in one place.

At first, it sounded like a small administrative change, but once we implemented it the effect was immediate. The team had visibility on who raised each issue, who owned it, and when it was resolved. Coordination meetings became shorter and more focused because everyone came prepared.

It was a good reminder that useful ideas often come from the people closest to the day-to-day work.

What part of project management do you consider your strongest area, and how did you develop it? 

One area that has become a real strength for me is working with people and building strong relationships within the project team. In multidisciplinary projects, the technical challenges are often manageable, but alignment between people and disciplines can be more complex.

Over the years, I learned that trust and open communication make a significant difference in how a team performs. When people feel comfortable raising concerns early, coordination becomes much smoother, and issues are resolved before they grow into larger problems.

This skill developed naturally through experience. Working across different countries and project environments exposed me to a wide range of personalities and working styles. It taught me to listen carefully, understand what motivates different team members, and create a working atmosphere where people feel respected and supported.

When that environment exists, collaboration improves, and the entire project moves forward more efficiently.