A day in the life of a Project Manager (Singapore edition)
In today’s new episode of ¨A day in the life…¨, let’s see what Poon has got to share with us from Singapore office!
What does your typical morning look like?
Mornings are hardly typical in the life of a Project Manager! The one constant of my mornings would be my general grumpiness until I’ve had my coffee (the meme below describes it best). Double espresso is my go-to, but I will gladly settle for a long black.
Post-coffee — I’m all charged up and ready to go!
I will typically start my day with a run-through of emails to quickly bring myself up-to-speed on any updates that occurred during the night (we’re a global, matrix-like organisation after all). This also helps me review and recalibrate any priorities for the day. This is followed by a review and calibration of project priorities with team members whom I work closely with, e.g. Customer Success & Account Management teams.
What does a role in Project Management involve?
There is perhaps a perception among some that a Project Manager’s job is boring, stodgy, repetitive, and administrative. This couldn’t be further from the truth! I consider my job similar to an air traffic control tower or that of a Maestro in an orchestra.
As an overview, it involves leading the work of a team to achieve a set of goals within project constraints such as scope, timeline, quality, and budget. When done well and correctly, this will result in stakeholder (both internal and external) satisfaction, increased project efficiency, and even reduce burn-out among team members!
In Linkfluence APAC, I project manage multiple client accounts & projects. In order to ensure that our projects are positioned for success, I work very closely with Customer Success, Account Management, and Insights teams.
However, that doesn’t make up all of my time. Naturally, in a dynamic project-based industry, there will likely be some downtime, particularly when paid projects move from set-up and execution, to cyclical operations. At this point, I’m overseeing daily operations to ensure all goes smoothly, respond to client feedback & requests, and also work on other exciting stuff.
Part of my portfolio includes business process optimisation and transformation initiatives. These include streamlining of processes for greater efficiency & effectiveness, development & innovation of our service delivery, adoption & usage of best practices, and mentoring of the junior members of our APAC team. These parts of my portfolio are not as cut-and-dry, and involve a lot of self-direction!
Ultimately, to succeed as a Project Manager, in my view, soft skills such as Leadership, Adaptability, Communication & Active Listening skills are becoming increasingly important. This is especially true in our post-pandemic world where remote-working is becoming a norm.
What do you like about your job?
No one day is the same. Every project has its challenges, and every client is different. I have always enjoyed the ability and opportunity to understand my clients’ business needs, and value-add for them. This way, I have the chance to create strong, long-lasting partnerships, and we will be able to grow with our clients.
I must say I also enjoy the ability for self-direction in my role. I have great managers and mentors who are open-minded, flexible, and very willing to listen to feedback and new ideas. These leadership qualities enable not just my growth, but the growth of our teams as a whole.
I also enjoy the fact that the fluidity and dynamism of our industry means that I need to always be prepared that the market can change overnight (just look at 2020!), even for ongoing projects that may have run for years for an existing client — it keeps me agile and sharp. ☺
Last, but certainly not least, I enjoy my interactions with #TeamAPAC and #TeamPM — I have awesome colleagues ☺
What are some challenges you face on the job and how do you deal with them?
Murphy’s law — When it rains, it pours! Ask any Project Manager and they will usually tell you that “If anything can go wrong, IT WILL!!” ☺
It is important to adopt an optimistic mindset, accept the challenges as they are, but look forward to a solution. Based on my experience, adopting a collaborative win-win approach with stakeholders (both internal and external) is the best way to address these situations. It really helps when everyone is aware that you are facilitating an outcome with their best interest in mind.
As John Lennon says… “There are no problems, only solutions”.
What attracted you to Linkfluence?
I came across Linkfluence’s job posting, and enjoyed the witty tone-of-voice in the job post — it indicated a creative, dynamic, and open-minded team. So here’s a shout-out to our #LinkfluenceHR team!
What sealed the deal for me was how Linkfluence described the Global Services Team, of which Project Managers are a part of. The vision of ‘Think global, act local’ deeply resonated with my personal vision and beliefs of how great ideas can be spread and assimilated globally. Being based in a melting-pot like Singapore, I know first-hand how important it is for global organisations to have high-level corporate strategies on the one hand, yet maintain the flexibility of specific business strategies on the other hand, to ensure the success of local implementation. In APAC particularly, each Asian country has its quirks and cultural nuances — ensuring that the local voice is heard can sometimes be the defining factor between the success or failure of a well-intentioned strategy.
What would you say about Linkfluencers?
Dynamic, ambitious, creative, and a social bunch! :D
Being a global company, the differences in culture, ethnicities, beliefs, experiences, and backgrounds coming together makes Linkfluence interesting and exciting. I find that Linkfluencers tend to bond over food and drinks! ☺
#DiversityandInclusion
Any hobbies outside work?
Absolutely! I have enjoyed video gaming and photography since a young age, and have recently devoted more of my time to cooking, and breadmaking. When I’m not busy planning my next move to take over civilization (one more turn!), shooting monsters & enemies (in video games) or people & products (through photography), one can usually find me in the kitchen.
It helps that my wife is willing to sample and critique the results of my culinary experiments! Thanks to COVID-19, I have levelled up my culinary skills ☺
Prior to COVID-19, my wife and I also enjoyed the occasional night out for live music. It’s one of the things we miss most during lockdown! When things get better, feel free to hit me up in Singapore if live music is your thing ☺
What would you say to someone considering a role in the PM team at Linkfluence?
Give it a try! There’s no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to jobs and roles within the company. That said, a day as a Project Manager in Linkfluence is hardly boring and could provide adventure and excitement to the right person. If you would like to find out more from me, I am always open for a chat! ☺
