PM Chat x Ritika Rakshit
Ritika Rakshit is a Digital Project Manager based in Vancouver, Canada who is currently working as a Resource Manager at Briteweb.
Always been curious about your background? Have you always lived in Vancouver? Where are you from and what brought you to this city?
I am Indian raised in Bangkok, Thailand, and moved here over a decade ago for UBC’s Biological Sciences program. I moved to Vancouver having never been to North America. It was between UBC, Vancouver and Rutgers University, New Jersey. The decision was entirely based on which country had better healthcare, which campus was nicer and the fact that guns freaked me out.
You probably have the most diverse work background I have ever seen - with most of it being relevant to some sort of project coordination work. Which role from your work history has been the closest to project management and why?
I would consider it all somewhat related to project management, as it involves managing time, scope, budget. I started with program and operations management in my first two roles (a crown agency for the BC Province and at STEMCELL Technologies, a large biotechnology company).
In my third role, as an Business Analyst for an 500+ person Enterprise Electronic Medical Record software implementation project between three health authorities, I got my first true direct project experience, especially in what can be considered “tech” and mostly gathered requirements, managed scope, schedule and resources.
In my current role, I’d say resource management is a function of project management, and as someone doing that across the organization, it’d be closer to portfolio management.
Having worked with Briteweb in the past myself, you are currently a Planning Manager there - what does that role involve? How is it different from Project Management?
Briteweb created a new role out of a need for a Resource Management function in the agency. I fall under Operations, oversee capacity across the organization, and ensure projects are properly resourced by matching the right level of skill set, availability and timeline. I am completely internal facing and support all projects effectively.
I mainly support the contractor base of the team, ensuring effective on-boarding/off-boarding and work closely with HR, Finance, Business Development functions to ensure we’re forecasting ahead. In contrast, PMs are part of Delivery, work on specific client projects, are client facing, and ensure the final product/service is completed.
Let’s chat about WFH, how has the last 1.5 years affected your performance and passion for your work? Are you still WFH or do you mix between office and home?
Prior to the pandemic, I was a full fledged extroverted social butterfly who was never home. In the last two years, I’ve transitioned into an introverted homebody who works and lives alone and haven’t looked back since. It was quite an adjustment initially - but I really love having complete control over my time and energy. Although I do have to be more intentional about ensuring I get exercise, leave the house, see friends, I feel like my time is much better spent. I’m a lot more conservative about where and how I spend my energy/time.
“PMs make reality out of nothing and that is so, so rewarding. Anytime anything happens ever in the world - you know there is someone out there doing a PM function, whether their title is PM or not.”
You are also involved with the Vancouver Digital PM Community - what inspired you to take that on and what are your goals with this community?
I took that on initially because the people drew me in. I really connected with the idea that PMs or anyone who gets shit done, should be empowered to change our businesses, and effectively our communities/society for the better.
I’m really proud of the VDPM Volunteer Team and our evolution (and survival, quite frankly) during the last 2 year pandemic years. We never went on a hiatus and kept churning community events, despite our team experiencing the same level of uncertainty, burnout and fatigue. With a solid volunteer team, we’re looking to rename, rebrand and formalize our status as an organization so we can continue to grow. We no longer just serve Vancouver and we no longer just serve PMs.
What aspects outside of work allow you to succeed in your work?
I love process - in my personal, professional and volunteer life. Everything is on Todoist, my Google Cal or Drive. I thrive on automation, and making complex things simple. I also have been a lot more intentional about being off, doing frivolous things just for the sake of fun and enjoyment that have no purpose, value or meaning. This includes reading (bookworm as a kid), playing video games (pandemic coping) or bubble baths.
Let’s chat about PM burn out. In many teams it is still an accepted norm as companies relate success to rapid delivery. What are your recommendations to PMs who want to make a positive change at their company so folks don’t burn out?
I’m burnt out right now. I believe we all are, on some level. The pandemic has redefined what success looks like. It's not just about working 37.5. hours a week. It's about creating value quickly and the old adage of working smart, not hard. This is our only way out - to take care of ourselves and build something that we believe in, not just work for the sake of working.
My entire role at Briteweb is to protect people’s energy so they don’t burn out. And I’ve learned that people have a hard time saying no - and so I can help them do that, with some information and context as to why they’re saying no. Especially remote, where we are all working on our couches with family/TV noise all around, people are concerned about creating value.
My biggest recommendation to PMs is to say it as it is. This may be simple, but it’s actually quite difficult to be the only person in the room to call out something as unrealistic or illogical.
What can PMs do to build greater balance in their teams and their projects on a more individual level v. company as a whole?
Boundaries - this isn’t a buzz word for no reason.
Our tools are so powerful in helping us communicate and they are designed by entire teams and experts doing research on human behavior. Literally thousands of hours of arts and science making us dopamine addicted to the devices that are now extension of our limbs. Making those work tools for us and adhering to them is the hard part.
What have you found most challenging about Project Management work?
How fast things are changing - technology innovation is now exponential, adoption rates are much faster with a younger generation in the workforce. As a PM, I’m concerned about falling behind in terms of knowledge or accidentally finding myself in a dead industry/business.
What has been the most rewarding about PM work?
The most rewarding part of PM is looking back once a project is complete and being able to identify the parts you played in making it a success. PMs make reality out of nothing and that is so, so rewarding. Anytime anything happens ever in the world - you know there is someone out there doing a PM function, whether their title is PM or not.
How/where do you see project management innovating in the future?
I see lots of work being automated and outsourced, more remote work, more global collaboration. As our tools and technology advance, people will continue to do things that machines cannot.
I’m optimistic - PMs have versatile career opportunities and play key roles in their organizations to map out a vision that is kinder in order to make this planet more habitable, and how to get us there.
