He is the Frenchman who traded the southern latitudes for the elongated country in the north, a decision we are very happy about. Appreciated, both as a colleague and in his role as Consultant Project Management, he is a contributing factor to many successful projects and assignments. This is Emmanuel Tupin's story.
Emmanuel came to us after seeing an ad for project managers on Linkedin. After more than 10 years at the same company, he felt it was time to do something new.
- I had learned so much and developed a lot with my previous employer, but I felt that it was suddenly the right opportunity and the right Location that appeared. I wanted to continue to develop as a project manager, but also as a person. In addition, I had some friends who worked at Plantvision and they confirmed that it was a good place to work. So I took the opportunity and the rest is history.
The fact that Emmanuel is originally from France has had its advantages, such as the opportunity to live and work in several different countries, which has given him perspectives, insights and a broader understanding of different approaches. When asked if there are more positive effects, the answer came quickly:
- You mean besides my wonderful accent? Jokes aside. I think it has given me another layer in terms of understanding how different people from different countries approach projects. Whether it's customers or colleagues. In France, for example, they work in hierarchies and since I have that understanding from before, I think I quickly understand how they want to work and based on that I find compromises so that the project team feels good and works as well as possible together. I also believe that it is a great advantage to speak several different languages.
When Emmanuel lived and worked in France, there were some similarities with Sweden, but also some clear differences.
- The main difference has to be the work/life balance. We moved from Sweden back to France when our first son was 10 months old and even though I'm French, it was a shock to me that there were no nursery schools and that it was incredibly difficult to have flexible hours. Paternity leave was not even on the map. But the workplace and tasks at the time were absolutely great and suited me at the time.
Curious and with a desire to learn new things, meet new people and take on new challenges, that's Emmanuel in a nutshell and that's one of the reasons why he enjoys his consulting role so much. He emphasizes his colleagues as competent and open and willing to share experiences and knowledge, which makes Plantvision a perfect workplace for him. But what is it about the project management role that appeals to him the most and how does Emmanuel make sure that projects move forward and ensure deliveries?
- There are many things that are fun about project management, so it's hard to choose, but I try. "By definition, every project is unique and the goal for all projects is something that the business really needs and something that they will enjoy and utilize in the future." Being able to meet all the challenges along the way and deliver on the set goals is an incredible feeling. Cooperation between project members, stakeholders and suppliers while getting the chance to meet and lead many talented people to achieve common goals is the absolute best!
Of course, the job has its challenges and requires both proactivity and action in the different projects.
- A project manager's work actually starts before the project itself begins. If you have a good PMO, you start with a concept/feasibility phase that is very important for the planning and implementation phases. Unfortunately, it can sometimes happen that you as a consultant in project management come in a little too late and yet the customer has expectations of us to deliver, for example a product or service, before you have ensured that a good order or requirement has been made. When this happens, I usually take the time to ensure that the customer really understands what they are looking for and what they are asking for. There are many different ways and tools to do this, but it is always a good idea to ask many questions, something I am good at, and then document the answers in some way, such as in Charter, WBS or similar.
Emmanuel has always enjoyed being the spider in the web, but it took a while before he realized that you could actually work like that and become a professional spider in the web. As a result, he has a wide range of experience and several different competencies, including research, sales, team management and account management. He sees this background as a great advantage and feels that it has helped him, in various ways, in his role as a project manager. The role also involves thinking and acting proactively, not least in terms of risks and obstacles.
- I often use a quote from Oscar Wilde: "Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes". So by that definition, I have a lot of experience. Joking aside, I have been involved in many projects where I have had to manage and solve many risks and obstacles. Therefore, I find it helps me to think broadly at the beginning of the project during the risk analysis phase and also to suggest measures that I know have worked in the past for similar risks and/or obstacles.
When asked what the best part of the job is, Emmanuel says that as a project manager he doesn't necessarily have to be an expert in the most technical field, instead it can often be better to bring in an expert resource/SME to the project team, meaning that he and his team can help with many different types of projects and goals. That range of possibilities makes his job as a project manager exciting, he says. So, what really brightens his day?
- When I open an email and read "Hi Emmanuel! We have started thinking about a new project, would you like to join us?".
Emmanuel likes the fact that Plantvision is a company big enough to be able to quickly meet customer needs with the right expertise, but without losing the important and familiar aspects of getting to know each other, knowing who can help answer a certain question or that we can meet for social activities where collaboration and development are in focus. He also appreciates our wide age range, from newly graduated PYP's to more senior colleagues, and that everyone respects each other and is happy to learn from each other. Something he says is reflected in our GPTW certification.
When it comes to the future, the reflection is optimistic.
- I recently read that more and more businesses, in a variety of industries, are starting to understand the benefits of using project management as a concept. So therefore I am hopeful for the future as far as myself and my colleagues are concerned, we will continue to help new and existing clients achieve their desired goals.
Merci beaucoup Monsieur Tupin and good luck with your projects!
