I started my career in technology by teaching IT to young people aged 11-18 on the Isle of Man. I decided to move on from teaching because I realised that I was keen to explore the technological side of computing in more depth. This led me to return to education to study for a master’s degree in computer science. Having completed a six-month placement within the two-year course, I realised I wanted to focus on a role in the Technology Sector and harness my skills from the Education sector.
The value of education
Teaching is a rewarding career. Education is invaluable. It can open doors for those who embrace it. And I think that this is what motivated me to teach. I got a lot out of it. It’s a hard job. Relentless. And sometimes thankless, too. But I never went into teaching to be thanked.
I enjoyed giving back to society, and although I no longer teach, it is that desire to contribute to the local community that drives me to fundraise for my local Lions Club – a passion of mine. Money that we raise locally goes to a variety of great causes, including local schools.
Here are the five things that I learned from my teaching career and use daily as a Project Manager.
- The importance of negotiation
Project managers need to negotiate constantly. Their role sits at the centre of competing priorities, limited resources, and high expectations. When agreeing on deadlines, securing a budget, managing scope creep, or balancing stakeholder demands, negotiation is essential to keeping a project realistic and deliverable. It’s not just about “getting what you want”. That would be a mistake. It is about finding workable compromises that protect the project while maintaining trust and momentum. It is a skill to negotiate with clarity, confidence and diplomacy. Everyone must understand what’s possible, what’s not, and what trade-offs are required to achieve the best outcome. I learned all these skills as a teacher, negotiating with students and management as well.
- How to make time management your friend
Time management is critical to teaching, including lesson preparation, planning, and addressing questions after class. The motto “work smarter, not harder” becomes ingrained in your subconscious. This is also a key skill for a project manager, as you can be pulled in a thousand different directions on any given day.
- The importance of detail
Teaching is a detail-oriented job, and project management is equally about fact-checking information and ensuring everything produced is accurate and succinct. After all, I am working in an area where there is a price to pay for ambiguity. Many of the experts are detail-focused, and so it is important that I can match them.
- How to read the room
In teaching, every class has a different vibe. And a different challenge. You learn to read the room. And read each student. Experienced teachers can do it in seconds. It is a vital skill that really helps me as a project manager, because people are the key to my projects’ success. If you read the situation accurately, you have a much greater chance of understanding the challenges and motivations of the people on the project teams.
- How to adapt to changing dynamics
Nothing stays the same. Change is constant. In teaching, I learned how to be self-reliant and think on my feet. I am comfortable being put under pressure. I know I can adapt quickly to changing scenarios.
Project Management and the MHRA
I am currently working with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). They are the UK government’s executive agency responsible for ensuring that medicines, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion are safe, effective, and of high quality. They have a wide remit, regulating the entire product lifecycle, from clinical trials to post-market surveillance, protecting public health.
I am part of a team delivering a Data Management Solution, bringing MHRAR on the journey to rationalise their document storage and management propositions, utilising SharePoint, combined with numerous approaches to improve Data Maturity and consistency across the MHRA.
What I love about my work is its diversity. My last project was working with the HM Prison Service. It was one of the most challenging projects that I have managed. I led the delivery of the Windows 11 upgrade to 150 prison sites and 40,000 devices across the Prison Service. It was a complex project that kept me on my toes, requiring me to be innovative, creative and an expert communicator/negotiator all in the same day. It was a privilege to work with the Prison Service, and I felt an enormous sense of pride to be part of the team that delivered the upgrade on time and to budget.
If you have a question for Patricia or the Triad team, please get in touch.
