Hey Reader,

This week, I spent two days in person with my team.

We looked back at 2025, set direction for 2026, and had honest conversations about how we work better together.

Not just process or delivery mechanics, but the human side of collaboration.

What’s working, what isn’t, and where we need to tighten up as a team.

Outside of the sessions, we played games, did some team-building, and shared meals together. I met new colleagues for the first time and spent proper time with people from Dubai, the US, and the UK. Conversations about growth came up naturally, not in a forced way, but because trust creates space for that.

It was positive. Grounded. Human.

And it reminded me why a post I’d seen recently bothered me so much.

The post argued that you shouldn’t go for dinner or drinks with colleagues. That these are the same people who would take your job or throw you under the bus if it benefited them.

It was framed as “protecting yourself.”

But, it ignored something essential:

relationships are not a distraction from the work, they are the work.

The last two days were a real example of that.

Advice like that is dangerous when it’s presented without context. Not because bad behaviour doesn’t exist, but because it encourages isolation in environments where collaboration is essential.

And as a project manager, isolation is rarely a strength.

People build great companies, not processes

Projects don’t succeed because plans are perfect.

They succeed because people work well together.

The people around you are not abstract resources. They are:

• The engineers you’ll need to negotiate priorities with
• The designers you’ll lean on when timelines slip
• The stakeholders who’ll back you when something goes wrong
• The leadership team watching how you show up under pressure

If you don’t take time to know them.

You miss the chance to understand:

• how they think
• what they care about

and how they work best.

That understanding changes everything.

Relationship-building isn’t naïve, it’s strategic

Building relationships doesn’t mean oversharing or losing boundaries. It means being intentional.

When you invest in relationships:

• Conversations become easier when resourcing is tight
• Issues are raised earlier instead of escalating late
• Trust builds before you need it, not during a crisis
• Clients feel the cohesion of the team, not just the outputs.

People are far more willing to help someone they know and respect than someone who only appears when they need something.

That’s not politics.

It's human behaviour.

There’s also a quieter truth here.

If you want progression, whether that’s a new role, more responsibility, or better pay, people need to know you.

That doesn’t happen purely through delivery metrics.

It happens through:

• Regular, human conversations with your manager
• Being visible to leadership beyond status updates
• Building credibility through trust, not distance

When decisions are made about growth or opportunity, familiarity matters.

Not favouritism, familiarity.

People advocate for those they understand.

A more balanced way to think about colleagues

Yes, workplaces can be political.

Yes, you should definitely set boundaries.

But withdrawing completely is rarely protection, it’s self-sabotage.

As a PM, your role sits at the centre of people, pressure, and outcomes.

Relationships are not optional extras, they are part of the job.

Take the time to know your team.

See them as people, not threats.

It will change how you work together, how clients experience your team, and how your career unfolds over time.

Have a meaningful week.

Yomi

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