Hey Reader,

So here’s a Friday night scene I didn’t plan...

• A glass of rum.
• My laptop open.
• A Slack message asking for help.

One of our project managers has a site going live next week and QA was behind. The client hasn’t had enough time to test, so the pressure was on.

Our MD drops a message in Slack:

“We have an issue with some outstanding QA and need around 1-2 hours from 2-3 people this early evening.”

Within minutes, six of us volunteer.

- We jump on a Teams call.

- Tickets get divided up.

- Heads go down.

- Work gets done.

I’m flying through Jira tickets. Raising issues. Moving them forward and asking for more. Between us, we cleared 35 tickets in a couple of hours. About a dozen were still outstanding for the next morning, but the risk was under control.

What made that possible wasn’t heroics.

It wasn't obligation.

It wasn’t fear.

It was trust.

This follows directly on from last week’s edition about networking and building relationships with your team.

Relationships aren’t about being liked.

They’re about being dependable.

Our MD felt comfortable asking because he knows the type of team we are.

- People who care about delivery.

- People who care about each other.

- People who understand that sometimes you show up because one day, you might be the one who needs support.

If we hadn’t invested time getting to know each other

If we hadn’t built trust over weeks and months

If everything was strictly “that’s not my job”

That message probably wouldn’t have been sent.

And even if it had, it might have landed in silence.

A few practical reflections for you as a PM:

• Building relationships is not unprofessional. It’s part of the job.
• Helping out occasionally, even when it’s not your project, shows your character and builds trust.
• Strong teams aren’t formed during crises. They’re revealed during them.
• Trust compounds quietly, then pays off loudly when it matters.

It is okay to get to know your colleagues.

It is okay to give your time sometimes.

It is okay to care.

Because when the pressure hits, the teams that have invested in each other don’t panic.

They pull together.

And that’s how good delivery actually happens.

This week, make an effort to speak to a colleague you have been neglecting or reluctant to build a relationship with.

Have a blessed week.

Yom

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