What a Biology Project Manager at HELIX Environmental Planning Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Environmental Industry
Katie, a Biology Project Manager, reveals a surprising aspect of the environmental industry: the significant, unexpected amount of "people management," including "handholding" and navigating diverse personalities, unlike the anticipated clear-cut tasks. This contrasts with the frequent ambiguity inherent in environmental work, where "nothing is black and white," a reality that some professionals, such as engineers, find frustrating.
Project Management, People Management, Communication, Problem-Solving, Ambiguity/Uncertainty
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Katie Duffield
Biology Project Manager
HELIX Environmental Planning, Inc.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Biology & Related Sciences
Consulting & Related Professional Services
Operations and Project Management
Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. There is more people management than anticipated, involving hand-holding, personality management, and navigating individual styles and needs.
2. Environmental work is not black and white; it involves many gray areas and unique situations with few clear-cut answers.
3. Engineers may find the ambiguity and lack of definitive answers frustrating because of the many shades of gray in environmental situations
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
There's a lot more people management than I anticipated. I thought it would be clear-cut: this is what needs to happen, these are the conversations.
But there's a lot of handholding, being a therapist, and navigating each individual's style, needs, and personalities. There's a lot of personality management that I wasn't aware of.
That aspect of it was unexpected. Everything is squishy; nothing is black and white in environmental [work]. There are always a thousand shades of gray, and every situation is different.
So it's never a clear-cut yes or no. Very often it's "maybe," and engineers hate that.