Biggest Challenges Faced By A Project Coordinator At GreenerU
Madeline's biggest challenge as a Project Coordinator at GreenerU is the heavy reliance on "building and maintaining relationships," particularly during "hard conversations" with clients about potentially upsetting topics like budget constraints or ineffective sustainability practices. The inherent emotional difficulty of discussing climate change daily, both personally and professionally, significantly impacts these relationships.
Communication, Relationship Management, Project Management, Stress Management, Client Interaction
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Madeline Rawson
Project Coordinator
GreenerU
Williams College
n/a
Environmental & Related Sciences
Climate, Environment, Sustainability & Waste Management, Consulting & Related Professional Services
Operations and Project Management
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Maintaining client relationships and stakeholder engagement requires strong communication and interpersonal skills.
2. Delivering difficult or challenging news to clients, such as budget constraints or ineffective sustainability practices, is a key aspect of the role.
3. The emotionally demanding nature of working on sustainability projects, especially given the urgency of climate change, is a significant challenge.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
Client work revolves heavily around building and maintaining relationships, especially when stakeholder engagement is also prevalent. Any relationship, whether outside of work or within it, is difficult and has its unpredictable aspects.
There's a reason so many books are written about how to have a successful conversation with another person. I'd say that's my biggest challenge: the fact that so much of my role relies on those relationships and conversations.
These conversations can be difficult. A lot of times, I need to have hard conversations with my clients where I have to tell them things they really don't want to hear.
This might be about the project budget, or about something they thought their school was doing that isn't actually as effective as they believed. Sustainability also tends to be a pretty high-stress topic.
That's another challenge of the role. Climate change is terrifying, and to think about and talk about it eight hours a day is difficult. It's difficult for my clients as well, so that always puts more pressure on those relationships and conversations.