A project manager at a fast-growing company ditched rigid systems for trust and simple processes and now keeps 40 projects on track with less stress.
Your leadership team is pushing for everyone to adopt the latest project management platform. The price tag? Hundreds of dollars per user, per month. But one experienced project manager we spoke with has found that success often lies in a different approach – one that prioritizes relationships over rigid systems.
"People have more burning items, things that directly impact revenue or project profit," she explains. "Updating project management tools feels like admin work." Yet somehow, she successfully manages 30-40 projects simultaneously at a rapidly-growing logistics company. Her secret? Building trust and maintaining strong personal connections while keeping systematic oversight manageable for everyone involved.
When you're managing dozens of projects across multiple departments, the standard advice is to implement robust project management tools. But this PM has discovered that this isn't always the most effective approach, especially in fast-growing companies where team members are already stretched thin.
"If we look on the business side, it's harder to get people to go into a sheet and update because their justification -- which can sound like an excuse but isn't -- is that they're already doing all these things, and now you're asking them to update on top of that," she notes.
Instead of forcing adoption of complex tools, she has developed a hybrid approach that combines simple, accessible systems with strong personal oversight. This method ensures she can maintain visibility across projects while respecting her team members' time and priorities.
The foundation of this PM’s approach is building strong relationships by being responsive to immediate needs. "The relationship is built on a day-by-day basis," she explains. "I try to start typically when they're new or when I was new – it's just getting things done for them quickly. Create that level of trust or be that person that can either solve their issue or get them connected to the right person to solve the issue."
This relationship-first approach pays dividends when it comes to project updates and maintaining momentum. "I found that it creates better relationships if I can ping them real quick versus telling them every week 'update the sheet, update the sheet,'" she shares. "When you've helped them previously, they're more likely to come to you with 'Hey, I really need your help on this.'"
Because of her approach, this PM has become what one colleague called "the glue of the company" -- someone who can see connections and opportunities that others might miss.
"I look at the company holistically," she explains. "I'm not looking just at one project or one thing. I'm looking at what's happening in HR, what's happening in operations, what's happening in marketing. Sometimes I can see the dots that maybe other people don't see because they're in their silo."
This comprehensive view allows her to add value beyond traditional project management: "Sometimes I'm connecting dots that different people don't see because they're not talking to each other, not because they don't want to, but they didn't realize how it impacted their work."
A key part of being an effective connector is making project information accessible and meaningful for different audiences. This PM maintains clear project tracking that highlights what matters most: projects in progress, those waiting to start, and high-risk items that need attention.
This systematic approach helps surface important issues quickly and connect them to the right resources, whether that's budget allocation, additional team members, or cross-departmental collaboration.
"You have to sell it -- what's in it for them," she emphasizes. In an era where sophisticated project management tools promise to solve every challenge, her experience offers a compelling alternative path: start with relationships, stay flexible with systems, and focus on becoming the person who helps others succeed.
For project managers facing similar challenges in fast-growing companies, this PM’s approach provides a practical blueprint: build trust through quick wins, maintain a holistic view that helps you spot connections others miss, and remember that sometimes the most powerful project management tool isn't software – it's your ability to bring people together to get things done.
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