"It’s important to embrace learning opportunities with an open and humble mind. When you aren’t learning and changing, you’re limiting yourself and missing the bigger picture.” - Nishangan Paranthaman, SCS student
Nishangan Paranthaman was eager to develop new management skills in order to navigate the challenges and nuances of leading in a unionized environment. After immigrating to Canada from Sri Lanka 11 years ago, Nishangan began working for Canada’s largest telecommunications company, and worked his way up to an Operations Manager role. Managing unionized employees was a new experience for Nishangan, and he decided that to fully thrive within the company culture, he needed to expand his skills and explore new leadership strategies.
“I can be a black-and-white thinker, and unionized culture was new to me,” explains Nishangan, who enrolled in the Project Management Certificate at SCS. “In my current role, I am managing unionized employees, some of whom are highly seasoned. I wanted to improve my ability to set employee objectives, foster motivation, make strategic decisions, and lead change management. In a unionized environment, with many specific rules and a distinct culture, I wanted to explore ways to implement meaningful and positive change, and how to work collaboratively with my peers.”
Nishangan found Leading Projects in Organizations to be particularly helpful. The course helped him navigate how to have difficult conversations, and prepare for potentially high-stress meetings. “I learned how to stay calm, enter a meeting prepared, and be thoughtful about the messages I choose to communicate. I’ve also learned to grow from my experiences! Now after meetings I do a quick audit; what went well, what didn’t, and what can I learn from that interaction” reflects Nishangan. “I bring a whole new level of respect, trust, and strategy to the table. I know how to use empathy to neutralize situations, and to really hear what the other person is saying from their unique perspective.”
Instructor Jose Costa ensured the classroom was a safe space for learners to share their experiences, and bounce ideas off one another. “Jose offered very real and tangible strategies for things I was struggling with. He encouraged me be more open in my thinking, and to put myself in other’s shoes when it comes to having difficult conversations or implementing organizational change. He was a real mentor in conflict management and effective leadership,” says Nishangan.
After earning his certificate in April 2020, Nishangan is now confident in his capacity to implement change in a strategic and sensitive manner. “My ability to work with others and communicate with tact has resulted in more mutual agreement with our union. We are seeing fewer grievances, and increased collaboration,” says Nishangan. Next, he plans to pursue a certificate in Agile Project Management at SCS, and continue advancing his soft skills. “Continuing education is so important,” he asserts. “It’s important to embrace learning opportunities with an open and humble mind. When you aren’t learning and changing, you’re limiting yourself and missing the bigger picture.”