As Studio Operations Manager (SOM) for DIALOG Vancouver, Edel focuses on managing a sustainable business and a culture of preeminent design. With a degree in Business, Edel is especially drawn to understanding the inner workings of companies, cultures, and countries. She has lived and worked in Europe, Australia, and North America, and provided design and leadership expertise to Professional Services practices in various sectors.
At the core of Edel’s work is the drive to build and support efficient and coordinated approaches to tasks, projects, and initiatives. She strikes the right balance of strategic and operational thinking to create this, and cuts through any noise and unnecessary waste. Edel is equally impactful on an individual level through her ongoing mentorship and advocacy. Her approach to leadership results in her team members developing a sense of ownership both in their own work as well as on behalf of the team and practice. Edel envisions DIALOG as a source for good and seeks to contribute to this by setting a framework for others to continue to positively impact the wellbeing of our communities.
What is the one thing you want to redesign every time you see or use it?
I believe we need to [Re]Look at the terms Resources and Resourcing—referring to people who work at companies as Resources, or the process of assigning those people to projects as Resourcing is outdated. I appreciate they are common business terms, but perhaps we change the conversation and assign people to our projects, rather than resource our projects and refer to the process as ‘Project Assigning’ or Project Assignment Management.
What’s one ‘Pro Tip’ you live by?
‘Leaders who don’t listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say.’ – Andy Stanley