When Feedback Hurts: A Father’s Reflection on Communication and Growth

Dear Son,

Yesterday was parent-teacher meeting day at your school. Once again, thank you for giving us a reason to feel proud. Listening to the wonderful feedback from your teachers — full of kind words, meaningful stories, and thoughtful observations — was truly heartwarming. We are so grateful for all of it.

However, there was one moment that struck me deeply and left an unexpected ache in my heart. Your science teacher mentioned that you had told him, with tears welling in your eyes, that I didn’t allow you to bring your Raspberry Pi 5 to school for your science project. He explained how he’s been trying to help you find a workaround ever since. Hearing this broke me — not because of what you said, but because I realized I may have failed to see the situation through your eyes.

Let me share my perspective. When I first heard you’d be working on a team project, my immediate concern was about the balance of responsibility. At your age, contributions among team members can be uneven, and I worried you might end up doing more than your fair share — or worse, carry the burden alone. My intention was to protect you from frustration or disappointment, not to limit your potential.

But after speaking with your teacher, I understood there was a deeper misunderstanding. What I saw as guidance came across to you as restriction. What I meant as protection felt, to you, like a lack of trust.

This experience has given me two valuable lessons — lessons I believe apply not only to parenting, but also to leadership, teamwork, and communication at every level:

First, I need to give you more room to explore, to fail, to lead, and to grow. Teamwork is one of life’s most powerful teachers. It’s not just about achieving a goal — it’s about learning how to collaborate, how to manage roles and responsibilities, and how to navigate the beautiful messiness of human dynamics. These are skills that you, like all of us, must learn through real experience.

Second, feedback is not just about what we say — it’s about how we say it. I now realize that the way I expressed my concerns lacked empathy and clarity. Next time, I’ll do better: I’ll explain the ‘why’ behind my thoughts, give you the full picture, and make sure we’re truly aligned in understanding.

Thank you for being our bright, curious, and amazing son. You remind me every day that we are all students in this journey — learning from each other, growing together, and always better when we trust and support one another.

With love,
Dad
Volkan

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Celebrating Team Spirit and #BetterTogether Value

As we approach the end of the year, our Finance Director, Inna, provided all finance colleagues with a new year dinner voucher. Today, I had the pleasure of taking my team out for a lunch, and it was a wonderful experience that truly highlighted our team spirit and #bettertogether value.

When I shared the news about the dinner vouchers, my colleagues Didem and Tomris were thrilled. Initially, we planned a coffee break for a Sunday afternoon, but we decided to change it to a lunch to keep our energy up while working on accruals and collecting invoices from vendors at the end of December.

Although I am not a fan of sushi, Didem and Tomris recommended a highly-rated sushi place close to our office. It was a new experience for me, as we usually prefer kebab or fish in Istanbul. Despite my reservations about sushi and Asian food, it was a great opportunity to bond with the team over non-business topics like children, shopping, and more.

For me, the critical aspect is being #bettertogether during these challenging times when many are on year-end vacations, and we are working hard to ensure a smooth year-end closing. Thanks to Inna, we had this chance to come together as a team and enjoy a meal together while we were in "away" mode in MS Teams.

These initiatives significantly boost our morale and productivity. After the lunch, I felt refreshed and ready to tackle tasks like the deferred tax calculation. Such occasions also strengthen our bonds, making us a more cohesive team.

Looking ahead, I hope we can continue this tradition next year. Perhaps we can explore Mexican or Italian cuisine in town, keeping diversity and inclusion in mind. Or, let's dream big—maybe we'll have the opportunity to gather with the entire PMIDF Finance team in a foreign country, experiencing new tastes together.

Thank you, Inna, for this wonderful initiative. It means a lot to us!

Fostering a Culture of Engagement and Collaboration in Global Controlling with GC Engagers

As we approach the end of 2024, it's a perfect time to reflect on our achievements and the values that have guided us. This year, our Global Controlling (GC) leadership team under Global Business Solutions announced an exciting initiative during our first webcast in 2024: the formation of the GC Engagers community. This initiative aimed to co-create engagement ideas and foster a culture where everyone feels a sense of belonging and pride in being part of our team.

Creating a Positive Impact

Our leadership team demonstrated the PMI DNA value of "We Care" by providing a platform for every member of the GC team to contribute. This initiative showed our commitment to creating a positive impact for those around us. By intentionally seeking, listening, and learning from diverse perspectives, we aimed to reach the best outcomes. This inclusive approach sparked interest among the team, leading to the formation of a community of 36 individuals from 12 different countries, each bringing unique "superpowers" to the table.

Building Connections and Collaboration

We began with a get-to-know-each-other session, aligning on our roles and responsibilities. A dedicated SharePoint site was created as a central hub for resources, discussions, and collaboration. This space allowed us to introduce ourselves to the entire GC community and foster a sense of unity.

Our Head of Global Controlling, Luis Matos, reinforced the PMI DNA value of "We are Better Together" by encouraging the GC team to reach out to Engagers with ideas to strengthen our team. His cooperative approach broke down silos and united us for a shared purpose.

Driving Engagement and Innovation

In our first team meeting, we identified improvement areas: Fun & Integration, Recognition, Wellbeing, Learning Opportunities, and Career Opportunities. These areas evolved into five focused teams, each with its own leader. Francesco Puppato became the team leader for Fun & Integration, Sabina Bytnar-Warzocha for Recognition, Leonor Almeida for Wellbeing, Jaafar Abu-Eisheh for Learning Opportunities, and Volkan Yorulmaz (me) for Career Opportunities. By working in these focused teams, we analyzed pain points and implemented quick wins to create a positive impact on GC employees.

While the GC Engagers team has been working on ideas and plans to foster a culture of belonging, employee appreciation, and a growth mindset—ultimately making GC teams feel more connected, engaged, and motivated—our GBS People & Culture Manager, Izabella Golba, has consistently shown full "trust" in us, supporting us as we "embraced challenges."

Key Achievements

• Enhanced Communication: We created dedicated MS Teams channels to improve global communication and collaboration.
• On-Site Meetings: Successfully conducted on-site meetings in Krakow and Latin America, with plans for more in 2025.
• Summer Memories Competition: Launched a fun and engaging competition to boost team morale.
• Coffee Calls: Implemented informal catch-ups to strengthen team bonds.
• Webcast Support: Provided comprehensive support for GC webcasts, achieving high satisfaction results.
• Recognition: Recognized outstanding contributions through the Colleague of the Quarter awards.
• Career Opportunities: Introduced the “My Job Opportunities” initiative to highlight internal career opportunities.

Embracing Change and Innovation

Throughout this journey, we embodied the PMI DNA value of "We are Game Changers". By taking thoughtful risks, experimenting, and learning from our mistakes, we fostered a culture of agility and resilience. For instance, while preparing for the Global Controlling FS Connect series, we practiced repeatedly before the live sessions. During these internal runs, our GC leadership team members, Christine Lee (Head of Controlling EAA & PMIDF) and Aurimas Klimas (Head of Controlling SSEA, CIS & MEA), not only observed our presentations but also provided constructive feedback. Their support and guidance helped us achieve an impressive NPS score of 9.2 for the session, which is considered a ‘promoter’ score.

Additionally, we launched the "My Job Opportunities" initiative to highlight internal career opportunities. This initiative encouraged team members to take initiative and explore new roles within the company, fostering individual growth and strengthening our team by leveraging diverse skills and experiences.

Reflecting on Our Journey

In our last GC Year-end webcast, thanks to the inclusive invite from Felix Schell, Head of Controlling Americas, the GC Leadership team provided us, the GC Engagers, with the space to share our key takeaways from 2024. We emphasized the importance of communication, feedback, and active participation in our initiatives. By working together, we can create a thriving and collaborative environment, driving for impact and celebrating our successes.

As Edvinas Katilius, our Global Business Solutions Vice President, shared in his reflections on PMI DNA, "Introducing core values by companies is not what makes them thrive; making those values lived by their people is." This sentiment was echoed during the global and local PMI DNA events, where we gathered to delve into the essence of our guiding principles. All these events were filled with open and honest conversations, leaving us energized and inspired to embed these values within GBS. Edvinas' commitment to making PMI DNA a part of our thriving culture is a powerful reminder of the impact we can achieve together.

A Personal Thank You

During my transition to a new role in 2024, my manager, Vasyliy Zakharov (Controller PMIDF), gave me the space to work as a GC Engagers leader, exemplifying the PMI DNA value of "We are Better Together". His support allowed me to collaborate effectively with our team, break down silos, and unite for a shared purpose.

Vasyliy's embodiment of the PMI DNA value "We Care" has been instrumental in my personal journey this year. His trust and encouragement have empowered me to embrace challenges, strive for excellence, and make things better for everyone in Global Controlling.

Call to Action

As we move forward, we as GC Engagers encourage all GC colleagues to:

• Communicate with Us: Reach out with any questions, suggestions, or concerns. We're here to listen and support you.
• Share Ideas & Feedback: Your insights help us improve and innovate. Don't hesitate to share your thoughts.
• Join Us: Become an active part of our initiatives. Together, we can achieve great things and make a positive impact on our Global Controlling team.

Let's continue to embody the PMI DNA values and critical behaviors, driving for impact and celebrating our collective achievements.