Ricardo Santos, Programme Manager, Irish Rail
Ricardo Santos is a husband, a father of three, and an expert on delivering large-scale multidisciplinary infrastructure projects, with over 25 years of experience in Ireland, Canada, Indonesia, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Algeria.
Currently working for Irish Rail as a programme manager on the DART+ programme, Ricardo's family moved to Ireland 15 years ago, when he was first engaged by a series of recognised projects such as the LUAS extensions and OpenHydro's tidal turbines.
Ricardo's motto is "On-Time, On-Track and On-Target", and he is a strong advocate of "WAGILE", a hybrid management system taking advantage of the rigour from a staged-and-gated system (Waterfall) while adding in the flexibility of an Agile development process. Cognisant that change of processes is impossible without transformation of people,
Ricardo defends that only happy teams can deliver great outcomes. A personal note as a father: "Much more than worrying about the world I will hand over to my children, I worry about the children I will hand over to the world".
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
I absolutely love LinkedIn, which is "professional" and not "social". Therefore, my answer has to be Twitter, which is my main source of information, in a very convenient format: short, assertive and served just in time.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
Evolution is a continuum of change and transformation. I like to think of myself as a driver of effective and efficient change.
Note to self: "effectiveness" is doing the right things, and "efficiency" is doing these things right.
This excellence in change can only be achieved by mastering the bridge between strategy and execution. Accordingly, Irish Rail has established very clear strategic objectives for the DART+ Programme, an ambitious change initiative that will transform the transportation network in the Dublin suburban area.
As Programme Manager of DART+, my continuous focus is on ensuring that the delivered outcome goes beyond the triple constraint of scope, cost, and time and is fully aligned with the strategy, delivering the expected benefits.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
For some people, their life is just a walk that leaves footsteps behind. Others, whose life has a purpose and a mission, leave a footprint and a legacy. I am determined to make a difference.
I like to look back and see the work I've done. Work with a purpose, work that contributed to that continuum of change that we call evolution. The most important aspect is that a lot of great work is done in collaboration with great people, and I am fortunate to have worked with absolutely fantastic people.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
When we met, my wife told me: "Luck is a 10% opportunity and 90% effort and preparation. Don't ever stop learning". She has been my guiding light ever since.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
I have two sources of motivation: I want to leave a legacy of work done, and I want to set a good example for my family. In terms of inspiration… I love when an "underdog" succeeds against all odds.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
My happy marriage, my three kids, the fact that they all look up to me, and have been able to successfully deliver in four different continents, nine countries and a wide range of cultures.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
I like introductions by a mutual friend. Feeling that someone vouches for that person is very important. Moreover, I like the opportunity of shaking hands while looking each other in the eyes.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
Drive, momentum, trust in my own capabilities.
Capacity to adapt to different situations, people and cultures.
Ability to "bubble out" problems and focus on primary goals.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
My first full-time job was as a project manager. I was completely raw and did a lot of studying to learn as much as possible. I studied methodologies, tools and techniques and forgot the soft skills. It took me years to learn (the hard way) that project management is 90% about people and only 10% about tools and techniques.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
Simplicity. As Albert Einstein said, "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough". Becoming an expert on any subject is like distilling its complexity. Being able to fully explain a concept or an idea in just a few words or a simple drawing is pure beauty.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
Outside work, I try to spend as much time as possible with my family. The time that all can share together is not much as we all have our own activities and commitments, but we are all committed to transforming these moments in quality time. Travelling is an activity that we all have a common passion for.
I have visited close to 40 countries, and I have great memories of all of them. I love talking to people from other geographies and trying to understand the singularities of their culture. Diversity makes us richer.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
On the positive side, I have to highlight "working from home". Although working longer hours than when in the office, stress levels were significantly reduced due to not having to commute, which increased the quality of time spent with the family. All businesses with no exception went through an accelerated digitalisation, from which there is no return.
New tools and processes were implemented (which would have taken ten years if it wasn't for COVID), and people had no option other than quickly learn and embrace the new technologies and new ways of being productive at work.
The other side of the coin? Humans are social beings; we need interaction with others from the same species. We need the sun, the rain, the fresh air. We need variety in our routines and, I believe that most of us have put on some weight... I used some of the time spent at home to study and take some more professional certifications.
I've made an effort to go out with the family in pursuit of some of the work-life balance we all need. Happy teams are productive teams. Therefore I am an apologist of pursuing the right balance for all elements of my team.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
I admire two people, and I follow closely, as I owe them a lot of my professional development: Adrian Dooley, the creator of the Praxis Framework. And Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez - world champion in project management and founder of the Strategy Implementation Institute. Two brilliant minds, whose guidance I use on a daily basis.
A couple of years ago, I felt the need to pivot my career. As my mentor for that process, I chose Rajiv Khanna, Director of Raj Khanna Associates Ltd. Rajiv is very knowledgeable, is a great source of inspiration and motivation, and has always been available when I reach out to him. I also had the opportunity to mentor a few young entrepreneurs at hackathons and entrepreneurship fairs.
Finally, I am proud to say that I have been mentoring my children for over two decades - it is amazing to see how I can influence positively or negatively their development and growth as individuals and professionals. It is a mission of great responsibility.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
Have a career plan. Visualise, conceptualise, implement, and test. If it does not work, have the agility to quickly pivot in a different direction. Managing projects or programmes is a skill you should develop on top of a core skill set or competency you already have, such as engineering, software development, finance, etc.
Understand that project managers deliver outputs, and change managers deliver outcomes. Do not underestimate the role of people in all change projects. You will soon realise that project success is heavily dependent on people, so, ideally, develop both competencies PM and CM. Another important aspect is the ability to keep a helicopter view. Don't get bogged down with detail, and focus on the overall objective of the project. Benefit realisation (outcomes) should be your number one priority.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
Humans are animals, and animals only move for one of two types of reasons:
To run away from what causes pain or grief. or
To get closer to what causes pleasure or joy.
Otherwise, the self-preservation instinct will force them to stand still to save energy. But, unfortunately, the first type is usually more efficient than the second… So, in addition to describing what you want to achieve, your vision should also include what you want to get rid of. This will give you the stamina to not give up easily and endure most difficulties.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein.
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
This is a very difficult question. There are thousands of institutions that are getting it right. Naming just a few is an injustice to all the others. But here it goes
Business in the Community Ireland, for its purpose – a movement for a sustainable, low carbon economy and a more inclusive society where everyone thrives.
Irish Rail, for the third-best employer of 2021 in Ireland and still provide a fantastic public service.
For being a 100% renewable energy company, Google is now the largest corporate renewable energy purchaser on the planet (and for the incredible functionalities available on my phone).
Ben & Jerry's, for ranking 4th among the Most Socially Responsible Companies (and because I absolutely love their ice cream).
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
Success is being able to smile when you look back. It's the sensation of mission accomplished. It's the certainty of having made a difference. Success is to consistently focus on the important over the urgent – this applies to everything we do, from parenting to managing multi-million dollar organisations.
Success is when there is a street named after you and people laugh and sing at your funeral. Success is failing and falling repeatedly, and always raising stronger and wiser. Lessons learned? Luck is not something that happens, and it is something you fight for until you achieve it.