L&D Manager Spotlight - Bianca Hooi

Bianca Hooi,
Artistic & Executive Project Manager, Texas Performing Arts

1. Describe your role for UT.  

I am the Artistic & Executive Project Manager at Texas Performing Arts. I oversee any project that doesn’t neatly fit into any one departments purview or requires a lot of cross departmental collaboration. Those projects can include developmental artist residencies, infrastructure overhauls, implementation of new organization wide initiatives, and anything in between. I wear a lot of hats. 

2. What was the most important lesson you learned as a new manager?

The importance of delegation! My job is to help mitigate all the variables of a project so that my team can be as effective as possible, I can’t do that if I’m in the weeds myself. I had to get okay with letting go of day-to-day tasks, and get comfortable with not only watching, but supporting someone, as they approach a task differently than I would have, it’s hard stuff. 

3. What advice do you have for managers to help develop their team?

It’s okay to not always have the answers, sometimes your team is better off for it. Give feedback often so that should you need to course correct, that dynamic is already established and feels more approachable. Don’t forget to ask for feedback for yourself and be willing to try new things if it can lead to positive outcomes for the collective. Celebrate the wins, big and small. 

4. Why is learning in the workplace important?

Expanding your competencies will only ever lead to bigger and brighter things. It’s investing in yourself so that you can expand what you bring to the table. Not only does that turn you into a more effective contributor but it also grows you as a person.

5. What have you recently learned, what are you currently learning about, or how are you developing yourself as a professional?

I’m still in the process of learning how to manage imposter syndrome when you become a manager. It’s exciting to take this step in my career but it’s new territory.