Managing projects, I learned the value of proactive and timely communication in fostering effective collaborations. When I started taking ownerships that required cross-team collaboration, I relied on weekly update meetings to share progress. I hesitated to reach out in between, worried about disrupting other teams' time. However, I soon realized this approach wasn’t effective for improving efficiency or building trust. Weekly updates often came too late to address real-time changes, challenges, or new ideas. I realized the importance of proactive communication — sharing updates like plan changes, unexpected findings, or inspirations as they occurred through quick messages or calls. This kept everyone aligned and led to more meaningful discussions during meetings.