Philip Diab's Thoughtstream
Blog Post, Articles, Podcasts, & Videos
Current salary is an effective indicator of candidate fitness and success potential for project manager positions – Podcast
Matching job seeker expectations with hiring manager requirements is a juggling act that necessitates exchange of sensitive information. The ability to filter down candidates to a pool of qualified candidates is more art than science and requires an understanding of...
There is no room for introverts in project management – Podcast
Cultural and societal bias has been toward extroversion being the preferred personality type when it comes to positions of leadership and management. Practically every MBA program trains its students to engage stakeholders in a similar way to that defined by Dale...
Project teams made up of volunteers are harder to manage than teams composed of staff members – Podcast
The world of volunteerism is a very different world than the corporate world. However, are projects run in a different manner than those of the traditional corporate setting? Do project teams behave the same? Can a project manager who is highly successful in managing...
Speaking truth to power – Podcast
Speaking truth to power has become a business catch phrase that seems to lose value as it develops in popularity. In today's project environment there is a tendency to shoot the messenger without ever having heard the message. But if management makes a bad decision...
Is it better to hire an under qualified or over qualified candidate? – Podcast
Approaching a job market so constantly in flux means that hiring managers face difficult choices between candidates. Finding the right fit for your vacancy is harder today because of the readily available technologies and the globalization of the job marketplace....
Accepting a position that you may be overqualified for: Podcast
It is often refreshing to approach a job, and even a task, knowing you have all the qualifications and skills that that match the position description. Being able to hi the ground running in positions, especially in a project environment is a critical success factor....
Accepting a job that you are under qualified for spells disaster in project management – podcast
In an environment where job postings have gone global and applicants can bring a lot of news, finding the right candidate for the job can be more challenging than not. Whether you are in human resources or a hiring manager you may be confronted with deciding to bring...
In a crisis being prepared to take quick action is absolutely necessary to ensure that needs are addressed in a timely fashion. But quick action without proper planning may bean that you are doing the wrong thing, very quickly. Can project management play a role in...
Project team members and key stakeholders require and deserve full disclosure – Podcast
Managing a project is a difficult undertaking, one that often impacts the entire organization. It’s often difficult to know how to proceed when facts and details are omitted. But in the hyper-competitive business world we live in, organizational management must make...
Social Media and Confirmation Bias – Podcast
This week on the PM Debate Podcast we are exploring the topic of confirmation bias. Twitter was recently called out for using algorithms in its feed to enhance user experience that gives users what they “want to see”. This approach means that people will see in their...
Documenting lessons learned on projects is a waste of time – Podcast
Lessons learned are a critical component of project management literature and standards. PMI's PMBOK Guide places a significant emphasis on lessons learned in the profession by mentioning the concept in nearly every chapter and in over 62 pages. However, does the...
Corporate politics is a game that everyone must play, including the Project Manager – Podcast
Corporate politics has gained a bad name in the workplace, associated with backstabbing, manipulating, and spying on colleagues. Is corporate politics a dirty business that the project manager should avoid, or is it a critical necessity to ensure project success?...
PMOs cannot be cop and advocate
Organizations with complex business models turn to PMOs to enhance their overall performance. However, can the PMO be both the advocate for effective use of project management and drive projects on the one hand while being a cop responsible for measuring project...
Freelance project management is not a fad but a trend – Podcast
As companies search for ways to optimize their business performance, increasingly they have turned to freelancers. Decreasing the ongoing costs of payroll is an attractive way to cut company overhead. Can freelancers allow a company to maximize the use of talent...
Project Management certification is not a good criteria to assess professional competence – Podcast
One of the hardest parts of the interview process is determining if someone is competent and able to perform the job they are applying for. In fact, incompetent employees cost organizations millions of dollars every year, both in lost productivity and rework to repair...
Competence is more important than loyalty when it comes to trusting team members and employees – Podcast
Competence is the ability to do something effectively and efficiently. Loyalty on the other hand is a strong feeling of support or allegiance. Competence and loyalty are both important in situations where team members must trust each others. Strong teams are able to...
Hail to the micromanager without whom no project gets done – Podcast
Is there any redeemable quality of the micro-manager? Can it be argued that there are circumstances that call for micro-management and that it is not always bad? In the business world micromanagers have a bad reputation but is it really deserved? Don't employees leave...
Percent complete is not a good indicator of project status and progress toward completion – Podcast
Measuring project performance has always been a challenging task. Many approaches exist to determine how close the project is to being done. Project manager use this information to identify issues, remove obstacles, and find root causes of delays and slippage. But is...