Philip Diab's Thoughtstream
Blog Post, Articles, Podcasts, & Videos
On troubled projects it is better to bail out than double down – Podcast
Recognizing a project is in trouble may be easy but deciding what to do about it is a whole lot more complicated. Similarly it might be easy to put a stop to a project that has no business justification, dealing with a poorly performing project is a different story....
Companies should outsource PMO setup projects – Podcast
When it comes to setting up a PMO who should executives and organizations rely on? Are internal staff members by virtue of their strong knowledge of the organization and its culture better positioned to get the job done? Perhaps external consultants can bring skills...
Blame it all on the strategy consultant, why PMOs fail! – Podcast
The business case for the PMO, especially one that is tasked with strategy execution, begins in the executive hallways with strategy consultants. Strategy consulting represents a nearly $55B business where consultants are looked to for delivering innovative thinking...
Organizations must change fast or die – Podcast
Organizations are working in an ever-changing environment that operates at break-neck speeds. With the transformation that the marketplace undergoes stakeholders are expecting quick change. However, is fast paced change always in the best interest of the organization?...
An organization that appoints a PMO leader with no experience in project management is doomed to failure – Podcast
What are the most important skills needed to support the effective functioning of a PMO? What type of leader is needed to ensure that the PMO launches successfully? Can a deep background within the industry and a comfort maneuvering in the organization make up for...
Projects can succeed even when companies have bad or failing strategies – Podcast
Strategy is hailed as the end-all be-all of business today but prior to the 1960s it did not even appear in business literature. However, with $30.5B on strategy consulting in 2016 alone, surely it is vital to organizational and project success. Project managers can't...
Benefits realization is not the responsibility of the project manager – Podcast
Benefits realization is a complex process that was brought info focus with the introduction of PMI standards such as the program management and portfolio management standards. Within the profession this concept is gaining a lot of exposure as it becomes critical for...
Organizations that employ project managers do not need change managers – Podcast
Change management as a profession is fairly new to the market, but already gaining traction. However, many project professionals see change management as merely a skill set within the project management body of knowledge. Projects create change and the role of change...
Firefighting is the enemy of Project Management – Podcast
Companies must be able to respond to changing priorities, shifting market demands, and new regulatory compliance needs. Well-documented and consistently adopted project management frameworks typically lead to greater success. But in a changing landscape, will stale...
Virtual teams can never be as effective as collocated teams – Podcast
The world of virtual teams has grown exponentially. One study shows that remote work grew by nearly 80% in an eight year stretch. Mobile employment and virtual teams has become a strategic necessity for businesses in managing costs and streamlining processes. However,...
All companies need a corporate PMO – Podcast
Although Project Management Offices have been around for many years, their appeal remains broad and impressive. Businesses look to PMOs to deliver benefits such as better resource planning and enhanced reporting. But, do all companies need a PMO? According to a recent...
Negotiating a “win-win” is not in the best interest of your project – Podcast
Negotiations and the skills required for success in this area are a critical topic of discussion in business magazines and corporate training alike. In the context of project management, success depends on getting the best deal that you can to ensure positive project...
Contracts and the Project Manager – Podcast
Contracting is often considered a huge challenge for project managers. Some even consider it a waste of time. Developing a rich, detailed understanding of the contract's terms and conditions is vital to ensuring that the organization is protected. Asking the project...
What is more important for Project Managers, EQ or IQ? – Podcast
Emotional intelligence has taken the business world by storm. Organizations find it vital that employees have EQ to work together in a harmonious and effective way. But is good, old brain power sometimes necessary in running a project? It is enough to be able to get...
Project Team Member Skills Development – Podcast
Organizations in the US spent over $70B last year on professional development and training for their staff. In the context of skills development whose job should it be to help team members advance? More specifically, do project managers play a role in coaching and...
What’s more important facts or stakeholder perceptions? – Podcast
In project management circles, a significant amount of time and money is spent trying to ensure proper delivery of projects. Companies and professional associations spend scarce resources trying to ensure project success through better methodologies, approaches, and...
Formal Training Versus On the Job Experience – Podcast
Organizations differ widely in their approach to developing their human resources. Some feel like placing them in a classroom to get knowledge from an instructor will deliver the greatest gains for the business. Others think that learning tasks and new ideas on the...
The Project Manager’s Role in Strategy Setting – Podcast
Few questions in project management are harder to answer yet vitally important to address than the role of the project manager in strategy. Should the PM know how to work with executives to develop strategy? Perhaps they need to understand how to translate strategy...