Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
I have read, here in the community, great dissertations on ethics, principles, etc...etc... PMI will stop publishing "PMI fact files" Do you consider that the removal of this information from the community could be interpreted as a lack of transparency? Do as I say...don't do as I do
Curiously... The latest annual report dates back to 2021 https://www.pmi.org/about Is it just a coincidence? Saving Changes...
It remains to be seen what happened to: Stephane Parent Vincent Guerard Sante Delle-Vergini For them to stop actively participating in this community
I'm very curious to know what happened to Drew Craig He was so excited when he was appointed ambassador to this community
Olà Luis,
To paraphrase Mark Twain, the reports of my disappearance are greatly exaggerated.
My current involvement is currently minimal, keeping my certifications up to date. This is because my current assignment is as a technology manager, not project manager. My current involvement is in ITIL, DevSecOps, cybersecurity, cloud platforms and, even, AI and quantum computing!
Interestingly, I may become more involved as my oldest son needs to learn project management for his current job. Who knows? The mantle may pass onto his shoulders.
I've had a cursory look at the comments on this thread and would like to share a few thoughts. First, we must acknowledge that members have great opportunities to work within and for PMI, even to disagree with it! Let us not take that privilege too lightly. There are too many communities where open and frank discussions are not welcome.
We, the members, need to hold PMI accountable to its mission and principles. PMI needs to hold members accountable to their code of conduct commitments.
I received this week an email inviting me to consider becoming a PMI champion. I was touched by the email until I was told that I had to apply for the position through VRMS. I am at the stage of my career and life where I don't want, nor desire, to prove myself. My contributions should stand on their own for all to see.
Tchau meu amigo
...
2 replies by Luis Branco
Jan 21, 2024 5:53 PM
Luis Branco
...
Dear Stéphane Parent I was happy to see you here again :-) Thank you for participating in this exchange of opinions Thank you for your observation: "I've had a cursory look at the comments on this thread and would like to share a few thoughts. First, we must acknowledge that members have great opportunities to work within and for PMI, even to disagree with it! Let us not take that privilege too lightly. There are too many communities where open and frank discussions are not welcome."
To paraphrase Voltaire: “I may not agree with any of the words you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say them.”
In the communities you refer to, do people usually pay to be members and to participate by expressing their opinion?
Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Jan 20, 2024 5:51 PM
Replying to Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
...
Hi Luis, I am still around, just rarely on this forum. It was a mixture of so many things that drove me away, one being the unexplained removal of some features (i.e., influence score) while other arguably useless ones (several badges including ones that to this day are unavailable to anyone but still listed). Another was the inconsistency in moderating and removing member comments/answers; at one stage I was watching this extremely closely only to find bias, inconsistency, and blatant unfairness - to your point about "Honesty, Responsibility, Fairness and Respect". Too many to mention or remember, but in summary, a lot of the reason for disengaging from this website community (not the PM community) was regarding the reactions and decisions of community watchdogs to certain members. You can see that despite being away for several years, I am still on the "headliners" board for most posts, reviews and comments; go figure. Back when I was active, I guess you could have counted me in the same group as my two colleagues and friends Rami Kaibni and Kiron Bondale whom you referenced earlier, as we were constantly swapping positions on the leaderboard. However, being away can give a false impression as to knowledge, skills, and achievement. You mentioned that the SME badge was awarded to my two colleagues. This is great news, and I may have received the same badge if I had stuck around. But my "SME" badge is outside this website's community and evidenced by my PhD in project management that I am about to complete in a matter of months, and my profession in project management which most of us here can also attest to whether we have that badge or not. Another reason I disengaged was that I could not get PMI to explain why I was audited 3 times for 3 exams (the third one I bowed out in protest) even though I knew several people with multiple exams and no audits. Yes, I have heard the argument that audit selection is random, but I simply don't accept that logic. There are enough people doing exams and only a small number of audits to simply audit one person once. In fact, someone who passes an audit should be more trustworthy in PMI's eyes, therefore PMI should turn their remaining random audits to those that have yet to be audited. Finally, another major reason I disengaged was that it just took too much time trying to compete with the gamified metrics of being a member, and I had serious study to do on top of working and family life. I hope this answers your question as to why I stopped actively participating in this forum.
Dear Sante Delle-Vergini Thank you for participating in our exchange of opinions. I would really like to read your contributions here in this community. Just like you, I am about to stop participating in the community due to issues related to TRANSPARENCY. Of course, they can say what is said by what is not said (which would be perplexing) and continue publishing the PMI Fact Files Saving Changes...
George FreemanThought Leader | Author | Architect| Florida, United States
Luis,
At this point, what is perplexing for me is understanding the purpose of this thread continuing a dialog on a question that, after a complete readthrough, appears to have its “points of concern” reconciled. However, it’s evident that you are not satisfied, and although I have tried to gain a coherent understanding of your point(s), I’m still falling short of bringing it all together.
So, let me try to recap with some leniency given towards paraphrasing.
Your question of concern: After considering the following two items, can one interpret that there is a “lack of transparency” present within the PMI organization? [Statement 1] – PMI will stop publishing the “PMI fact files.” [Statement 2] – The latest annual report published by PMI was from 2021
Per the thread, the answers to the above two statements are:
[Answer to Statement 1] - ProjectManagement.com decided that their community engagement specialist (a department focused on driving engagement in discussion forums) will no longer be compiling and sharing metrics from other PMI departments. Hence, the team contacted those who regularly commented on the “PMI fact files” to inform them about this decision and get their feedback. - This feedback provided recommendations (e.g., from Kiron Bondale) to place this information on the PMI.org site under the respective department pages: Certification numbers on the certification page and members’ numbers under the membership page. This recommendation, and apparently others that were made, were then passed on to the respective groups within PMI. - It was also stated that this information is available on “Thoughtspot,” although not aggregated into a convenient package.
[Answer to Statement 2] - All the released annual reports are available on the PMI.org site under a left-hand navigation link on the “about” page.
With the above answers provided, it is apparent to me that there is NO issue of transparency. Although you would prefer that the “facts file” stay on ProjectManagement.com, that is not the decision.
Luis, you have a voice, but that voice on this thread regarding a transparency concern on these two points appears mute. So, if you have additional concerns regarding transparency, please consider using the channel that PMI management has provided—https://www.pmi.org/about/ethics/complaints
With all due respect, George
...
1 reply by Luis Branco
Jan 21, 2024 5:27 PM
Luis Branco
...
Dear George Freeman Thank you for sharing your opinion on these topics Regarding PMI Fact Files. 1. The decision was made to end this information to members 2. Suggestions were made for this information to be placed on the PMI website 3. No guarantee was given that this would happen 4. PMI Fact Files will be eliminated forever, just like "influence".
Regarding the other two questions: A. -"Are all the decisions you make (I'm referring to the community support team) based on the PMI Principles? (Honesty, Responsibility, Justice and Respect) B. - What is the mission of community support staff
I didn't get any response.
I addressed my perspective in relation to point A Do you know who has access to the information contained in “Thoughtspot”?
Regarding your recommendation: "So, if you have additional concerns regarding transparency, please consider using the channel that PMI management has provided—https://www.pmi.org/about/ethics/complaints"
I appreciate your suggestion
Did you know that many people from this community are part of the ethics committee (which now has a different name)? I didn't see them comment on the issues raised here.
I have already mentioned that, if the people on the support staff for this community do not consider maintaining the PMI Fact Files (here or elsewhere), what I will do is step aside
And...that way the matter will be resolved
Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Jan 21, 2024 3:09 PM
Replying to George Freeman
...
Luis,
At this point, what is perplexing for me is understanding the purpose of this thread continuing a dialog on a question that, after a complete readthrough, appears to have its “points of concern” reconciled. However, it’s evident that you are not satisfied, and although I have tried to gain a coherent understanding of your point(s), I’m still falling short of bringing it all together.
So, let me try to recap with some leniency given towards paraphrasing.
Your question of concern: After considering the following two items, can one interpret that there is a “lack of transparency” present within the PMI organization? [Statement 1] – PMI will stop publishing the “PMI fact files.” [Statement 2] – The latest annual report published by PMI was from 2021
Per the thread, the answers to the above two statements are:
[Answer to Statement 1] - ProjectManagement.com decided that their community engagement specialist (a department focused on driving engagement in discussion forums) will no longer be compiling and sharing metrics from other PMI departments. Hence, the team contacted those who regularly commented on the “PMI fact files” to inform them about this decision and get their feedback. - This feedback provided recommendations (e.g., from Kiron Bondale) to place this information on the PMI.org site under the respective department pages: Certification numbers on the certification page and members’ numbers under the membership page. This recommendation, and apparently others that were made, were then passed on to the respective groups within PMI. - It was also stated that this information is available on “Thoughtspot,” although not aggregated into a convenient package.
[Answer to Statement 2] - All the released annual reports are available on the PMI.org site under a left-hand navigation link on the “about” page.
With the above answers provided, it is apparent to me that there is NO issue of transparency. Although you would prefer that the “facts file” stay on ProjectManagement.com, that is not the decision.
Luis, you have a voice, but that voice on this thread regarding a transparency concern on these two points appears mute. So, if you have additional concerns regarding transparency, please consider using the channel that PMI management has provided—https://www.pmi.org/about/ethics/complaints
With all due respect, George
Dear George Freeman Thank you for sharing your opinion on these topics Regarding PMI Fact Files. 1. The decision was made to end this information to members 2. Suggestions were made for this information to be placed on the PMI website 3. No guarantee was given that this would happen 4. PMI Fact Files will be eliminated forever, just like "influence".
Regarding the other two questions: A. -"Are all the decisions you make (I'm referring to the community support team) based on the PMI Principles? (Honesty, Responsibility, Justice and Respect) B. - What is the mission of community support staff
I didn't get any response.
I addressed my perspective in relation to point A Do you know who has access to the information contained in “Thoughtspot”?
Regarding your recommendation: "So, if you have additional concerns regarding transparency, please consider using the channel that PMI management has provided—https://www.pmi.org/about/ethics/complaints"
I appreciate your suggestion
Did you know that many people from this community are part of the ethics committee (which now has a different name)? I didn't see them comment on the issues raised here.
I have already mentioned that, if the people on the support staff for this community do not consider maintaining the PMI Fact Files (here or elsewhere), what I will do is step aside
And...that way the matter will be resolved
...
1 reply by George Freeman
Jan 21, 2024 9:15 PM
George Freeman
...
Luis,
You state that you base your perspective on your challenge to the support team to answer the following question: “Are all the decisions you make based on the PMI principles à Responsibility, Respect, Fairness, and Honesty.”
As you should understand, this question is “fully loaded” with a problematic presupposition that the support team is violating these values. To expect an answer to this question in the context of this thread is an impractical expectation. In other words, your approach to addressing this concern does NOT lend itself to having a productive dialog.
Choosing this hill as the one to sacrifice your “engagement in this community” is a decision that will neither benefit the community nor bring a more rapid response to your concern. We should all recognize that this information “will have an outlet” as it has a demand through the chapters and elsewhere.
Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Jan 20, 2024 8:47 PM
Replying to Stéphane Parent
...
Olà Luis,
To paraphrase Mark Twain, the reports of my disappearance are greatly exaggerated.
My current involvement is currently minimal, keeping my certifications up to date. This is because my current assignment is as a technology manager, not project manager. My current involvement is in ITIL, DevSecOps, cybersecurity, cloud platforms and, even, AI and quantum computing!
Interestingly, I may become more involved as my oldest son needs to learn project management for his current job. Who knows? The mantle may pass onto his shoulders.
I've had a cursory look at the comments on this thread and would like to share a few thoughts. First, we must acknowledge that members have great opportunities to work within and for PMI, even to disagree with it! Let us not take that privilege too lightly. There are too many communities where open and frank discussions are not welcome.
We, the members, need to hold PMI accountable to its mission and principles. PMI needs to hold members accountable to their code of conduct commitments.
I received this week an email inviting me to consider becoming a PMI champion. I was touched by the email until I was told that I had to apply for the position through VRMS. I am at the stage of my career and life where I don't want, nor desire, to prove myself. My contributions should stand on their own for all to see.
Tchau meu amigo
Dear Stéphane Parent I was happy to see you here again :-) Thank you for participating in this exchange of opinions Thank you for your observation: "I've had a cursory look at the comments on this thread and would like to share a few thoughts. First, we must acknowledge that members have great opportunities to work within and for PMI, even to disagree with it! Let us not take that privilege too lightly. There are too many communities where open and frank discussions are not welcome." Saving Changes...
George FreemanThought Leader | Author | Architect| Florida, United States
Jan 21, 2024 5:27 PM
Replying to Luis Branco
...
Dear George Freeman Thank you for sharing your opinion on these topics Regarding PMI Fact Files. 1. The decision was made to end this information to members 2. Suggestions were made for this information to be placed on the PMI website 3. No guarantee was given that this would happen 4. PMI Fact Files will be eliminated forever, just like "influence".
Regarding the other two questions: A. -"Are all the decisions you make (I'm referring to the community support team) based on the PMI Principles? (Honesty, Responsibility, Justice and Respect) B. - What is the mission of community support staff
I didn't get any response.
I addressed my perspective in relation to point A Do you know who has access to the information contained in “Thoughtspot”?
Regarding your recommendation: "So, if you have additional concerns regarding transparency, please consider using the channel that PMI management has provided—https://www.pmi.org/about/ethics/complaints"
I appreciate your suggestion
Did you know that many people from this community are part of the ethics committee (which now has a different name)? I didn't see them comment on the issues raised here.
I have already mentioned that, if the people on the support staff for this community do not consider maintaining the PMI Fact Files (here or elsewhere), what I will do is step aside
And...that way the matter will be resolved
Luis,
You state that you base your perspective on your challenge to the support team to answer the following question: “Are all the decisions you make based on the PMI principles à Responsibility, Respect, Fairness, and Honesty.”
As you should understand, this question is “fully loaded” with a problematic presupposition that the support team is violating these values. To expect an answer to this question in the context of this thread is an impractical expectation. In other words, your approach to addressing this concern does NOT lend itself to having a productive dialog.
Choosing this hill as the one to sacrifice your “engagement in this community” is a decision that will neither benefit the community nor bring a more rapid response to your concern. We should all recognize that this information “will have an outlet” as it has a demand through the chapters and elsewhere.
I have my opinion (worth what it's worth) regarding the integration, in the decision-making process, of the principles of the code of ethics: "Fairness, Respect, Responsibility and Honesty"
I expressed this my opinion when I appreciated fairness in Stricto sensu and Lato sensu
In any case, thank you for your comment regarding the way I phrased the question.
Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Jan 20, 2024 8:47 PM
Replying to Stéphane Parent
...
Olà Luis,
To paraphrase Mark Twain, the reports of my disappearance are greatly exaggerated.
My current involvement is currently minimal, keeping my certifications up to date. This is because my current assignment is as a technology manager, not project manager. My current involvement is in ITIL, DevSecOps, cybersecurity, cloud platforms and, even, AI and quantum computing!
Interestingly, I may become more involved as my oldest son needs to learn project management for his current job. Who knows? The mantle may pass onto his shoulders.
I've had a cursory look at the comments on this thread and would like to share a few thoughts. First, we must acknowledge that members have great opportunities to work within and for PMI, even to disagree with it! Let us not take that privilege too lightly. There are too many communities where open and frank discussions are not welcome.
We, the members, need to hold PMI accountable to its mission and principles. PMI needs to hold members accountable to their code of conduct commitments.
I received this week an email inviting me to consider becoming a PMI champion. I was touched by the email until I was told that I had to apply for the position through VRMS. I am at the stage of my career and life where I don't want, nor desire, to prove myself. My contributions should stand on their own for all to see.
To paraphrase Voltaire: “I may not agree with any of the words you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say them.”
In the communities you refer to, do people usually pay to be members and to participate by expressing their opinion? Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Jan 21, 2024 9:15 PM
Replying to George Freeman
...
Luis,
You state that you base your perspective on your challenge to the support team to answer the following question: “Are all the decisions you make based on the PMI principles à Responsibility, Respect, Fairness, and Honesty.”
As you should understand, this question is “fully loaded” with a problematic presupposition that the support team is violating these values. To expect an answer to this question in the context of this thread is an impractical expectation. In other words, your approach to addressing this concern does NOT lend itself to having a productive dialog.
Choosing this hill as the one to sacrifice your “engagement in this community” is a decision that will neither benefit the community nor bring a more rapid response to your concern. We should all recognize that this information “will have an outlet” as it has a demand through the chapters and elsewhere.
I have my opinion (worth what it's worth) regarding the integration, in the decision-making process, of the principles of the code of ethics: "Fairness, Respect, Responsibility and Honesty"
I expressed this my opinion when I appreciated fairness in Stricto sensu and Lato sensu
In any case, thank you for your comment regarding the way I phrased the question. Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Jumping in to provide some clarity, encouragement, and guidance on a few items that have come up in the discussion since my previous response:
The Online Community Engagement Team exists to:
1. Deliver a safe, inclusive environment on PMI's branded online community platform(s).?
2. Enable a unified, personalized, high-quality peer-to-peer learning experience at every stage of our community members' career journeys as they engage with each other and with PMI online.?
3. Provide high-quality support to members as they engage with PMI's online community.?
4. Capture insights from our online community to inform the development and improvement of PMI's products and services and deepen our understanding of project management professionals' interests and needs.
Like any team at any organization anywhere, we are at different stages of maturity in each of these areas, which is why the opportunity to learn and improve in partnership with our community is so important.
As part of our improvements in 2024, the Online Community Champions Program will formalize a lot of the work that's already being done here, as well as improve our ability to recognize and reward volunteers.
In order to keep the discussion organized, I encourage anyone with questions about the Champions to jump into the thread started by Laura Schofield, here:
Your feedback about the history of gamification here is super intriguing Sante Delle-Vergini; it's my understanding that it's been some time since there was a larger "step-back" to consider the design of points, badges, etc. and this just one of the many initiatives on my team's list this year to spend time co-designing and co-improving with our community. I've sent you a 1:1 email to connect soon so I can learn more about what's working and where we can improve.
Stéphane Parent - I've also reached out to 1:1 to learn more about how you're supporting your son has he learns more about project management. I also want to provide some clarity on the "why" behind the need for an application: my team, like any team at PMI, needs to follow our internal operating procedures for recruiting and selecting volunteers, which requires a VEP posting to ensure a fair and equitable selection process.
I also want to call out the role of moderation in our community, aligned to my team's priorities to achieve objective #1;
That being said, I often find that taking the time to jump on a quick call or communicate via email (beyond a discussion forum) can help us all reach alignment more quickly. I want to normalize the suggested follow-up of moving offline as a way to reach a better understanding of how we can support each other and communicate more effectively.
I also appreciate Stéphane's reflection: "We must acknowledge that members have great opportunities to work within and for PMI, even to disagree with it! Let us not take that privilege too lightly. There are too many communities where open and frank discussions are not welcome."
While a frank, lively debate and sharing growth feedback about difficult experiences are vital ingredients that go into building a healthy, thriving online community, those same discussions can also tread a fine line into moving beyond the requirements of our User Guidelines: https://www.projectmanagement.com/pages/294400/User-Guidelines
"Be considerate. When interacting in the ProjectManagement.com community or with other members of the community or PMI/ProjectManagement.com staff (either via inbox, e-mail, phone, or other forms of communication), we ask that members show respect, keep your tone positive, and the dialogue constructive.
While we encourage healthy discussions, it is important to remain professional and collegial. Profanity, vulgarity, hate speech, hostile comments, or threats of violence through any form of communication with members or staff is strictly prohibited and will result in removal of the offending posts and potential expulsion from the community or other appropriate action."
I encourage us all to continue the dialogue aligned to PMI's values.
