Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Colleagues,
If you are managing a program and have a colleague PM who constantly overpromises (sells smoke), delivers work below average, and often tries to take credit for others’ work—sometimes just doing copy-paste from the team—how would you approach this situation?
I’m curious to hear your strategies for handling this type of behavior while keeping the program on track and maintaining a professional environment.
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Dec 03, 2025 8:58 PM
Replying to Fabian Crosa
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I’d set clear expectations, document responsibilities, and redirect credit to the team. At the same time, I’d address the behavior privately with constructive feedback, while ensuring the program stays focused on results and the environment remains respectful.
Managing the environment and the individual behavior concurrently involves establishing clear professional boundaries (setting expectations, documenting responsibilities, and redirecting credit to the team) while also addressing the colleague's behavior privately with constructive feedback to maintain a respectful, results-focused program environment. Francisco Saving Changes...
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Dec 04, 2025 5:58 PM
Replying to Rami Kaibni
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Francisco, if you are their manager, then start with a private, candid conversation with this person to align on performance standards and responsibilities. I’d increase transparency by documenting commitments, tracking progress, and reinforcing ownership within the team. At the same time, I’d recognize and elevate the actual contributors to ensure credit is given fairly.
Thanks for the advive Rami Kaibni ! Regards! Francisco. Saving Changes...
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Dec 05, 2025 10:22 AM
Replying to Pavan Maddi
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I deal with “selling smoke” by keeping everything transparent. I document commitments, align expectations in front of stakeholders, and let facts speak. Private conversations help set boundaries, while clear ownership in meetings protects the team. It stays professional, but the message is firm: ambition is welcome, misleading signals are not.
Thanks Pavan, It is excellent advice to tackle "selling smoke" by maintaining complete transparency. Using documentation, aligning expectations publicly, and letting facts lead the conversation is a very professional and effective way to protect the team and establish firm boundaries against misleading signals. Regards! Francisco. Saving Changes...
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Dec 05, 2025 5:11 AM
Replying to Luis Branco
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Francisco, thank you for the thoughtful summary.
What you highlighted goes to the core principle:
When expectations, ownership, and evidence are made explicit, the issue stops being personal and becomes a system-level clarity problem.
In my experience, once visibility, role clarity, and factual tracking are in place, two things tend to happen:
Overpromising collapses under transparency, and conversations shift from opinions to observable patterns.
Trust becomes actionable, because everyone is aligned around the same facts and commitments.
And if alignment still doesn’t happen, escalation is not emotional, it is simply responsible governance to protect delivery, the team, and the program.
Happy to continue the discussion.
These cases are challenging, but they often become catalysts for stronger culture and better leadership.
HiLuis Branco , I have a meeting with my boss this weekend, I will try to mention the isse and see what happens. I will share the outcome with you.. Regards! Francisco
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1 reply by Luis Branco
Dec 18, 2025 3:37 PM
Luis Branco
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Francisco, thank you for sharing that. That sounds like a very reasonable and responsible next step.
In that conversation, staying anchored on facts, observable patterns, and delivery impact (rather than personalities) usually makes a real difference. When the issue is framed as a program risk and a governance concern, it creates space for constructive dialogue instead of defensiveness.
Regardless of the immediate outcome, the way you are approaching this already demonstrates leadership maturity. Addressing difficult situations with clarity, fairness, and respect protects not only delivery, but also the integrity of the team and the program.
I’ll be glad to hear how it goes, and happy to exchange perspectives afterward if that adds value.
I handle this by making work and commitments transparent. Align promises to agreed scope metrics and owners, documented and visible. I focus reviews on outcomes, not narratives. When credit is misattributed, I calmly redirect it to the team using facts. If behavior continues, I escalate with evidence, not emotion, framing it as delivery risk, not personality.
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1 reply by Francisco Herrera
Dec 22, 2025 1:37 PM
Francisco Herrera
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Thanks Pavan Maddi , in replace personal conflict with objective transparency, by aligning promises to documented scope and owners, it ensures that outcomes and facts lead the conversation rather than narratives. This can allows to protect the team by redirecting credit based on evidence and, if necessary, escalate the situation as a delivery and governance risk rather than a personal issue.. Thanks! Francisco.
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Dec 05, 2025 11:54 AM
Replying to Eduard Hernandez
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Kiron provided a valid point. If it doesn't affect you, you might well ignore it. You will have the chance to mention this to his manager - as a valid concern, not just throwing him under the bus - or during the 360 evalution.
At the end of the day, no one wishes to work with someone like this, so this is something to keep in mind for future " teaming-up" occasions.
Eduard Hernandez that's true I don't want to team with they in future projects. Regards! Francisco. Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Dec 16, 2025 1:07 PM
Replying to Francisco Herrera
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HiLuis Branco , I have a meeting with my boss this weekend, I will try to mention the isse and see what happens. I will share the outcome with you.. Regards! Francisco
Francisco, thank you for sharing that. That sounds like a very reasonable and responsible next step.
In that conversation, staying anchored on facts, observable patterns, and delivery impact (rather than personalities) usually makes a real difference. When the issue is framed as a program risk and a governance concern, it creates space for constructive dialogue instead of defensiveness.
Regardless of the immediate outcome, the way you are approaching this already demonstrates leadership maturity. Addressing difficult situations with clarity, fairness, and respect protects not only delivery, but also the integrity of the team and the program.
I’ll be glad to hear how it goes, and happy to exchange perspectives afterward if that adds value.
Best of luck with the meeting.
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1 reply by Francisco Herrera
Dec 24, 2025 2:09 PM
Francisco Herrera
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Thanks Luis Branco , Thank you for your message, for now, we have focused more on moving the project forward than on this specific issue, as we are currently in the middle of the administrative closing. I expect that by the next meeting, once there are no major issues left, we will be able to address this topic in greater depth, Regards! Francisco
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Dec 05, 2025 8:50 PM
Replying to Lissette Indhira Pimentel Sosa
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When a PM “sells smoke,” the real risk it’s the impact on delivery and trust. Something that we can do is: 1. Create structural transparency: Clear acceptance criteria, documented ownership, and visible progress dashboards make overpromising impossible to hide. Facts do the talking, not conflict. 2. Redirect the behavior, not the person: I give feedback privately, anchor it on delivery risks, and set expectations around commitments, quality, and accountability. If patterns continue, I escalate early with evidence, not emotion.
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Dec 17, 2025 10:23 AM
Replying to Pavan Maddi
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I handle this by making work and commitments transparent. Align promises to agreed scope metrics and owners, documented and visible. I focus reviews on outcomes, not narratives. When credit is misattributed, I calmly redirect it to the team using facts. If behavior continues, I escalate with evidence, not emotion, framing it as delivery risk, not personality.
Thanks Pavan Maddi , in replace personal conflict with objective transparency, by aligning promises to documented scope and owners, it ensures that outcomes and facts lead the conversation rather than narratives. This can allows to protect the team by redirecting credit based on evidence and, if necessary, escalate the situation as a delivery and governance risk rather than a personal issue.. Thanks! Francisco. Saving Changes...
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Dec 18, 2025 3:37 PM
Replying to Luis Branco
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Francisco, thank you for sharing that. That sounds like a very reasonable and responsible next step.
In that conversation, staying anchored on facts, observable patterns, and delivery impact (rather than personalities) usually makes a real difference. When the issue is framed as a program risk and a governance concern, it creates space for constructive dialogue instead of defensiveness.
Regardless of the immediate outcome, the way you are approaching this already demonstrates leadership maturity. Addressing difficult situations with clarity, fairness, and respect protects not only delivery, but also the integrity of the team and the program.
I’ll be glad to hear how it goes, and happy to exchange perspectives afterward if that adds value.
Best of luck with the meeting.
Thanks Luis Branco , Thank you for your message, for now, we have focused more on moving the project forward than on this specific issue, as we are currently in the middle of the administrative closing. I expect that by the next meeting, once there are no major issues left, we will be able to address this topic in greater depth, Regards! Francisco Saving Changes...
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