Project management is about people: working with people, for people, through people. So it goes to reason that managers who have a deeper understanding of human behavior will be more effective. Beyond managing their teams, PMs are heavily involved in forecasting – defining the scope, budget and schedule of their projects, and then making decisions based on those forecasts. How much do their own biases and neurological wiring play into these processes?

PM Pont of View Podcast #83: Tips from Behavioral Science gathers three featured speakers from our 2021 VITUAL Project Management Symposium, to discuss human behavior and the importance of understanding it to be a more effective project manager.

Listen to the podcast

It’s a great teaser for the kinds of things you will learn during the two-day virtual event. Once you listen, you will want to register for the Symposium right away!

Dr. Shari De Baets
Topic: Combining Behavioral Science with Project Management: The Road to Improvement

Shari is a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Business Informatics and Project Management, Faculty of Economics in Business Administration, at Ghent University, Belgium. She has a Master’s degree in Industrial Psychology and a PhD in Applied Economics. Her work focuses on forecasting, and biases. She is co-host on the “Forecasting Impact” podcast, and is President of European Operations and Chief Forecasting Scientist at the Institute for Neuro & Behavioral Project Management.

Crystal Richards 
Topic: The Entrepreneur Within: Achieving success with your projects with an entrepreneurial mindset

Crystal is the Principal and Owner of MindsparQ™, a talent development consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations better the skills sets of their teams in project management, communications, and leadership. She trains PMs to consistently deliver projects with clarity, confidence and courage. Crystal maintains an online community on project management and leadership themindsparq.mn.com

Stephen Shields
Topic: The Workplace Moving Forward:  How has the Pandemic Changed the Workplace?

Stephen is a Senior Consultant with Gallup, works with organizations to optimize their human capital. He consults with clients on employee culture, customer interactions, targeted hiring, and talent development, providing practical insights and timely interventions that facilitate learning, execution, and accountability.