project mngment

8/9/2019 Project Mngment

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Because most projects involve new ideas and learning (even a project to build houses or flats may involve new materials or unusual soil conditions or there maybe new initiative for tenant selection or co-ownership schemes) project management has evolved a discipline to manage the new and unusual. Its objective is to:

o define the projecto reduce it to a set of manageable tasks

o obtain appropriate and necessary resourceso build a team or teams to perform the project worko plan the work and allocate the resources to the taskso monitor and control the worko report progress to senior management and/or the project sponsoro close down the project when completedo review it to ensure the lessons are learnt and widely understood.

Typically a project manager will be nominated to lead a project and will be expected to be fully accountable for meeting its objectives. The project manager will be the leader of the project team and will be responsible for ensuring the fol

lowing are completed in a timely way:-

* Gaining approval for the project aim and terms of reference* Selecting and leading the team and setting individual objectives* Ensuring a feasibility study is complete* Ensuring that the project is planned in appropriate detail* Allocating and monitoring the work and cost* Motivating the team* Reporting progress back to the organisation* Helping the team to solve project problems* Achieve, through the team, the goals* Reviewing and closing down

Milestone Planning

Milestone planning is used to show the major steps that are needed to reach thegoal on time. When several tasks have been completed the milestone is reached. It is often used at senior manager reviews.

What are Milestones? Why are they called Milestones?Imagine you are walking along the road and you see a milestone that says 20 miles to London so you keep walking and later you see one that says 10 miles to London. Now you know that you are going in the right direction and you have made some progress. That is the principle of project milestones. For example, if the project is to build a house then completing each significant chunk of work could be

considered a milestone on the road to building the house. For example the milestones might be:-

* Planning permission granted* Foundations laid* Walls constructed* Roof built* Fixtures, fittings and services completed* Garden landscaped* House inspected and approved* House sold

For simple projects, a milestone plan may be the only plan required.

1. How do you handle non-productive team members?2. How do you motivate team members who are burned out, or bored?


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3. How do you handle team members who come to you with their personal problems?4. What are your career goals? How do you see this job affecting your goals?5. Explain how you operate interdepartmentally.6. Tell me how you would react to a situation where there was more than one wayto accomplish the same task, and there were very strong feelings by others on each position.7. Consider that you are in a diverse environment, out of your comfort zone. How

would you rate your situational leadership style?8. Give me an example of your leadership involvement where teamwork played an important role.9. Tell me about a situation where your loyalty was challenged. What did you do?Why?10. In what types of situations is it best to abandon loyalty to your manager?11. In todays business environment, when is loyalty to your manager particularlyimportant?12. Why are you interested in this position?13. Describe what you think it would be like to do this job every day.14. What do you believe qualifies you for this position?15. What have you learned from your failures?

16. Of your previous jobs, which one did you enjoy the most? What did you like the most/least? Why? What was your major accomplishment? What was your biggest frustration?17. Tell me about special projects or training you have had that would be relevant to this job.18. What are some things that you would not like your job to include?19. What are your current work plans? Why are you thinking about leaving your present job?20. Describe an ideal job for you.21. What would you do if you found out that a contractor was in a conflict of interest situation?22. If I were to contact your former employee, what would he say about your decision-making abilities?

23. Give me an example of a win-win situation you have negotiated.24. Tell me about your verbal and written communication ability. How well do yourepresent yourself to others? What makes you think so?25. Give me an example of a stressful situation you have been in. How well did you handle it? If you had to do it over again, would you do it differently? How do you deal with stress, pressure, and unreasonable demands?26. Tell me about a tough decision you had to make?27. Describe what you did at your work place yesterday.28. How would you solve the following technical problem? (Describe a typical scenario that could occur in the new position.)29. What strengths did you bring to your last position?30. Describe how those contributions impacted results?31. What are the necessary steps to successful project management?32. How do you plan for a project?33. What is important to consider when planning a (your type of project)?34. What are things that you have found to be low priority when planning for (your type of project)?35. What distinguishes a project from routine operations?36. What are the three constraints on a project?37. What are the five control components of a project?38. What qualifications are required to be an effective project manager?39. What experience have you had in project management?40. Name five signs that indicate your project may fail.41. Tell us about a project in which you participated and your role in that project.

42. When you are assigned a project, what steps do you take to complete the project?43. As you begin your assignment as a project manager, you quickly realise that


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the corporate sponsor for the project no longer supports the project. What willyou do?44. Your three month project is about to exceed the projected budget after the first month. What steps will you take to address the potential cost overrun?45. Tell us about a successful project in which you participated and how you contributed to the success of that project.46. You are given the assignment of project manager and the team members have al

ready been identified. To increase the effectiveness of your project team, whatsteps will you take?47. You have been assigned as the project manager for a team comprised of new employees just out of college and entry-level consulting staff. What steps can you take to insure that the project is completed against a very tight time deadline?48. What is a project milestone?49. What is project float?50. Your project is beginning to exceed budget and to fall behind schedule due to almost daily user change orders and increasing conflicts in user requirements.How will you address the user issues?51. Youve encountered a delay on an early phase of your project. What actions canyou take to counter the delay? Which actions will have the most effect on the r

esult?52. Describe what you did in a difficult project environment to get the job doneon time and on budget.53. What actions are required for successful executive sponsorship of a project?54. How did you get your last project?55. What were your specific responsibilities?56. What did you like about the project and dislike about the project?57. What did you learn from the project?58. Tell me about a time when you ran into any difficult situations. How did youhandle them?59. Tell me about the types of interaction you had with other employees.60. Tell me of an accomplishment you are particularly proud of and what it entailed.

61. Do you have people from your past consulting services who would provide a professional reference?62. What other similar consulting or independent contractor services have you rendered?63. Discuss how you would envision working as an independent contractor or consultant for us.64. What conflicting responsibilities will you have?65. What would be your specific goals for this new role as a consultant or independent contractor?66. What experience do you have that you think will be helpful?67. This assignment will require a lot of [describe]. Will that be a problem foryou?68. This assignment will require interacting with [describe the types of people]. What experience do you have working with such people?69. What would you like to get from this new assignment?70. What are two common but major obstacles for a project like this? What wouldyou do in the face of these obstacles to keep your team on schedule?71. What is project charter? What are the elements in a project charter?72. Which document will you refere for future decisions?73. How will you define scope?74. What is the output of scope definition process?75. What is quality management?76. Do you inspect or plan for quality ?77. What is EVM? how will you use it in managing projects?78. What is a project? and what is program?

79. What are project selection methods?80. Which tool would you use to define, manage and control projects?81. What is risk management and how will you plan risk response?


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82. What are outputs of project closure?83. What are the methods used for project estimation?84. What methods have you used for estimation?85. How would you start a project?86. If you were to deliver a project to a customer, and timely delivery dependedupon a sub-supplier, how would you manage the supplier? What contractual agreements would you put in place?

87. In this field (the field you are interviewing for), what are three critically important things you must do well as a project manager in order for the project to succeed?88. What metrics would you expect to use to determine the on-going success of your project?89. How are your soft skills? Can you sell the project to a team?90. You have a team member who is not meeting his commitments, what do you do?91. Companies have historically looked at technical skills, but more and more business managers are realizing that not have people skills tend to cripple projects.92. How many projects you handled in the past? Deadlines met? On time/ within budget? Obstacles you had to overcome?

93. Do you understand milestones, interdependencies? Resource allocation?94. Do you know what Project Software the new company uses and is there trainingfor it?95. Tell me about yourself. (To avoid rambling or becoming flustered, plan youranswer.)96. What are your strengths? (Make an exhaustive list and review it exhaustivelybefore the interview.)97. What are your weaknesses? (What you say here can and will be used against you!)98. How would your current (or last) boss describe you?99. What were your bosss responsibilities? (Interviewers sometimes ask this question to prevent you from having the chance to claim that you did your bosss job. Be ready for it!)

100. Whats your opinion of them? (Never criticize your past or present boss in aninterview. It just makes you look bad!)+

Give me an example of how you used your leadership skills to help your project team meet a difficult challenge.

An effective project manager needs to lead though setting goals and using the right methods to guide and influence the project team towards goal attainment. Good leaders enable team members to feel they have a real stake in the project andencourage them to participate in problem-solving and decision-making.

When answering project manager interview questions about leadership show how youunderstand the need to communicate and consult but are also aware that lots oftalking and procrastination achieves nothing without deciding and taking action.

Effective project managers lead by example and are open and honest about the challenges they face. They recognize the important of collective team effort in achieving the desired results. They are able to identify and use the strengths of each team member and allocate roles and responsibilities accordingly.

This empowers team members to respond to the challenges that arise. Those that excel as project managers keep the project team motivated to give of their best to meet these challenges. They understand the appropriate management style to usewith each team member at the different stages of team development. They know ho

w to best utilize the competencies of the team and each team member to deal withchallenges and problems.


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Describe a time when your communication and interpersonal skills helped in dealing with difficult clients or team members.

After leadership, the ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels is regarded as the second most important project manager skill. Good projectmanagement requires clear communication about objectives, roles, responsibilities, performance, expectations and feedback. The project manager should be able to

effectively influence and persuade clients and the team to ensure success. Explicit guidelines and expectations should be communicated to accomplish results.project manager interview questions

When answering this question it is important to show how you are able to adapt your style of communication to the person you are dealing with. Empathy, understanding and self-awareness all play a role in doing this. The ability to communicate with different individuals on various levels with diverse project interests is important for successful project management. Every project team and every project is different, you must be able to adjust your style to their needs.

Included in communication skills is the ability to be enthusiastic about the sha

red goals and vision. Enthusiastic project managers are committed to their goalsand express this through optimistic and confident communication.

Give an example of a win-win situation you negotiated

In all projects there are a number of stakeholders who all see their concerns and issues as the most important. Effective project management means responding byfinding the best solutions that address the issues without compromising the other stakeholders or the overall project.

In your answer show how you are able to communicate essential information and workable alternatives in a way that gains acceptance. Your ability to understand t

he position of the other person and to focus on solutions rather than problems is key to effective negotiation on a project.

What was the most stressful aspect of your last project and how did you deal with it?

Very few projects stay on schedule, under budget and with no major problems. Theability to handle stressful situations is key to successful project management.Limited resources and time, changing demands and new circumstances all result in stress on the project manager.

Show how you are able to stay calm under pressure and plan to reduce stress focusing on aspects such as your people management, technology management, risk management and expectation management.

Tell me about a situation during a recent project when you had to adapt and manage change

Show that you can adjust effectively to meet changing demands and tasks. An effective project manager can quickly assess a new situation and adapt to it. The change management process is critical to the success of a project.

Each change needs to be properly defined, considered and approved before it is implemented. Focus on developing a plan for change that addresses change on botha process level and on a people level. Careful and well thought-out preparation

of the stakeholders for change and the ability to overcome resistance are key tosuccessful change management. Your answer should emphasize your ability to planproperly and thoroughly for change.


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Questions That Examine Leadership Potential

1. How do you handle non-productive team members?2. How do you motivate team members who are burned out, or bored?3. How do you handle team members who come to you with their personal problems?

4. What are your career goals? How do you see this job affecting your goals?5. Explain how you operate interdepartmentally.6. Tell me how you would react to a situation where there was more than one wayto accomplish the same task, and there were very strong feelings by others on each position.7. Consider that you are in a diverse environment, out of your comfort zone. Howwould you rate your situational leadership style?8. Give me an example of your leadership involvement where teamwork played an important role.

Questions That Examine Personal Strengths and Weaknesses

9. Why are you interested in this position?10. Describe what you think it would be like to do this job every day.11. What do you believe qualifies you for this position?12. What have you learned from your failures?13. Of your previous jobs, which one did you enjoy the most? What did you like the most/least? Why? What was your major accomplishment? What was your biggest frustration?14. Tell me about special projects or training you have had that would be relevant to this job.15. What are some things that you would not like your job to include?16. What are your current work plans? Why are you thinking about leaving your present job?17. Describe an ideal job for you.

Questions That Examine Judgment

18. What would you do if you found out that a contractor was in a conflict of interest situation?19. If I were to contact your former employee, what would he say about your decision-making abilities?20. Give me an example of a win-win situation you have negotiated.21. Tell me about your verbal and written communication ability. How well do yourepresent yourself to others? What makes you think so?22. Give me an example of a stressful situation you have been in. How well did you handle it? If you had to do it over again, would you do it differently? How do you deal with stress, pressure, and unreasonable demands?23. Tell me about a tough decision you had to make?

Questions That Examine Experience

24. Describe what you did at your work place yesterday.25. How would you solve the following technical problem? (Describe a typical scenario that could occur in the new position.)26. What strengths did you bring to your last position?27. Describe how those contributions impacted results?Linda Zaval, PMP, is the author of "The Project Manager's Toolkit" and Presidentof 20/20 Solutions, Inc. an Oregon based project management consulting company.Ms. Zaval can be reached at [email protected]

What is a project?


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The term project seems to be a buzzword that means a lot of different thingsto different people. Anything, for example, from a secretary's "project" to clean out an old filing cabinet to an engineer's "project" to create a multi-million dollar facility. Even these extremes have one thing in common: the applicationof work or effort to create a new situation or product, where "product" is usedin its broadest sense. So a project can be any undertaking with a definite star

ting point and one or more defined objectives the completion of which spell outthe end of the project. It should be added that for one reason or another most projects are restricted by limits imposed on resources (effort, equipment and materials) time and money.

back to question page2. Why do I need project management?

Another way of asking this question is "What if I don't bother with projectmanagement?" The fact is, all projects demand some degree of attention to make them happen. Even the secretary needs to deliberately plan to set aside some timeto clean out that filing cabinet, otherwise the job will never get done! Believe it or not exactly the same holds true no matter what the size of the project.

Indeed, the bigger the project the more difficult it is to get it started.

But most projects also require some degree of coordination of resources, andunless this is carefully planned either things will be done in the wrong orderor there will be constant conflict and crisis. All of which will ultimately consume a lot more resources, time and money than necessary.

back to question page3. Why do projects need planning?

A fundamental of managing projects is first to plan and then to accomplish.Of course, good project management is a lot more complex as we shall see shortly. In the simplest of terms, if you do not know where you are going you neither know how to get there nor even when you have arrived! Moreover, it doesn't really

matter which road you take nor how long it takes to get there.

So a good project plan is like a route map the destination is clearly spelled out and the best way to get there is chosen before starting.

back to question page4. What level of project management do I need?

This is a difficult question to answer because it very much depends on the size, duration and technical complexity of the project, as well as how many people are involved. Some projects have been successfully run by a project manager "keeping it all in his head". That may be fine, but when the project manager fallssick so does the project! If you are managing a project for someone else (yourclient) then at a very minimum you should plan on ways and means to track the definition of the client's requirements and/or assumptions made, the standard of quality agreed upon that will serve the client's purpose, the time available forcompletion, and the budget for the work.

As projects increase in size and complexity, increasingly sophisticated systems and procedures are available to track each of these core functions. On evenlarger projects it may well be necessary to have trained and dedicated staff attending to each function separately.

back to question page5. If I am empowered, why do I need project management?

If you have been empowered it probably (or should) mean that you have been g

iven the authority and responsibility to undertake the work necessary without constant surveillance and supervisory intervention. It should also mean that you have been given a coherent and articulated vision of the thing to be achieved and


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, subject to appropriate reporting (accountability), you are left to get on withthe job. If you are the only person involved in the work then all you have to worry about is your own time and resources required to accomplish the task at hand. To do a job well, even that takes personal training and mental discipline.

As soon as others are involved, they are entitled to the same considerationand to share the empowerment process. It means building a committed and coordina

ted team environment, which is one of the key elements of good project management successfully managing and coordinating human resources.

The manager who believes that it is their prerogative alone to organize, direct and control the entire project is doomed to poor results. Empowered people work more enthusiastically, respond faster, take a pride in their work and the results show up in the timeliness and quality of the product.

On the other side of the coin, your own empowerment means nothing if those from whom you will need support for the project have not been properly informed,especially in a matrix type of environment as most organizations really are. Socheck it out. If anyone is not aware of your new authority and responsibility, g

o back and ask for the situation to be clarified.

back to question page6. Is that all there is to project management?

That is by no means all. There are many aspects to good project management that require attention. In summary these may be identified as the management of scope, quality, time cost, risk, human resources, contract/procurement and communications.

Each of these eight functional areas, as they are called, will require careful integration. In addition, a successful project is not only one which meets its objectives on paper but is also seen to be successful. In other words it satisfies the customers. The eight functions together with the considerations of inte

gration and stakeholder satisfaction are the ten attributes of effective projectmanagement.

back to question page7. If I only have a small project, do I really need to bother with all of that?

In any project of any size, each of these ten attributes requires some degree of attention. However, the extent of that attention will vary according to thenature and content of the project in question. If you want to reap the satisfaction and recognition of the successful project manager, consider them all! So let's look at each in turn.

back to question page8. How important are the stakeholders?

The most important stakeholder, of course, is your client or customer. However, that may be more than one person the sponsor and the user, for example. Butthere can also be many other stakeholders as in the case of environmentally sensitive or publicly exposed projects. Such situations require special management attention. Even in a simple project, such as introducing an administrative change, there will likely be people who are indirectly affected and who should be considered.

back to question page9. How do I get started?

At one and the same time this step is perhaps the most important and least u

nderstood of all the steps in the project management process. Whole books have been written on this topic alone, yet there are a few basic guidelines which arehelpful:


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1. Make sure you know who is your primary client, to whom you will be reporting on project progress, and from whom you will be receiving direction as theproject process evolves.

2. Make sure that you understand your client's goals and objectives and that you will be able to document them in increasing detail as part of developinga project plan which you will eventually be able to execute.

3. Make sure you understand the context of the project Why is it being done? Why now? What are the implications and consequently the risks that will be faced? Do the delivery date and budget look realistic? What are the tangible andintangible benefits? Does it look like the project is worth doing at all? In short, will it be successful?

4. Document all of this and, together with any assumptions that you may have to make, obtain your client's concurrence. You may well be faced with some hard negotiating to do, but in the end you will have an initiation document which, once approved by the appropriate funding authority, will be your project mandate to proceed and give you the best chance for success.

With this out of the way, you are now off and running and the next steps wil

l be to build a project team, develop a project plan and identify the additionalinformation and resources required for the project.

back to question page10. What is a successful project?

Since every project has an element of newness about it there will be risks and difficulties to be surmounted. These require decisions and possibly trade-offs between competing project objectives such as cost and time, but in the last analysis, the successful project is one which satisfies the client and the stakeholders, and is seen to do so in its most important dimension, quality. Quality isdefined as conformance to requirements.

back to question page11. How do I get my project organized?

Every project that involves more than one person requires a project team toget the work done. Without doubt, building a motivated project team will be yourprimary and most critical task, because the success of the project will rely heavily on choosing the right team members and gaining their commitment to the project's objectives. If possible, assembling the project team and dividing the project's scope into manageable pieces (developing a work breakdown structure) should go hand in hand. In this way, help and ideas are obtained in developing the project plan and, as the skills required to execute the project plan become apparent, so can additional people resources be identified and recruited as necessary.

Politically, it will be prudent to utilize the abilities of permanently assigned staff to fulfil these requirements but if there are required skills that are not available, then other sources must be identified and pursued. Many texts have been written on identifying suitable team members, securing their commitmentand maintaining their motivation, subjects which are beyond the scope of this presentation. Nevertheless, this part of a project manager's job is probably themost time consuming and, as stated earlier, the most critical. It may also be the most difficult and makes the difference between the effective and the ineffective manager. Remember, projects are built by people!

back to question page12. What is a project plan and what does it involve?

A well integrated project plan is the primary tool for effective coordinatio

n of the work and for tracking and steering progress by appropriate initiatives.It's the key document as a basis of reference. It's like a project bible and issometimes called the project brief. A project brief may also be required to obt


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ain other approvals such as client commitment to the details, and funding to proceed into subsequent phases of the project-life-span.

A good project brief will set out the goals, objectives and scope of the project (its deliverables), how these are to be achieved (technical content), quality (technical standards), any supplementary approvals that may be required (regulatory), design outlines (sketches and block diagrams), the component parts (bre

akdown structure), who will be responsible for what (team responsibilities), sequence and timing (logic network and schedule), required budget (supporting costestimate), resources required for implementation (human and material), other resources (space, existing assets, external interfacing), financial considerations(economics and cash flow projections), justification (the impacts and alternatives), and areas of uncertainty (risk), contingency and control plans.

Goals and objectives, by the way, are sometimes used interchangeably but really a goal is an overview statement while an objective is one of the componentsor stepping stones of which the goal is comprised

back to question page13. What is a project life span (cycle)?

If a project is well organized, it will progress logically through several phases. There are four standard phases to a typical project. The first two "concept" and "development" involve planning, that is to say, identifying the conceptand then developing this concept and the plan to accomplish it as we have discussed. This usually leads to a formal submission of the plan (project brief) at which a go or no-go decision is given on the basis of the plan. If approved, thisleads to the second two phases which are the accomplishment phases of implementing and finishing. As the names imply, this means converting ideas on paper to reality and getting the job finished and turned over to the customer.

Of course, different people in different project environments use differentnames but the principles are the same. Also, projects in different fields may re

quire the four standard phases to be broken down further into stages such as separate feasibility studies; detailed design and working drawings; procurement; construction; training, commissioning and transfer.

back to question page14. How much time should planning take?

Times taken for individual projects vary considerably often due to circumstances beyond the project manager's control, such as changes in market demand or economic conditions. However, studies have shown that good planning for projectsin new surroundings takes roughly the same amount of time as that required for implementation. Ten months of conceptual development and planning is not unreasonable for a project that will take ten months to construct. On the other hand, planning for a well orchestrated plant maintenance shut-down may take several times as long as the shut-down itself.

back to question page15. What value does project management add?

This is very difficult to answer in traditional accounting terms because thereal value is in the quality of the end results and the avoidance of unnecessary delays and costs. In short, stakeholder and customer satisfaction. It's like taking out insurance, no one argues about taking out the right amount of insurance. No one should argue about doing the right amount of project management.

Remember that Murphy, that good old proponent of humorous laws, has said "Apoorly run project will take three times as long and cost three times as much as

a well run project..." However, he also added "compared to a well run project which only takes twice as long and costs twice as much." For our financial accounting friends, that's a 50% saving right there!


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back to question page16. Why do projects always seem to take longer than expected?

Typically this is because it is relatively easy to assign time allowances toall the activities that have been thought of, but it is the ones that have notbeen thought of that take the extra time. However, there is also a tendency to b

e optimistic otherwise the project might not get approved, or "tight schedules"are a means to keep the pressure on the project team. Many delays arise from things that are necessary but were overlooked in preparing the plan. Even more delays are due to risks that were either not fully appreciated or disregarded duringplanning. The biggest and most damaging delay invariably stems from failing tostart promptly the whole project or one or more of its major activities.

back to question page17. What if I need more time?

A competent and professional project manager is always up front with the sponsor or senior management. The meeting may be uncomfortable but rest assured itwill be a lot worse if the situation is left to deteriorate. Besides, there may

well be more options for improving the situation available to the sponsor than to the project manager.

back to question page18. Why do projects always seem to cost more than expected?

Generally this seems to stem from three causes. The first may simply be an overly optimistic cost estimate. Occasionally under-estimating is politically motivated to ensure project approval. Secondly, any schedule delays inevitably translate into added costs for someone. Thirdly, because most people have difficultyin fully understanding plans and specifications, when the sponsor or the userssee the physical results of the project they then seek changes which cost significantly more to implement than they would have, had they been made at the planni

ng stage.

back to question page19. How do I best control cost?

Many people think that they are controlling cost when they approve invoicesor sign cheques. In reality, the cost is already long since committed at this stage whether payment is made or not. Cost must be controlled at the planning stage. It costs little to make changes to the plans at this stage but the impact onthe final cost can be quite significant. Therefore it is essential to establishrealistic cost estimating for every component of the project before it is committed to implementation.

It must also be realized that project costs that are already committed or expended are sunk costs and cannot be controlled further. Only future uncommittedcosts can be affected and therefore controlled. Consequently, the primary focusof all project management cost reports should be on estimates of future costs, and hence on the total cost-to-complete of each component of the work.

back to question page20. What if I need more money?

The same applies here as in Question 17. However, the options that are openwill depend on how far the project has already advanced. Generally there are twooptions. The first is to seek and obtain more project funding. The second is toreduce the scope of the project. Theoretically, a third option is to reduce thequality of some of the components of the project. However, this is not recommen

ded as the impacts are usually marginal at best and at worst may lead to significantly greater costs during the subsequent life of the product.


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More innovative and frequently very successful is to develop an alternativeand more cost-effective solution to one or more of the project's objectives. There are techniques for doing this, such as value analysis, a technique which usually involves broad and expert consultations.

back to question page21. Can surprises be reduced?

Yes, definitely! By their very nature, projects are uncertain business and uncertainty can lead to both risk and opportunities. Consequently, a very important part of a project manager's job is management of risk (Risk Management). Theidea is to move potential uncertainties away from risk (i.e. adverse time and cost implications) and towards opportunity (that will enhance the project and makeit more successful). To do this, potential risks must first be identified and preferably grouped in some way, analysed and then appropriate defensive responsesinitiated such as workarounds, or insurance. Failing that, prepare contingencyplans as a precaution.

back to question page22. What is a task manager?

Terminology in the project business is very confusing. Different people anddifferent organizations use different names to mean different things in different circumstances and there is no well established set of standard definitions. Generally there is a hierarchical set of words which run from top to bottom as follows: Program, Project, Function, Process, Activity and Task. Interestingly, although the leader of any one of these may have different names, the management concepts involved are virtually identical. Moreover, the role of the leader of a particular task may be just as important to the overall success of a project as another apparently higher up the chain.

back to question page23. How do I get resources?

We must presume that the requisite planning as discussed in Question 12 has

been completed and the resulting plan approved for implementation. In that case,the required resources needed for the project must be secured by means of commitments. If the resources concerned are people from within the organization thena release must be obtained for some or all of their time to be contributed to the project. Equally, it will be necessary to get their willing participation in (i.e. commitment to) the project.

If the resources in question are of the material kind it may be necessary toprocure them by negotiating internal agreements, obtaining approval for the issue of purchase orders, or by following established procedures to enter into agreements and contracts. Such contracts then represent legal and financial obligations of the project and ultimately of the sponsoring organization.

back to question page24. How do I organize and apply resources?

The first and most important step in the implementation phase is to re-visitthe project plan (or the project brief) and to make sure that it is still up-to-date. No doubt new information or a better understanding of the project will now be available. In any case, the plan will most likely require further detail, and one of the best ways of getting people started and organized is to have themreview their part of the work (work package) and to set about coordinating it with each of the other parts.

In this way a comprehensive and detailed plan can be built up by a team of people who each understand their participation and responsibility and are committ

ed to the success of the project. Each party must then be instructed by the project manager to proceed as agreed and to apply their particular resources accordingly.


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back to question page25. What do project managers do?

First of all a project manager must take responsibility for leading the project effort towards the stated and agreed upon goals and objectives of the project. He or she must also have a very clear idea of what constitutes the successfulconclusion of the project and work towards that end.

Along the way, the project manager has a number of duties to fulfill such ashelping the sponsor to understand the details of the project where changes (scope changes) may be required, planning and contingency planning, scheduling, communication (technical and project public relations) progress reporting, coordination and supervision. All of this must be carried out as necessary to ensure theproper and efficient execution of the work by all those involved.

back to question page26. What communication do I need?

Communication is perhaps one of the most important functions of a project manager and yet sometimes the least understood. Without people there is no activit

y, but without communication there is no action! Consequently, communication must be relevant, reliable and timely. It must inform in both technical and non-technical terms and above all, it must be concise and understandable to avoid mistakes and waste of time.

back to question page27. Where can I get help?

There are many sources of help such as books, educational programs, active societies and the Internet. But why not just pick up the phone and talk to your nearest project management association? They will be pleased to offer guidance and maybe even to participate.

Describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstratedyour coping skills (stress tolerance)

The interviewer wants to know whether you are able to perform under pressure andcope with difficult situations. Show that you can stay calm under pressure andare able to plan to reduce stress.sample interview question

"I worked for a manager who used to yell at me when he was under pressure to meet deadlines. (Situation)

I got upset the first couple of times and then I decided to talk to him about it. I empathized with the stress he was under and suggested that he communicated his expectations clearly to me on a daily basis so that I knew exactly when he needed something and I could also give him feedback on progress. We arranged an early morning feedback meeting every day. (Action)

This helped as we were able to sort out issues immediately and anticipate likelyproblems." (Result)

Here is a behavioral question that explores the candidate's resilience.

Tell me about a time when you received negative feedback from your manager or supervisor. How did you handle this?(resilience)

The interviewer is looking at your ability to handle disappointment and rejection. Show how you handle criticism whilst maintaining enthusiasm and performance.


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"I had worked hard on a presentation to a potential customer. My boss told me that he was disappointed in the quality of the information I presented and that the customer had not been impressed. (Situation)

I was surprised as I felt I had prepared well but I asked my boss to go throughthe presentation with me again and explain exactly what the problems were. He pointed out outdatedinformation and I realized that I had not used the most recent

financial information in my preparation. I researched the updated information and asked if I could rework things and prepare a new proposal for the customer. He agreed. Once I had sent the proposal I followed up with the customer to ask ifhe had any queries or wanted to discuss anything with me. (Action)

We didn't get that particular contract but the company has asked us to submit aproposal for some other business." (Result)

Tell me about a time you had to quickly adjust your work priorities to meet changing demands (Adaptability)

In this sample interview question the interviewer wants to know if you can effec

tively perform in different environments and with different tasks, people and responsibilities. Show that you can adjust your actions to meet changing demands and tasks.

"I was in the middle of drawing up my departmental budget when I was asked to put together a costing for a big project we were tendering for. (Situation)I made an outline of the information I needed immediately for the costing and assigned a portion to each of my staff. I spent the next couple of days drawing upschedules of the tasks that needed to be carried out to complete the costing and meeting with staff members to brief them and get feedback. I was then able tore focus on completing the budget on time. (Action)

The costing was completed on time, each staff member really contributed and I di

dn't miss my budget deadline". (Result)

Describe a time that you demonstrated the ability to be an effective team member(team work)

This behavioral interview question is looking at your ability to build relationships and contribute to team success. Show how you worked effectively with the team, put team goals ahead of your own goals and made a valued contribution to theteam output.

" I was transferred to a new department and a new team at my last company. The team members were not welcoming and displayed this by not including me in discussions and communications. (Situation)

I asked each team member to meet individually and informally with me to discusstheir expectations of me as part of their team. I was able to explain that I understood their reluctance to trust and accept me straight off but that I wanted to contribute positively.We discussed team objectives, individual roles and working styles and started todevelop a rapport with each other. I made sure that I asked for their advice and feedback initially and gradually I earned their trust. (Action)

The team learned to be more flexible in their approach to new staff members andI learned that one has to earn trust and acceptance. Our team works really cohes

ively towards its goals now." (Result)

Another of the common interview questions that comes up in behavioral interviews


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explores your leadership skills.

Tell me how you went about setting the goals for your department and gaining commitment from your staff (leadership)

The interviewer wants to know how you lead through goals, vision and values andhow you use appropriate methods to guide staff towards goal accomplishment. Show

how you are able to set goals and influence your staff to achieve them.

"I needed to set the departmental objectives for the next six months. (Situation)

I referred to the company's vision and goals for the next two years to decide which activities and tasks my department should concentrate on. I clearly communicated the relationship between our department goals and the company's goals to mystaff and explained which activities would best result in achieving these goals. (Action)

"The staff really benefited from having a clear idea of the company vision and how we could contribute to achieving this. Understanding the big picture meant they were able to see how each of them were an essential part of the company's success and this motivated them towards goal attainment." (Result)

Describe a situation when you negotiated with others in your organization to reach agreement (negotiation skills)

The interviewer is exploring your ability to communicate information or alternatives in a manner that gains agreement and acceptance. Show how you are able to look at the position of others, present alternatives and reach an agreement thatis positive for both parties.

"My manager presented me with an unreasonable deadline to complete a project. (Situation)

I asked him how he had determined the deadline. He said that it was based on hisdeadline to present the project to the CEO. I outlined every step that needed to be taken to complete the project and how long each step would realistically take. We discussed possible ways of reducing these time frames. I suggested allocating more resources to the project. He asked me to put together a project proposal that covered what we had discussed and he would use this to negotiate with the CEO for a more realistic time line. (Action)

We were able to settle on a plan that worked for both of us." (Result)

Use these sample answers for questions that come up time and again in behavioralinterviews to help formulate your own behavioral examples.

Describe what you do to control mistakes in your work (attention to detail)

In asking this behavioral interview question the interviewer wants to know if you are able to accurately complete your tasks with close attention to all aspectsof your work.

Show that you are concerned with maintaining accuracy and check your work for errors.

In my last position I had to make all the travel arrangements for my manager. (Situation)


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I listened carefully, noted down what she needed and then read it back to her toconfirm that I had it right. I would also follow up with a detailed email to check again.

Once I had made the arrangements I would set up a time to give her feedback andcheck I had everything she needed.

I then followed this up with an email with all the confirmed details. (Action)

This was time-consuming for both of us but it meant that no errors were made inthe arrangements. It would have been more frustrating and costly not to have made such thorough checks" (Result)

Tell me about a time that you were not satisfied with your work performance. What did you do about it? (Work Standards)

All interview questions around work performance are designed to explore whetheryou set high standards for yourself and strive to meet these standards. What doyou consider to be a "high standard"? Show how you attempt to attain high perfor

mance standards and correct substandard performance.

"My performance review rating was lower than I had expected or wanted. (Situation)

I met with my manager to establish a plan of action for improvement and set veryspecific targets to be met on a monthly basis. I worked hard to meet these targets and constantly monitored my performance. I also asked for regular feedback about my performance. (Action)

After six months, my boss conducted another review and my rating was much higher." (Result)

Describe a situation in which you had to schedule your activities to meet an objective (planning and organizing)all interview questions

The interviewer is exploring your ability to set objectives and schedule and prioritize your activities appropriately. Show how you are able to establish a course of action, allocate resources accordingly and plan tasks to reach objectives.

"I had to complete a training report every month. This involved collating and presenting a large amount of information. (Situation)

I scheduled all the data collecting tasks. Each department was given a monthly deadline to submit information to me and I scheduled reminders to be sent out before the deadline. I set aside a time in my diary each month to collate all theinformation and check it. Then I allocated time for drawing up and presenting thereport. (Action)

This worked well and I always comfortably met my deadline." (Result)

Describe a difficult problem you had to sort out in your last job (Problem-solving)behavioral interview questions

This behavior based interviewing question is designed to explore your ability toidentify, analyze and solve problems.

Show how you are able to gather and organize the necessary information and identify the best solution.


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Here is a sample behavioral interview answer that you can use as a guide to develop your own good answer.

"We were getting a lot of complaints about late deliveries. (Situation)

I met with the staff involved in the customer delivery department and discovered

that the problem seemed to be with the stock coming through on time.

I investigated and found that requests for new inventory were not been processedfast enough. The backlog was in the orders department as they were not following up adequately with the suppliers. A system for regular follow up was quickly implemented. (Action)

This sorted out the stock problems and the delivery staff were able to meet their deadlines." (Result)

Describe a new idea or suggestion that you made to your supervisor recently (initiative)

The interviewer wants to know if you are proactive and able to generate workableideas. Show how you are a self-starter who will take action beyond what is asked of you.behavioral interview questions

" I work in orders and the company was launching a new product. The sales team had in-depth training on it but we had none. (Situation)

I suggested that the orders department should also receive the training so thatwe would understand what was being ordered and be able to answer any questions if necessary. It was agreed we would all undergo a short version of the training.(Action)

This meant that we could deal professionally with the orders and it also motivated us, feeling part of the launch excitement." (Result)

Tell me about a time that you had to use your judgment and make a decision in your previous job (judgment/decision-making)

The interviewer is exploring your ability to make logical decisions and take action. Show how you consider all the relevant facts, weigh up the alternatives andcommit to the most appropriate action.

"I was responsible for ordering office supplies for the company. (Situation)

The company always ordered a month's supply at a time to keep inventory costs low. I had to decide whether to keep doing this or buy six month's supply and geta discount for ordering such a big volume and escape possible future price increases. I did some research and worked out we could reduce our costs by buying forsix months, especially since the amount we used remained practically unchangedmonth on month. (Action)

I was right, the prices went up quite a bit during those six months." (Result)

What management style have you found to be most effective?

The interviewer is evaluating your ability to adapt your management style to dif

ferent people and circumstances. Describe how you are able to employ different management styles and interpersonal skills to get the best out of the situation.Give reasons why you use a particular management style in a certain situation an


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d why it works. For example:

"I find that it is not effective to use only one type of management style, I have to adapt according to the individual I am dealing with and the situation. Forexample with inexperienced employees I use a management style that involves a high level of task instruction and close supervision. I find this effective because the employee needs to be secure that they know exactly what to do and how to d

o it. They also require constant support to build their confidence. For a more experienced employee who is comfortable with the work, I delegate the task and expect them to come to me for help if they need it. This demonstrates my trust intheir ability to do the job on their own."

Work-force diversity has important implications. Managers need to be able to recognize employee differences and respond to those differences in ways that ensureeffective working relationships. Management interview questions will include:

What type of people do you work with most effectively?

This is basically asking what type of employees do you get on with and what type

of employees do you find it difficult to work with.management interview questions

This is an important question because it again evaluates the flexibility of yourmanagement style. Are you able to communicate and interact effectively with a variety of individuals? Are you able to establish good working relationships witha diverse group of employees?

"I work well with people who are hardworking, competent and confident of their abilities. Obviously I have had to manage people who do not fall into this category. When this happens I set myself the challenge of developing the employee andhelping them to use their skills to their fullest potential. My goal is to support them towards competence and confidence through guidance, direction and mentor

ing."

What aspect of your management style would you like to change?

No-one is the perfect manager so denying that you have any areas for improvementshows a lack of self-awareness and insight. Focus on an aspect of your management style that you're working to improve. Describe the steps you're taking and give evidence on your progress.

"I have been trying not to give my employees the answers when they ask for helpwith a problem. They need to learn how to come up with the solutions themselvesand I need to guide and facilitate this process. I have read up on how to do this and have put these facilitation skills into practice.For example, I allocate however much time is needed to sit down with the employee and work through the problem. We discuss it, I give my view of the situation and then ask the employee to go away and think about the best solution."

The manager's relationship with his or her employees is determined by the management style employed. This relationship, because of the current economic downturnand downsizing, is more vulnerable than ever before. Expect tough management interview questions that explore your ability to handle diverse employees and changing work situations. Prepare insightful interview answers that highlight your ability to effectively do this.

Competency - Communication Skills

All jobs involve some form of communication. Expect to be asked questions that e


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xplore this competency or ability in your job interview.

Give me an example from your previous job where you had to rely on information given to you verbally to complete a task.

Your listening skills are under the spotlight here. Your situational example should include the following - the ability to actively listen, ask questions to cla

rify, rephrase the information back to the sender to ensure accuracy, successfulcompletion of the task.

Give me an example of a complex process or task you had to explain to another person or group of people.

Are you able to effectively express yourself verbally? Include the ability to adapt your level of communication (words and terminology) to the target audience,actively listen to questions and requests for more information, check for understanding by asking for feedback.

Tell me about a challenging writing assignment or important report you had to pr

epare recently.

Your situational or behavioral example should demonstrate an ability to clearlyexpress your ideas in writing. Include how you can gather, organize and presentdata in a logical and concise manner in a style appropriate to the target readership.situational interview questionsCompetency - Interpersonal Skills

Most jobs require interaction with other people - colleagues, customers, managers etc. Prepare for situational interview questions that explore your interpersonal effectiveness.

We have all had to work with someone who is difficult to get along with. Give mean example of when this happened to you and how you handled it.

How sensitive, empathetic and flexible are you? Your example should show how youare able to select the right approach to the situation or individual. Acknowledge differences and display empathy to others. Focus on the situation not the person. Anticipate reactions and prepare to deal with them.

Tell me about a situation when a colleague was less cooperative than you neededor wanted.

Provide an example that demonstrates your use of an appropriate interpersonal style to gain commitment, to ask for help and encourage involvement. Show how youused open communication and built self-esteem to get cooperation.

Tell me about two of your colleagues/customers/employees who are very differentto each other. How do you interact with each one?

Demonstrate your ability to adapt your behavior to meet the demands of each individual. How you are able to determine the best way to approach each individual?

Describe a situation when you had to persuade someone recently to accept an idea/plan/product.

This focuses on your persuasiveness and ability to build rapport with others. Ho

w did you select the right approach for the situation? How did you go about establishing rapport with others? How did you demonstrate the benefits of your ideaor plan and show them what's in it for them?


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situational interveiw questionsCompetency - Decision Making Skills and Judgment

Every employee is required to make decisions as part of their job. Situational interview questions will explore your ability to use your judgment to make the right decisions.

Tell me about a good decision you made recently at work.

Your example should show how you gather all the necessary information to make adecision. How you consider available resources and possible outcomes before making your decision.

Tell me about a recent problem you faced at work and how you found the best solution.

How did you go about analyzing the problem before considering possible solutions. Describe how you weighed the pros and cons of each option before deciding on the best solution.

Tell me about a mistake you made at work and how you dealt with it.

The ability to recognize and acknowledge one's mistakes is a sign of maturity and self-growth. Your example needs to demonstrate how you used your judgment to review the situation and evaluate information to determine why it happened and what measures you put in place to prevent it from occurring again.

What recent innovation have you made at work that had a positive outcome?

The focus is on how you used your initiative to generate ideas for improvement and develop new approaches. How did you evaluate what needed to be changed, how did you decide on which changes to make and how to implement them ?

View more situational interview questions and excellent sample answers for thesecompetencies by clicking on the table below.

How would your co-workers describe you?

The interviewer wants to find out if you have a good understanding of how you are perceived and how your behavior impacts on others. Your answer should demonstrate an objective view of your strengths and areas for improvement in terms of teamwork and your interpersonal skills.top interview questions

In your job interview answer describe the good points and perceptions but also discuss one or two areas that you are aware need attention.

Emphasize what you have done to improve on these areas. This makes your answer both real and insightful.

When you refer to the positive characteristics, support your answer with a quoteor paraphrase from one or two of your colleagues.

For example, "I know they considered me to be hard working. In fact, the other team members often thanked me for the extra hours I put in."

Then move on to the areas for improvement.

"I know that I was initially considered intolerant if I felt they were not putting in the same amount of effort as I was. I realized it was better to encourage


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them to meet our deadlines by offering help where needed. This has worked much better for all of us."

Use work-relevant words like good communicator, reliable, decisive, resilient, energetic, team member when answering top interview questions like this.

What motivates you in your job?

This is a personal trait, there is no right or wrong answer.top interview questions

However, you need to prepare for this job interview question and note down somespecific examples. It is often difficult to verbalize your motivation properly in the stressful context of a job interview.

Other interview questions will determine whether you have the skills for the job- can you do the job. With this question the interviewer is exploring whether you will be a good motivational fit with the job opportunity - will you want to d

o this job?

What does motivate you will depend on your background and work experiences, buttry to make your motivation relevant to what this job can provide.For example ifthe job is a fairly isolated one do not give "working with other people" as a motivation! You can use this preparation as an opportunity to think about whetherthis position is really suitable for you in terms of motivational fit.

Here are some sample answers to top interview questions about your motivation tohelp you prepare your own answers:

"I am motivated by the challenge of difficult tasks and projects.My previous manager gave me more and more responsibility as I proved myself, I found this very

motivating."

"It is important for me to meet the customers needs. I give them the best service and when I exceed their expectations or get positive feedback it motivates me."

"I like to know that I am growing as an employee. Learning and using new skillsis a big motivator for me."

There are many different motivators.

Challenge, achievement, recognition, learning opportunities, increased responsibility, coaching or mentoring others, team involvement and interaction, task complexity and variety are all possible answers to top interview questions about motivation.

What interests you most in this job?

Common Interview Questions & Answers including "What are your strengths and weaknesses?", "Why do you want this job?" and "Why should we employ you?"

How do you define success in your job?

The best way to handle this job interview question is to provide an accepted definition of success and then support this with good examples of your success. One

of the well-accepted definitions of success is goal attainment. Achieving a challenging goal or set of goals would be considered success by most people.


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It is important to relate your job interview answer in some way to the positionyou are interviewing for. Measurable and specific examples of success are more convincing.

You can use this sample answer to help prepare your own interview answer for this question.

"Success means the achievement of a challenging and measurable goal that I haveset for myself or that has been delegated to me. In my previous position I had specific sales targets to meet every quarter. I set myself the goal of been up onmy monthly targets by 5 percent. I managed to exceed my quarterly targets by 8percent on average. That, for me, was success!"

Describe your ideal job

The key to how to answer interview questions about your dream or ideal job is that your response should be in line with the characteristics of the job and company you are interviewing with.

Answering this question requires you to consider your strengths and weaknesses,what you have liked and disliked about your current and previous jobs, and whatyour career ambitions are.

A more general answer will help ensure a fit with the vacant position.

For example:

"My ideal job is one where my knowledge and skills are put to good use.A job where I will learn and grow as a person and an employee and where I am given challenges that test my potential."

You can also take this approach.

"I believe a job is what you make of it. Each position and company has unique characteristics that give meaning and value to that job. If you work hard and makethe most of the opportunities given, you will find job satisfaction.I am enthusiastic about a position that allows me to learn and grow and to makea positive and meaningful contribution."

How do you handle conflict?

The interviewer wants to know how you react to conflict and how you manage it. Try to focus your job interview answer on the behavioral process that you use toresolve the conflict. Don't direct your answer at how difficult you boss or co-workers are and how hard it is to work with them. This portrays you as someone who does not get on easily with other people and employers want someone who gets on well with others.

Use your interview answer to highlight your interpersonal skills, your maturityand your ability to stay calm in the face of difficulty.

For example: "Everyone has to deal with conflict at some point. I have found that when there is conflict it helps to try and put yourself in the other person'sshoes and understand their perspective. It is important to ask questions and listen to their point of view. If you know what their interpretation of the situation is, then it is easier to work out a solution.For example.... ( give a specific example of a conflict situation and how you dealt with it)."

Emphasize the techniques you use to diffuse conflict such understanding the other person's position, asking questions to find out the cause of the conflict, not


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conveying blame and not becoming too emotional. Demonstrate your ability to work collaboratively to reach an acceptable resolution.

Here is another of those standard interview questions that is exploring a numberof aspects at once.

What has been the most difficult situation you have had to face?

This job interview question is trying to determine two things - what your definition of difficult is and how you approach challenges and problems.

void discussing difficult situations that were directly caused by you. Make sureit is a situation that most people would consider difficult or tough.

Think of specific problems that tested your skills and abilities and had positive outcomes. Highlight the way you analyzed the situation, the skills you used toprofessionally deal with it and what your particular contribution to resolvingit was. Always try to end on a positive note

Examples of difficult situations include having to discipline an employee, unreasonable goals and deadlines, unreasonable customers and clients, adapting to change and facing unethical work practices.

Job skills that should be highlighted include common sense, perseverance, diplomacy, maturity, stress management and assessment skills.

For example: "I have faced a number of difficult situations, but the one that comes to mind now is ...... ( describe the situation). I was able to deal with itby assessing the situation, determining the possible different approaches and deciding on the most effective one. I had to remain unemotional and objective andfocused on a solution."

Preparing your answers to job interview questions like these sets you up for interview success. Click on the table above to view more standard interview questions and good sample answers.

Q: How can I trust a team member with inadequate skills?This question comes to us from a project manager who would like to remain anonymous:

One problem I find difficult to handle is what to do when people repeatedly do not deliver. If I criticize them, I am likely to lose their support and upset my customer. I have tried to coach them, praise them when possible, and thank them when work is completed on time, etc.

I also try to distribute the work according to abilities, but some members abilities are so poor, I know there is a good chance the work will not be done in an acceptable way. So far, I just kind of ignore these people and try to find someonewho can do the work. Sometimes, I have to do the work myself.

How should you work with people who consistently have shown that they cannot deliver on schedule?

A: Evaluate what kind of help the team member needsIn many respects, project managers may find it easier to deal with the process side of project management, including creating your workplan, managing issues, an

d risk. Your situation is more challenging because it deals with the other sideof project managementmanaging, motivating, and leading people.


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People are unique, and a solution for one person does not necessarily work withsomeone else. You must also account for team dynamics, where people may behave differently because of a group culture than they might behave individually.

I recommend you look at a number of possible causes of poor performance. Think about these areas separately for each person on the team where performance is a problem.

Do team members need a mentor or training?Sometimes, people do not deliver up to expectations because they do not have theright skills to do the job. For instance, you assign a person to complete the analysis for a new set of reports, but they are not sure how to ask the correct questions or frame a discussion with the customers. People who are late delivering code may be struggling trying to understand why they are getting logic errors.A related question is whether they have the correct level of training. They mayhave the basics, but do they need to understand advanced concepts?

If anyone falls into this category, you need to decide whether they could do thework with the right training. Training could mean a class, computer-based train

ing, or even pairing them up with someone more experienced. If they do not havethe right skills and cant be easily trained, then the question becomes whether they can be replaced with someone with a better skill set for your project.

Reassigning the employee is another option. Is there a productive role that theperson can play given their set of skills and experience?

Make the expectations clearDo the team members understand your expectations? For instance, sometimes when ateam member misses a deadline, they may come back and say that they did not think the work was due at that time. Or, instead of completing three programs on acertain date, they may have thought they were only required to complete one.

The project manager needs to evaluate what people say when they do not fulfill expectations. If there is confusion, change the system of accountability. For instance, require written confirmation that the person understands the expectationsfor deliverables and due dates. Or discuss assignments and status as a team sothat each person confirms their current assignments and due dates.

Address barriers to performanceAnother area to consider is whether there are any business or personal factors that could explain performance problems. For instance, some people on the team could be distracted if your company is in the process of being purchased. Anothermember of your team may show a lack of motivation because they are worrying about a spouse who is ill. If you can find a cause, it will give you the chance to respond, or at least acknowledge the problem. Perhaps the human resources department could assist you by providing information and resources to the employee.

Change the projectEven though you have a people issue, you can also use process experience to helpmitigate the problems you are encountering.

For instance, if people are missing significant delivery dates, then you will probably be at risk of watching your project fall behind schedule. In that case, you can utilize risk management to consider alternatives with your team and yourcustomer on how to get back on track. If dates have to slip, then you have an issue. Raise this to your team and customer and get their feedback on how the problem can be resolved.

If people are delivering late because they are doing more work than was assigned, you may have a scope change process that needs to be addressed. If people are


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not delivering the right level of quality, you may need to use quality management to set guidelines for the acceptable level of quality and what deliverables should look like.

Document all of these items in your status reports and status meetings to ensurethe customer knows what the problems are and can participate in finding solutions. This is important to manage expectations. You dont have to be personal; just

use the processes.

For instance, if the dates start to slip, let the customer know the deadlines that are being missed on the project plan. You dont have to say that anyone is a poor performerjust state that dates are being missed and that you are looking for ways to correct the situation.

Consider terminating the employeeSome team members may not be willing to do the job, or they may not be able to do the work regardless of the training and support you provide. If you feel you are at this point, you need to get the human resources department involved. Theywill give guidance about what types of remedies are available and acceptable wit

hin your company.

In many organizations, this strategy could lead to a period of documenting performance expectations and results, putting a person on a formal performance plan,and ultimately a reassignment, or termination, if necessary. (For more information, read "How to fire an employee.")

Some project managers would rather take on additional work than fire an employee. But if youve exhausted all other options and the employee continues to performpoorly, you should meet with human resources to consider pursuing a formal disciplinary procedure that may lead to termination.

Project management veteran Tom Mochal is director of internal development at a s

oftware company in Atlanta. Most recently, he worked for the Coca-Cola Company,where he was responsible for deploying, training, and coaching the IS division on project-management and life-cycle skills. He's also worked for Eastman Kodak and Cap Gemini America and has developed a project management methodology calledTenStep.We cant guarantee that Tom will answer every letter, but he will read all of hismail and respond to the e-mails that will benefit the most TechRepublic members.Send us your questions, and well forward them to Tom.

# How many projects you handled in the past? Deadlines met? On time/ within budget? Obstacles you had to overcome?# Do you understand milestones, interdependencies? Resource allocation?# Do you know what Project Software they use and is there training for it?# Tell me about yourself. (To avoid rambling or becoming flustered, plan your answer.)# What are your strengths? (Make an exhaustive list and review it exhaustively before the interview.)# What are your weaknesses?(What you say here can and will be used against you!)# How would your current (or last) boss describe you?*# What were your boss's responsibilities? (Interviewers sometimes ask this question to prevent you from having the chance to claim that you did your boss's job.Be ready for it!)# What's your opinion of them? (Never criticize your past or present boss in aninterview. It just makes you look bad!)# How would your co-workers or subordinates describe you professionally?* (Remem

ber, now is not the time for modesty! Brag a little bit.)# Why do you want to work for us?# Why do you want to leave your present employer?


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# Why should we hire you over the other finalists?# What qualities or talents would you bring to the job?*# Tell me about your accomplishments.# What is your most important contribution to your last (or current) employer?# How do you perform under deadline pressure? Give me an example.# How do you react to criticism? (You try to learn from it, of course!)# Describe a conflict or disagreement at work in which you were involved. How wa

s it resolved?# What are two of the biggest problems you've encountered at your job and how did you overcome them?# Think of a major crisis you've faced at work and explain how you handled it.# Give me an example of a risk that you took at your job (past or present) and how it turned out.# What's your managerial style like?# Have you ever hired employees; and, if so, have they lived up to your expectations?# What type of performance problems have you encountered in people who report toyou, and how did you motivate them to improve?# Describe a typical day at your present (or last) job.

# What do you see yourself doing five years from n Disclaimer: Contents are notreviewed for correctness and are not endorsed or recommended by Toolbox.com or any vendor.

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