Interview

Question 1

What is the most important thing a project manager does?

Answer 1

• Communicates regularly with stakeholders
• It’s important for everyone to be on the same page for us to succeed

Question 2

Have you ever had a project that did not meet the deadline or budget?

Answer 2

The short answer is no, but the longer answer is that I have not yet managed a project in the traditional sense. I have often been in charge of specific aspects of a project, which I have always completed on time.

Question 3

What was your most successful project?

Answer 3

• Each project has been successful in its own right, so that’s a hard comparison to make. But I’ll tell you about my most recent project
• At balena we tracked our ARR (annual recurring revenue) using a spreadsheet that relied on manual data input. This spreadsheet was used as our source of truth when reporting to the board of directors
• Because of its age and manual nature, it was prone to error. I was asked to audit it and ensure our data was correct while we prepared to transition to a CRM tool
• I ended up correcting tens of thousands of dollars of incorrect forecasting involving over a dozen accounts. This involved coordinating with each sales engineer to rebalance their accounts whenever I found an error, and reporting my weekly findings to the company during our all hands calls

Question 4

What escalation paths do you use?

Answer 4

• I think escalation is all about knowing your team and leaning on the right people for expertise
• If I am not able to find the solution by asking the experts on the project team, then I will consult with other experts in the organization
• If it is a sensitive or critical matter, I may decide to consult with the project sponsor
• As a sales engineer I would sometimes encounter customers that would ask for custom features outside of the scope of their support contract. My usual approach would be to ask our engineers about the feasibility of the request, then work with the client from there. I always found it best to be honest about the prospect of fulfilling their request, then offer them some resources on how they could achieve it themselves at no cost

Question 5

What project management methods do you use?

Answer 5

I am still early in my project management training, so I have not deeply explored every model. Currently I am focused on learning about Agile, as it seems to be the most useful in IT related projects. It has pretty regular delivery cycles, which offers more opportunities for feedback to ensure we are on the right track. And the cycles are catered towards the rapid changes that can happen in projects such as an application rollout.

Question 6

How do you deal with “scope creep”

Answer 6

Ideally I would have a scope management plan in place already, as well as a clearly defined change request process. If a team member is attempting a change to the project, it would need to be evaluated as part of the scope management plan and its impact on the project goals, timeline and budget would need to be considered. If it doesn’t make sense to incorporate it then it could be noted and set aside as potentially being its own project if approved.

Question 7

How do you handle team conflicts?

Answer 7

I would first tell the relevant parties I am aware of the issue and encourage them to work it out

• I often find it best to allow the team to work out their differences directly through polite discussion. When it is helpful, I work as a mediator in these discussions.
• I believe that while we may all have our own unique opinions, we share common goals. I try to lean on that and remind everyone of that when working towards a resolution.
• I will rarely involve the project sponsor directly, as I take responsibility for resolving these conflicts early on. But I do keep the sponsor informed of these events during my tag ups.

Question 8

How do you know if a project is off track?

Answer 8

• Monitor tasks and ensure they are all contributing towards the success of the project
• Ask team members if they are encountering any blockers during regular project tagups
• Communicate; frequent updates of when there will be delivery on a task
• Implement a risk management plan if necessary

Question 9

What Agile tools are you familiar with?

Answer 9

• I have done some self training on Microsoft Project and Visio
• In my projects at balena we used a tool built in house called Jellyfish. We had a system called Patterns, where each time something was raised in a ticket, forum, github pull or meeting it would add “weight” to a pattern. This would help decide which agenda items would move forward. Once a project began its progressed could be tracked and monitored on a Trello board.

Question 10

How do you define an ideal project?

Question 11

What is your strategy for prioritizing the tasks?

Question 12

Tell us about the most challenging projects you have managed so far? What were the steps you have taken to tackle the challenges?

Question 13

Suppose the project has gone off the rails. What steps would you take to get it back on track?

Question 14

Which was one of the biggest mistakes you have committed in your past projects? How has it impacted your approach to work?

Question 15

Define processes and process groups in a project management framework.

Question 16

Can you explain the differences between risk and issues? What are the major types of risks that may be encountered in a project?

Answer 16

An issue is something that has already happened. A risk is something that could happen.

Question 17

Explain the concept of RAID in project management.

Answer 17

It stands for Risks, Actions, Issues, and Decisions. To define it, RAID is a tool used by project managers to track risks, actions, issues, and decisions in an organized way.

Question 18

Describe the team forming process you follow in project management.

Answer 18

Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning comprises the five development stages in team formation.

Question 19

What’s your leadership style?

Question 20

What type of organization is Pacific?

Answer 20

A Matrix organization; because each team member reports to their own functional manager, but project tasks are assigned by the project manager. Team members are also not committed to the project full time.

Question 21

Define negotiation, leadership, problem solving and communication.

Answer 21

Negotiating involves obtaining mutually acceptable agreements with individuals or groups. Leadership involves imparting a vision and motivating others to achieve the goal. Problem-solving involves working together to reach a solution. Communicating involves exchanging information.

Question 22

What project selection method does Pacific use?

Answer 22

Expert judgement, since executives choose projects based on their experiences with similar projects and pre judge its benefits and likelihood of success.

Question 23

What makes you good for this role?

Answer 23

• I have a wide variety experience in sales, leadership, project leadership and project engineering
• I am familiar with Pacific’s culture. I know most everyone and can easily communicate and foster trust with stakeholders all over the university
• My experience in sales has taught me how to negotiate things like price, features, and even legal agreements
• I am new to PM, which is actually an advantage. I don’t carry the baggage that comes with years of experience. I haven’t become set in any one way of doing things so I can more easily adapt to the Pacific method of project organization
• The PM book smarts I am obtaining are up to date, since I am studying for the brand new PK0-005. I am learning updated frameworks and concepts that other PM’s may not have had a chance to learn yet if they were previously certified

Question 24

What makes a good project manager?

Answer 24

A good project manager should be able to bring out the best in their team. Communicate, organize, lead.

Question 25

How do you handle underperformance?

Answer 25

Quickly and decisively, since underperformance of one team member can affect the whole team. I would meet with the team member and ask questions and listen. If there is something they are missing I would rectify that. If correction is needed I would work with them to put together a plan we agree on and work with them to succeed.

Question 26

What are your strengths?

Answer 26

Communication, organization, initiative, curiosity, leadership, I take responsibility, retrospection

Question 27

What are your weaknesses?

Answer 27

Sometimes it can be hard for me to delegate a task that I feel I could easily do myself. It can be hard for me to ask for help out of concern for other people's time.