Q – Tell me about your self?

Situation - 
“I’m a project manager with 7 years of experience in managing projects in all aspects of the
management functions from initiating to closing the project successfully within budget ontime.
I have to coordinate projects with the senior managers and functional managers.
I have a management Experience in working with onsite and offshore development and testing
team around Web and Product based application and  Serve as a point of contact for offshore and
onsite teams.
 Mentored the Team on how to use Agile/Scrum practices and values to delight clients.
Guiding the team to remove impediments/obstacles by finding the right person if the respective
person is not available within the team
 Building a trust and safe environment where problems can be raised without fear of blame,
retribution, or being judged, with an emphasis of problem solving.
·         Promote, define, refine and enforce lightweight processes that fit our Agile software
development culture and values. Ex : go through and analyse the test cases also by developers,
testing done in the developer system by tester before put in to testing environment
·         Supporting and educating the Product Owner with respect to refining and managing the
product backlog.
·         Ensure that daily agile activities are running effectively and strictly and responsible for
facilitating daily scrum, sprint planning, sprint demo and retrospective meetings.
·         Assessing the Scrum Maturity of the team and mentored the team to higher levels of
maturity that is sustainable and comfortable for the team and organization
I have spent last 7 years developing my skills as a project manager. where I have won best
performance awards and been promoted twice. I love managing teams and solving customer
issues and problems.”
“Although I love my current role, I feel I’m now ready for a more challenging assignment and
this position really excites me.”
I’m a person who thrives in a fast-paced environment so right now I’m looking for an
opportunity to apply my project management experience and my creative problem solving skills
at an innovative software company like this one.”

 
Task – every year I received a list of projects and a budget. I had to figure out how to complete
every project within budget on time. 
 
Action - I held a meeting with the functional department to discuss tech solutions that might
save money. Then I discussed the situation with my team. I sent cross-departmental
communications for calibrating the technical solutions with the team’s talents.
 
Result - Under my leadership and management, we completed 3 projects within budget ontime .
The projects covered a range of initiatives, but 2 helped to increase profit more by 10%.
Previously it was 8% to 12%.
Q - What is your salary expectation?

I am sure your organization will offer comparative salary within the industry standards and
looking for opportunity to prove my worth to the company that’s my only priority at this state, if
I need to specify is “as per the company norms”

Q - How well do you work under pressure?

Well definitely work under pressure and without pressure works which is same for me. In fact
one of the sponsor of our company in my previous project I was managing that was given to us
which had to be completed in 2 weeks which is usually takes 4 weeks per iteration, then the
whole team is in pressure, so stressed. Then I ensured them and prioritized the work in a very
organized manner and well planned. We completed the project iteration in 2 weeks and delivered
the deliverables on time. Of course we have worked late nights but that also definitely help us to
complete iteration on time and submit a project deliverables in 2 weeks. So I think working
under pressure is not bad to me. If I work in pressure also I could learn the lesson how to handle
the work in pressure for the future projects

Q - tell me about this company?

Learn about the +ve attributes about the company products and history

Your company is very well known customer service provider and you also won and awarded for
the best service provider in the industry and also you have great clients in hand.

Q - how do you handle if the companies strategy changes?

Well of course, I can handle the strategy change, in my previous company one of my immediate
senior manager has quit and new senior manager has come in and he has changed the strategy of
a project process and methodology. So of course I am very flexible, adaptable and hard working
too, so we managed with our team effort to change the Traditional and V model process to agile
process

Q - How do you make and handle important decisions?

Well , while having important decisions is to be little difficult, but I am sure I can do it because I
have an experience and rely on experience. I would also weight pros and cons, of course I would
like to take some advice from my team members and senior managers and experts(SME’s). I am
sure that will help me to handle important decisions.
Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?”
I have been there with the organization for 9 years and wanted to experience a new environment
to continue growing and have learned a lot from working with amazing teams.  I worked my
way up to manager for 7 years. However, I feel like I could be doing more, and the next step
for me is too limiting. I am starting to feel like I need some new challenges and
opportunities. So I am looking for better career prospects, professional growth and work
opportunities and like to work for a company with more opportunities for growth. If I want to
work for a bigger firm with more diverse, iconic projects I decideed to change company. I
saw your offer, I had to take the opportunity. This position really appeals to me with my
successful background experience in project management and running a team.
I am leaving the company on good terms with my former employer as he is one of my
references.
Your company underwent a merge/ an acquisition and restructuring

What Are You Looking for in a New Position?"

I’m definitely looking for a position where I can grow professionally, professional development
is really important to me since I hope to take on management responsibilities in the new position
to present my findings and suggestions.
I am interested in a position where I can use my skills to make +ve impacts that I can see .
Being at a company where I can grow and work toward organizations strategy and growth.

Managers are responsible for ensuring the

 all team members are doing their work correctly and on time
 Developing, maintaining and managing to goals
 expectations and goals are clear
 conflicts in priorities are addressed and readjusted as needed
 objectives and goals are being met.
 Facilitate open and effective communication with the senior managers and others stakeholders who
might need to know
 Team members are given a level of oversight appropriate to their position and abilities
 employees are given regular feedback about their performance, including what they do well and where
they need to improve, with special attention toward low performers to ensure they improving or are
transitioned out
 there is a plan in place to ensure continuity if disaster were to strike (for instance, if a key staffer were
to disappear tomorrow, is there a way for you to access passwords, important documents, and the
other information someone would need to step in?)

Roles and Responsibilities

The role of the project manager encompasses many activities including:
 Planning and Defining Scope
 Activity Planning and Sequencing
 Resource Planning
 Develope Schedules
 Time Estimating
 Cost Estimattion
 Determine Budget
 Documentation
 Creating Charts and Schedules
 Risk Analysis
 Managing Risks and Issues
 Monitoring and Reporting Progress
 Team Leadership
 Strategic Influencing
 Business Partnering
 Working with Vendors
 Scalability, Interoperability and Portability Analysis
 Controlling Quality
 Benefits Realization

 designing and applying appropriate project management standards

 managing the production of the required deliverables
 planning , executing and monitoring the project
 preparing and maintaining project plans as required
 managing project risks, including the development of contingency plans
 liaison with programme management (if the project is part of a programme) and related
projects to ensure that work is neither overlooked nor duplicated
 monitoring overall progress and use of resources, initiating corrective action where
necessary
 applying change control and configuration management processes
 reporting on project progress through  reports and end-stage assessments
 maintaining the awareness of potential inter dependencies with other projects and their
impact
 adopting and applying appropriate technical and quality strategies and standards
 identifying and obtaining support and advice from experts required for project
management, planning and control of the project
 managing project administration
 conducting a project evaluation review to assess how well the project was managed
 preparing any follow-on action recommendations
 Steps taken to increase the productivity - 
 in our organisation we are implemented the  agile methodology for our project.
   In my project I have
 -> Plan the work and work the plan  priority wise with transparency and delegation
 - > Get clear project specifications and requirements
- > Make sure the environment is safe and comfortable
 -> Focus on  issues and solution for the respective issues
 -> i have created the feature team for each module including both the developers and
testers,  i assigned and involved the respective stake holder (client) to each module to
communicate with each module developers and testers to communicate directly to resolve
and take decision about  the issue without  delay, this    feature team technique will save
the most time by improving the communication which improves the productivity
-> i assigned the testers to test  each deliverable in every  module in dev environment to
find the defect as early as possible with developers  , if we find the defects early, we
could fix defects very soon with low cost & time than defect found in
testing  environment  and also productivity get increased automatically
 - > scrums and meetings- to escalate road blocks , impediments and resolve the same as
early as possible.
 - > extreme programming and pair programming
 ->if any resource is lacking in productivity , first i will analyse that resource for the root
cause. if that resource is  lacking competency  in  skills, for the emergency i will assign
resource with that resource to do the pair  programming to   complete the task on  time
and the skill lacking resource will also gain that knowledge . 
->provided training to improve competency
-> implemented recognition,  reward system and client delight
 -> identifying and removing the inefficiencies  and improving the process   - automated
the testing, to automate  the  test   cases we use  the selenium tool , automation tools
could increase the productivity by 50-90% 
- > Created Continuous Improvement Culture, Encouraged team to take an active role in
improving productivity
  - >  Review and Improve -  Create a formal review process where every member of the
team can feed back on how the new   process is working
  - >  conduct a productivity audit
  -> improving the documentation- New documentation techniques and technologies that
automate the processes. Allowing team members to remain productive while their
progress is monitored and reported in a thorough  manner
 -> enhance collaboration – documentation,  informal communication strategies, such as
face-to-face communication and sketching, decreasing overall complexity which
improves the productivity
 -> increase transparency - this includes senior managers, operations staff, auditors and
other professionals  who  may be involved on the perimeter of the project.  Project
management software tools  can drastically improve the  visibility of a project’s progress
and the productivity of developers throughout its life cycle.
objectives of every organisation are survival, profit and growth:
Survival:
The basic objective of every business is to survive for a long period in the market. The
management must ensure the survival of the organisation by earning enough revenue to cover its
costs.
Profit:
Profit earning is essential for meeting the expenses and for successful continuity of the business.
Thus, management must ensure earning of sufficient profits for the organisation.

Growth:
The important organisational objective of the management is to ensure future growth and
development of the business which can be measured in terms of increased sales, increase in
number of products, segments etc. The growth potential of the organization must be fully
exploited by the management.

Q: How aware are you of internal politics that may affect your performance?
A: I’m sensitive to internal politics and respect authority. But I also do my best to never become
embroiled in office politics. I like people and can pretty much work with anyone. So I could
concentrate on doing my job, listening to directions, surpassing expectations, and leaving the
internal political battles to the politicians.

Q - Would you work in holidays/weekends?

Be Tricky:
“I will be hard working throughout the week so that no need to work on holidays or weekends.”
Show Your Flexibility:
” if the deadlines are approaching and the work needs to be boosted up then definitely I can work
on holidays too.”
Why You’re Going to Fit to this position? Or Why Should We Hire You?

When I read the job posting I noticed that you specifically mentioned you were looking for
someone with project management experience. As you can see on my resume I have over 7 years
of experience as a project manager, if you make me a valuable addition to your team I have
ability to combine that with my people skills. I really value lasting relationships and actively
seek to build those with developers, vendors and senior managers. I also enjoy interacting with
customers and know that a happy customer is a repeat customer. My passion for this industry
and the job I do drives me to deliver high-quality work every day. I feel that my experience will
be very valuable in leading and managing the team towards greater success.
 What are your strengths?

My strongest strength I am Attention to detail, I truly believe in planning and execution, I am

quite approachable
One of my greatest strength is ability to manage multiple project in our project while
consentingly exploring opportunities. I have been a PM from past 7 years and so for I have led
huge projects however I should mention this was the wonderful outcome of wonderful team
work. I am very fortunate to work in wonderful team who followed my leadership. As a result
we grew significantly as a team and received multiple awards.
I have the ability to connect with anyone on my team, bringing a sense of cohesiveness to the
workplace.

What are your weaknesses?

I think my weakness is I am way to detail oriented, I tried to complete everything, I want

everything to be perfect in detail, then I realize that I am losing out on time. may be some times
that make this project pretty late. I think this is one of the weaknesses.
I am not an easily excusable person till my project work is get completed.

I am Confrontational person, this has given me many problem in the past, sometimes clients
from regions where confrontations are discouraged such as japan, south korea etc.., although I
think i think confrontation is not bad. I could sovle the risks through confrontation, if there is no
solution found for the risks, I will allow and assertively accept the risk to happen with
confrontaion and mitigate them in future.

 I am confrontational. A bit too much perhaps. This has given me many problems
in the past, especially with clients from regions where confrontations are discouraged,
such as Japan and the Philippines.
Although I mastered (?) the art of confrontation, in certain cultures, confrontation
itself is frowned upon. So, there isn’t really anything I can do about it other than
be honest with the partner and excuse myself from those projects or not include
uber-sensitive people in my teams. It’s rare to find consultants who run away
from confrontation but they are out there.

Not a copywriter
I am not a copywriter. And my ability to write long reports depends on who I have in my
team.
To counteract this, I usually get a junior consultant who is a native English
speaker to make sure my work is properly edited and proofread.
Q - WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK HERE SAMPLE ANSWER
I have been waiting for your company to advertise a suitable role that matches my skills for many months
now. Having researched your company, I really want to work for you because of the way you treat your
customers, develop your staff and more importantly, stay ahead of the competition.

Having studied your website and your company in detail, I noticed that you have recently won an award
for outstanding service to customers and this has only made me more determined to become an
employee of yours.

In addition to being impressed with your company, I have also studied the job description in detail and I
strongly believe I would be the perfect fit for the role. For example, one of the requirements of the role is
to be able to deliver excellent customer service both in person and on the telephone. I have many years’
experience performing both of these tasks and I was often praised in my previous job for how well I dealt
with customers. 

Finally, I have many quality attributes that I believe would work very well within this role, and these include
patience, determination, enthusiasm, attention to detail, being organized and outstanding customer
service.

I feel strongly that if you give me the opportunity to work within this role, I will not let you down.  

Q - When you see yourself in 5 years?

Well , it is difficult to say where I saw in the past and where I ended. It is really hard to say
because the only way the future is by looking my past. When ask this question I went to 9 years
back when I was attending the project lead interview in manager interview , same question was
asked by interviewer , 9 years back I was a SSE, in 2009 I am a lead and 2 years later in 2011 I
am a PM. Here now in to the same PM role which I can do confidently very well so as you see
really difficult to say where and what I will to be in 5 years. But I guarantee you I will do my
best in this role and try my best to have wonderful clear affidavicy with your team and your
leadership and when the time comes I will receive moral leadership roles and hopefully using
your intense workload. My expectation is there for higher but I don’t know where my
experiences and skills keep me. till then I would like to get and learn new things from
management experience and higher management authority and the team members.

Well 5 years from now I would like to be in higher management position, till then I would like to
get and learn new things from management experience and higher management authority and the
team members.

What should be your target in the first 60 to 90 days at work?

devoted and sincere attention to the job assigned to me with full of vigour, courage,easy mind blowing ,
adhereing the terms and conditions and dividing the job segment into 5 divisions of first 60 to 90 days
1.sincereity in planning the job assigned 2.human relationship 3.industrial relations 4.work force 5.proper
execution of
How does the company keep employees excited, innovative,
and motivated?
Only good work culture keep employee excited innovative and motivated. Good Work culture means Open
minded management, Supportive management and Realistic management.
by appreciate them time to time, to provide them a good chance to grow up and by perusing them training
related to their work and salary.
Challenges, Healthy Competition, Appreciations, Motivations, Rewards, Sharing of Ideas, Meetings and Time
to time Motivational Trainings. 
Step 1: Clearly define your vision. Make sure that your vision is provided as a roadmap for your employees,
and that they know each twist and turn.
Step 2: Give employees what they want and need. Don’t just assume that each and every one of your
employees has all the tools, training, and support from supervisors they need –check in with them personally
and find out.
Step 3:  Communicate well and often. Training sessions, memos, newsletters, FAQs, and regular meetings
can all be used to present your vision to your employees. Make sure to ask questions, and if they are confused,
redesign the way the information reaches them.
Perhaps the most important part of a good manager’s job is communicating effectively. Creating a culture of
communication in which managers and employees share common goals and work together to meet them can
boost a company up and even save it from the gutter.
Goodman and Truss, in the Journal of Change Management (2004), stressed the importance of
communication, especially in difficult times or during times of change. Timing is critical in letting employees
know about upcoming changes, in order to reduce uncertainty.  You also need to be very clear about your
purpose when you meet with them. Goodman and Truss recommend the following objectives:

 Obtain individual buy-in

 Obtain commitment to the change
 Minimize resistance
 Reduce personal anxiety
 Ensure clarity of objectives
 Share information/vision
 Challenge the status quo
 Obtain clarity
 Minimize uncertainty
tep 4:  Get everyone engaged. Figure out a way to get all of your employees engaged in planning and
decision-making. That way the project becomes their baby: something they’re willing to fight for.
To do this, whenever possible, ask for input and use their ideas.  This way, they have a vested interest in
seeing the project succeed.  This can not only empower and motivate employees, it can also lead to new and
more productive ways of working that normally would be overlooked during more stable times.

Step 5: Coach for success, and practice random acts of kindness. Feedback is another great motivator.
Don’t wait for the periodic reviews; instead, offer feedback as often as possible. Positive feedback should be
given right away, to encourage more of the same performance. Negative feedback should also be given
a.s.a.p., so that workers have the opportunity to self-correct. If you can, schedule weekly meetings with
individual employees, to provide an opportunity to discuss ongoing projects and issues. These meetings don’t
have to take a lot of time, and they can build strong working relationships.
And don’t forget to say “Thank you!” for a job well done.  It’s a powerful motivator, and should be done often–in
person if possible. Publicly acknowledging your employees’ contributions is even better. In a survey by
McKinsey Quarterly in 2009, praise from immediate supervisors and attention from company leaders were
found to be just as important or more important than financial rewards.

Step 6: Act fairly, respect, and create trust (don’t be a jerk). Use your judgment, wisdom, and experience to
create a supportive environment.  When problems arise, examine the circumstances, understand the context,
and only then pass judgment.  Respect and trust your team and you will get the same in return.  If you make a
mistake, apologize and admit you were wrong.  This will allow your employees to relate to you better, and they
will appreciate your honesty.
Step 7: Trust and verify, but also try to make work fun. Good bosses pay attention to the big picture and
the details, and care about both the product and the employees. A good way to show that is be involved in the
creation process, and to pay attention to what is going on.  And remember to do this with a smile on your face.
Lighten up! Making work fun really pays off, since people often get a lot more done when they enjoy
themselves.
Step 8: Give special attention to high-potential employees. “Even in a tough economy, high-potential
employees have other opportunities,” according to Douglas Klein, president of Sirota Survey Intelligence.  A
study they conducted showed that during an economic crisis, employees who are anxious about their future
can negatively affect a company. The reason is simple and obvious: they are less engaged in their jobs, and
they may be making plans to leave.
To keep them engaged, consider putting more resources into career development and training.  Or perhaps
you can give them new projects that will help the company adapt to the changing market, grow, and develop.
Step 9: Be creative to avoid downsizing. “An employer that treats its employees as true partners makes
every effort to avoid layoffs,” according to Klein. The key is for employees to trust that management is doing
everything possible to retain them. Voluntary steps to reduce costs, which Klein calls “rings of defense” can be
employed to avert disaster.
This step may look like a shot in the dark, but you’d be surprised how reasonable people can be about pay cuts
and/or working overtime, as part of a crisis strategy, built with their own accord as a safety net during
challenging times. The magic of this approach relies on those few words: built with their own accord.

Step 10: Implement incentive programs.

No matter of what kind of business you are in, you should look into incentive programs. They have been shown
to be highly beneficial in motivating employees, and a major benefit is that the cost can be based on actual
performance and paid out only after an employee has reached the desired goal. “Do good and you’ll get
rewarded” makes a positive impact on the company as a whole, with employees working harder to meet the
target.

What qualities will a person in manager role need to be successful in your company
culture - as an individual and as a worker?

Accounting standard, Sincerity, dedication & commitment, loyalty with a company, Adapt to company
culture and be as a team person are the main qualities for a person to be successful in the company.

What are the one or two things that really drives results for the company?

Effective Resource utilization: Production resources, Service Resources, HR Resources. freedom

. Health,Safety,Welfare of the Entrepreneur, Organisation, and Human Resource by all means.
Strategy, Employees (Efforts, Belief, Involvement, Loyalty, Qualities, ...) , - Quality of Service

Listen to employees. No one is living your company culture more than your employees, so
getting their feedback is vital. Instead of reacting to existing issues in a brash and impulsive way,
use survey data to understand your employees’ current perceptions of the culture. When it comes
to making changes, employees are much more likely to listen and help innovate if they feel
valued and engaged. Take advantage of a wide variety of data sources, such as employee surveys
and focus groups, to truly understand the business mindset. Employees notice when you take the
time to listen to and value their input, which can engage them in the process and excite them
about new possibilities.
Measure and adapt. Creating a strong corporate culture isn’t something you can simply cross
off a to-do list and be done with. Just like individuals, businesses are living, changing
organizations that need constant adjustments as personalities, economies, and practices change.
In order to see real change, you must be constantly adapting and perfecting your ideas and
processes (especially when you want to see that same change agility in your people). One of the
best ways to do this is to have the employees continuously involved through surveys, think tanks,
focus groups, and more. Enerplus found that when they asked employees for feedback,
employees were incredibly creative with their ideas and willing to add to the corporate culture
experience. And don’t be afraid to rethink everything; as Lisa says, “The future of work is ever
evolving and if we do not allow for creativity and innovation, we will continue to be dinosaurs in
our space… we all know what happened to the dinosaurs!” Culture varies for every company, so
keep tinkering and trying new practices until you find what works best for your organization.

TOP 10 QUALITIES OF A PROJECT MANAGER

What qualities are most important for a project leader to be effective? Over the past few years,
the people at ESI International, world leaders in project management training, have looked in to
what makes an effective project leader.

With the unique opportunity to ask some of the most talented project leaders in the world on
their Project Leadership courses ESI have managed to collect a running tally on their responses.
Below are the top 10 in rank order according to frequency listed.

Inspires a Shared Vision

An effective project leader is often described as having a vision of where to go and the ability to
articulate it. Visionaries thrive on change and being able to draw new boundaries. It was once
said that a leader is someone who lifts us up, gives us a reason for being and gives the vision and
spirit to change. Visionary leaders enable people to feel they have a real stake in the project.
They empower people to experience the vision on their own. According to Bennis They offer
people opportunities to create their own vision, to explore what the vision will mean to their jobs
and lives, and to envision their future as part of the vision for the organisation. (Bennis, 1997)

Good Communicator

The ability to communicate with people at all levels is almost always named as the second most
important skill by project managers and team members. Project leadership calls for clear
communication about goals, responsibility, performance, expectations and feedback.

There is a great deal of value placed on openness and directness. The project leader is also the
team's link to the larger organisation. The leader must have the ability to effectively negotiate
and use persuasion when necessary to ensure the success of the team and project. Through
effective communication, project leaders support individual and team achievements by creating
explicit guidelines for accomplishing results and for the career advancement of team members.
Integrity

One of the most important things a project leader must remember is that his or her actions, and
not words, set the modus operandi for the team. Good leadership demands commitment to, and
demonstration of, ethical practices. Creating standards for ethical behaviour for oneself and
living by these standards, as well as rewarding those who exemplify these practices, are
responsibilities of project leaders. Leadership motivated by self-interest does not serve the well
being of the team. Leadership based on integrity represents nothing less than a set of values
others share, behaviour consistent with values and dedication to honesty with self and team
members. In other words the leader "walks the talk" and in the process earns trust.

Enthusiasm

Plain and simple, we don't like leaders who are negative - they bring us down. We want leaders
with enthusiasm, with a bounce in their step, with a can-do attitude. We want to believe that we
are part of an invigorating journey - we want to feel alive. We tend to follow people with a can-
do attitude, not those who give us 200 reasons why something can't be done. Enthusiastic leaders
are committed to their goals and express this commitment through optimism. Leadership
emerges as someone expresses such confident commitment to a project that others want to share
his or her optimistic expectations. Enthusiasm is contagious and effective leaders know it.

Empathy

What is the difference between empathy and sympathy? Although the words are similar, they
are, in fact, mutually exclusive. According to Norman Paul, in sympathy the subject is
principally absorbed in his or her own feelings as they are projected into the object and has little
concern for the reality and validity of the object's special experience. Empathy, on the other
hand, presupposes the existence of the object as a separate individual, entitled to his or her own
feelings, ideas and emotional history (Paul, 1970). As one student so eloquently put it, It's nice
when a project leader acknowledges that we all have a life outside of work.

Competence

Simply put, to enlist in another's cause, we must believe that that person knows what he or she is
doing. Leadership competence does not however necessarily refer to the project leader's
technical abilities in the core technology of the business. As project management continues to be
recognised as a field in and of itself, project leaders will be chosen based on their ability to
successfully lead others rather than on technical expertise, as in the past. Having a winning track
record is the surest way to be considered competent. Expertise in leadership skills is another
dimension in competence. The ability to challenge, inspire, enable, model and encourage must be
demonstrated if leaders are to be seen as capable and competent.

Ability to Delegate Tasks

Trust is an essential element in the relationship of a project leader and his or her team. You
demonstrate your trust in others through your actions - how much you check and control their
work, how much you delegate and how much you allow people to participate. Individuals who
are unable to trust other people often fail as leaders and forever remain little more that micro-
managers, or end up doing all of the work themselves. As one project management student put
it, A good leader is a little lazy. An interesting perspective!

Cool Under Pressure

In a perfect world, projects would be delivered on time, under budget and with no major
problems or obstacles to overcome. But we don't live in a perfect world - projects have problems.
A leader with a hardy attitude will take these problems in stride. When leaders encounter a
stressful event, they consider it interesting, they feel they can influence the outcome and they see
it as an opportunity. Out of the uncertainty and chaos of change, leaders rise up and articulate a
new image of the future that pulls the project together. (Bennis 1997) And remember - never let
them see you sweat.

Team-Building Skills

A team builder can best be defined as a strong person who provides the substance that holds the
team together in common purpose toward the right objective. In order for a team to progress
from a group of strangers to a single cohesive unit, the leader must understand the process and
dynamics required for this transformation. He or she must also know the appropriate leadership
style to use during each stage of team development. The leader must also have an understanding
of the different team players styles and how to capitalise on each at the proper time, for the
problem at hand.

Problem Solving Skills

Although an effective leader is said to share problem-solving responsibilities with the team, we
expect our project leaders to have excellent problem-solving skills themselves. They have
a fresh, creative response to here-and-now opportunities, and not much concern with how others
have performed them.

How do you handle any changes to the project?

How to manage project change?
Change is an inevitable part of a project, so working out in advance how best to handle change
requests will make the whole process much easier
Change control or change management for IT projects is different to managing operational IT
change. It’s the process of managing unplanned but desired influences on the project. It is
important because any change will.

 Need to be analysed for its impact on the project objectives and scope
 Modify your existing plans
 Need to be recorded properly for a complete audit trail

Since change is inevitable, it’s best to be prepared. Here are five steps to consider when that
"change request" turns up on your desk.

1. A request to make a change to the project is received

You want the person suggesting the change to be as specific as possible and to put their request
in writing. If they have any supporting materials, such as quotes for additional IT equipment or
estimates from developers that might help the analysis, ask for those too.

2. Update the change log

The change log in its simplest form is a document where changes and activities to assess changes
are written down. Make a note of this latest request.

3. Assess the priority of the change request

Give the "change request" a priority. Is it critical, important or nice to have? This provides a
sense of urgency for planning the impact analysis. Be guided by the person who raised the
request but use your own common sense. Have clearly defined categories so one person’s
"urgent" is not equivalent to someone else’s "nice to have".

4. Assess the change

As a team, look at the change request. It is helpful to assess all changes against the same criteria.
The purpose of the assessment is to decide whether to approve or reject the change. You should
also consider the impact of the change if it is not done. Sometimes not doing something, such as
applying a software patch, can have more of an impact than doing something.

5. Decide the course of action: approve or reject the change request

Take the decision, and communicate the outcome to the relevant stakeholders and those affected
by the change. Update the change log with the outcome and rationale behind it. If the change is
approved, amend all the appropriate project documents.

Finally, once you have completed all the steps of a change management process, you will need to
delegate the tasks to the right IT resource to get the change made. This could be to developers,
testers, architects or anyone else who is impacted by the work. It’s best to explain the rationale
for the change at the same time instead of just dishing out the tasks. People tend to work more
effectively if they know why they are doing something, so take the time to set the new work in
context and explain the benefits of the change on the IT solution overall.
 What is a Fishbone diagram and when to use it?
 
Ans. Fishbone Diagram or Ishikawa Diagram is a visualisation tool to understand potential
causes of a problem to identify its root causes. It is used usually in brainstorming sessions so that
the team’s conversation is focussed on the actual problem and not stray away towards only the
symptoms.

The 5 Goals of a Project Manager

These goals are generic to all industries and all types of projects. Regardless of your level of
experience in project management, set these 5 goals for every project you manage.
Goal 1: To finish on time
This is the oldest but trickiest goal in the book. It’s the most difficult because the requirements
often change during the project and the schedule was probably optimistic in the first place.
To succeed, you need to manage your scope very carefully. Implement a change control process
so that any changes to the scope are properly managed.
Always keep your plan up to date, recording actual vs. planned progress. Identify any deviations
from plan and fix them quickly.
Goal 2:  To finish under budget
To make sure that your project costs don’t spiral, you need to set a project budget at the start to
compare against. Include in this budget, all of the types of project costs that will accrue, whether
they are to do with people, equipment, suppliers or materials. Then work out how much each
task in your plan is going to cost to complete and track any deviations from this plan.
Make sure that if you over-spend on some tasks, that you under-spend on others. In this way, you
can control your spend and deliver under  budget.
Goal 3:  To meet the requirements
The goal here is to meet the requirements that were set for the project at the start. Whether the
requirements were to install a new IT system, build a bridge or implement new processes, your
project needs to produce solutions which meet these requirements 100%.
Ensure that you have a detailed enough set of requirements at the beginning. If they are
ambiguous in any way, then what was initially seen as a small piece of work could become huge,
taking up valuable time and resources to complete.
Goal 4:  To keep customers happy
You could finish your project on time, under budget and have met 100% of the requirements—
but still have unhappy customers. This is usually because their expectations have changed since
the project started and have not been properly managed.
To ensure that your project sponsor, customer and other stakeholders are happy at the end of
your project, you need to manage their expectations carefully. Make sure you always keep them
properly informed of progress. “Keep it real” by giving them a crystal clear view of progress to
date. Let them voice their concerns or ideas regularly. Tell them upfront when you can’t deliver
on time, or when a change needs to be made. Openness and honesty are always the best tools for
setting customer expectations.
Goal 5:  To ensure a happy team
If you can do all of this with a happy team, then you’ll be more than willing to do it all again for
the next project. And that’s how your staff will feel also. Staff satisfaction is critical to your
project’s success.
So keep your team happy by rewarding and recognizing them for their successes. Assign them work that
complements their strengths and conduct team building exercises to boost morale. With a happy
motivated team, you can achieve anything!