Z130 – Esci 143 – Engineering Management Date Submitted: 1/9/23

Monday&Friday: 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Case Study

Interviewing a Professional: Project Manager

Brian Ezer T. Pelostratos

Charis Capitan

Marlito Bulfa

Kylie Lopez
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………………… 3

Acknowledgment……………………………………………………………………………….. 4

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………….. 5

Interview Questions……………………………………………………………………………. 6

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………… 9

Conclusion 1 (Pelostratos)…………………………………………….......................................9

Conclusion 2 (Lopez) …………………………………………………………………………..10

Conclusion 3 (Capitan) ……………………………………………………………………….. 11

Conclusion 4 (Bulfa) ………………………………………………………………………….. 12

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Abstract

This case study presents insights and experience of a professional worker in his field. The

interviewee is the brother-in-law of one of our group members. The interviewee is a project

manager of PASAR Employees Multi-purpose Cooperative. The case study aims to give ideas

for future engineer managers on what to expect when deployed as part of the workforce. We

decide to interview him because he has the qualifications and standards of a good project

manager. We got learnings and insights through his experiences that impart knowledge to us.

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 Acknowledgment

I am deeply grateful to all the people who have contributed to this case study. I would like to

express my sincere appreciation to our instructor, Engr. Iñigo Ezekiel Cabase , for his guidance

and support throughout the process. I am grateful to my groupmates at Visayas State University

for their valuable input and assistance. I am grateful to Victor Ian Omega for participating in the

interview and giving his insights and knowledge regarding his specific field of work. Lastly, I

am deeply indebted to all of the people who have contributed to this project, and I could not have

completed it without their help.

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Introduction

Victor Ian Omega, a 34-year-old employee, has worked for

the Philippine Association of Smelting and Refining

Corporation (PASAR Corp) for a couple of years as an

engineer manager and is now working at PASAR

Employees Multi-purpose Cooperative (PEMC) as a

project manager. He has 6 years of experience as an

engineer manager at the Philippine Association of

Smelting and Refining Corporation (PASAR Corp) and is currently at PASAR Employees Multi-

purpose Cooperative (PEMC) for 2 years up to present as a project engineer. He has a lot of

responsibilities as a project manager, especially in a labor service company. In addition to

managing the safety, quality, and schedule of his projects, he has also an important role in

effectively communicating with his team and stakeholders to ensure that everyone is on the same

page and working towards the same goals. He also needs to manage resources effectively and

stay within budget. Finally, being proactive and anticipating potential issues or challenges can

help you to minimize risks and ensure the success of your projects.

Providing leadership is also an important aspect of a project manager, he leads and motivates the

project team while resolving conflicts, and making difficult decisions as needed. He also ensures

the safety, quality, and schedule of the projects while making sure that the quality should be

within the standard or higher, and implementation of the project should be within the schedule.

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Interview Questions:

1. Could you explain what your position and your work are?

- As a project manager, I am in charge of the implementation of projects assigned to me. Since

my company is a labor service company, part of my responsibility is to look for projects myself

from different companies. I ensure the safety, quality, and schedule of the projects I handle. All

the necessary controls for the hazards in the work site should be in place and properly

implemented, quality should be within the standard or higher, and implementation of the project

should be within the schedule.

2. How do you manage your team?

- There are a lot of techniques in managing a team and it varies in different situations as well.

But for me, in order to have an easier time doing so, I need to make sure that we have the same

idea and that we understand our individual responsibilities, purpose, goals, and objective to and

of our company and the project we are about to implement.

3. For you, what are the most important skills a leader could have?

- For me, it's to always have the willingness to learn. Having the willingness to learn all aspects

of work and even in life will get you a long way. With continuous learning, you'll always be

more than who you were yesterday.

4. How do you handle conflict on a team?

- By handling the conflict with respect and professionalism like discussing the issue when

emotions are not high and in private if possible.

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5. How do you delegate tasks?

- With proper instructions, guided by the goal and objective of the task.

6. How do you encourage employee development?

- I give recommendations for skill upgrading or even sign release papers if the employee decides

to leave the company for a greener pasture.

7. How do you deliver feedback? And how do you respond to it?

- I deliver feedback with honesty. I am frank so I say the high points and end with the low points,

and sometimes it can be depressing, but knowing your lows will guide you to self-improvement.

I respond to it through actions and improvements in my work ethic.

8. Tell me about a time you had a significant impact on a project

- I was working on a project at that time and my co-project manager was new to the job. So I

helped him out and took some of his load off his shoulders while at the same time coaching him

and sharing the knowledge I have without disrespecting or overstepping as a fellow project

manager.

9. How do you set priorities as a leader?

- Know all the task there is, know task urgencies and assess how needed is the task.

10. How do you organize meetings with your team?

- Set and provide the objectives and agenda of the meeting ahead of time. Set the location, time,

and date of the meeting. Assign someone to take the minutes of the meeting. Record and send

the minutes of the meeting to all participants of the meeting.

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11. How would you characterize your coaching and career development role?

- I treat it as a way of life. To be able to teach, share my knowledge, and help someone succeed

in little ways is rewarding on my part.

12. What was some challenging feedback you received?

- I was told that I don't know how to talk nicely.

13. How do you deal with underperformers on your team?

- Providing constant performance feedback to the team and letting them know what is for

improvement.

14. How do you set up projects for success?

- Get the right people for the job, study the ins and outs of the project, and proper project

management

15. How do you explain engineering concepts to non-technical team members?

- Translate it using layman's terms. Give examples of the concept that are common to everyone.

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Conclusion/Lessons Learned

Pelostratos (Lesson Learned):

I learned that as a project manager, your main responsibilities include planning and

organizing projects, leading and motivating a project team, and communicating with

stakeholders. Effective project planning involves identifying and defining the project goals and

objectives, as well as outlining the tasks and resources needed to complete the project. You will

need to create a project schedule and timeline, and monitor progress to ensure that the project

stays on track. As the leader of the project team, it is your responsibility to motivate and support

team members, as well as manage and resolve conflicts. You should also be able to delegate

tasks and responsibilities effectively. Effective communication is essential for the success of any

project.

I also learned that communication between the team members and other departments within the

organization is important. Overall, the work of a project manager requires strong leadership,

communication, and organizational skills. You should be able to work effectively under tight

deadlines and handle multiple tasks at once.

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Lopez (Lesson Learned):

As expressed, a project manager established a vital role in all aspects in his organization which

includes the leadership skills, good communication skills, his professional experiences, his

knowledge, the time management, and etc. Also, a project manager are the one who's responsible

in resolving conflicts within your organization between you and your people. Good

communication skill in a project manager is important for it focuses on handling people where it

helps to have an effective planning in a company. The project manager may ask an idea to his

people about the project that are about to implement, and with that, both the project engineer and

his people may have same objectives in working the project. Feedbacks are normal when

working with others, considering that you're the project manager, respect and professionalism

must be seen. And as a leader in an organization, you must know your task in dwelling it as well

as your people. Also, you must have the willingness to learn for you to achieve your goals.

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Capitan (Lesson Learned):

A project manager plays a big role in a company. It needs a lot of patience, good leadership

skills, willingess to learn, teach and listen, and hardwork. I learned what are the good qualities

of an engineer manager. A good communication is needed when it comes to handling people.

We must ensure that you and your co-workers shares one goal have the same idea when working.

Having negative feedbacks is normal, as a project manager you should open your mind and listen

to your co-worker to avoid misunderstandings and bad work quality results. Being a responsible

leader is required since you'll deal with people, projects and money. It is also your responsibility

to manage and resolve conflicts. I also learned that your willingness to work will help you

achieve your goals. In conclusion, a project manager handles the flow of a project and deals with

conflicts. That means they are the ones who are given the task to simply be able to put the project

to success. To be a project manager, one should have the ability to rule and a mindset of a leader.

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Bulfa (Lesson Learned):

I learned that a project manager is not only intended to do a specific task but as a whole. You

have your responsibilities to organize, plan, and also to ensure the safety of the team. Being a

project manager is hard because you manage different people. As the leader of the team, it’s your

responsibility to motivate and support the team in order to have better cooperation for the project

and resolve conflict in an effective manner. And also I learned that communication is important

in the team because through communication you can send and receive feedback in order to

improve yourself and the team.

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