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Five Smart Interview Questions When Hiring A Project Manager

Written by Paul Oppong on . Posted in Articles. 3 Comments on Five Smart Interview Questions When Hiring A Project Manager

With so many expectations, a project manager is such a prominent position.

The never-ending demands and grind make it a critical designation that not everyone is cut out for. It requires preparedness, execution, accountability, and leadership ability.
That’s why choosing the right candidate for the job is an inherently complex task with no easy solutions. Even an hour-long screening interview can prove redundant if there is no surprise factor and candidates feed canned answers to your repetitive questions. They need to be challenged. In an ideal world, you would love to observe how each of these candidates perform in the workplace in the face of a tough situation. Regretfully we don’t have that option, but you can resort to something that seems to work well in most situations.

You need to ask hard interview questions to identify the right professional for your next project. Questions that help you draw their personalities out – while you carefully listen to what they have to say, and how they say it. Questions they can’t rehearse for – thereby making the entire process challenging, rather than just another box-ticking exercise. With that in mind, here is a list of five smart interview questions that will help you select the best candidate for the position of a project manager. Some of these questions are sure to trip people up.

Question #1: If we provide you with a new project, what will be your approach to manage it, and how would you present results?

On the surface, it seems like a simple question. However, what works here is this – It’s a process-based question. So as an interviewer, you get to venture inside their brain, giving you a quick peek into the kind of work culture they’ve experienced in the past. This is probably the best way to understand the blueprint of their ideal approach, which can help you assess whether they would blend with your organization.
The second part of the question referring to the “presentation of results,” helps you understand how they would handle a standard project delivery. You also get to know about their presentation style and the perceived involvement of different team members in the process. In a nutshell, this is the perfect open-ended question to understand a candidate’s personality, work style, team management attributes, and their most typical approach to fresh challenges.

Question #2 – What if we assign you a complex project that is already running behind schedule? How would you manage it and bring it back on track?

This question tests their creativity and how well they can formulate a hypothesis. Just try and understand how they plan to maintain the level of quality without creating any undue pressure on other team members. Notice whether the candidate is willing to negotiate for more time or resources with the upper management.
Not all PMs are created equal. So, if you don’t like one specific approach or the way someone handled this imaginary problem, you are welcome to move on.

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Question #3 – What’s the nature of the communication style with your team members?

Here’s a cold hard fact. PM’s that communicate well with their team members achieve far more than the rest. The nature of this question would help you understand whether they are aware of the importance of communication mechanisms and how that affects their team members. This is a prime indicator of how they would be able to manage the difficult conversations as and when the situation arises. If you don’t get a satisfying response, it’s quite likely that candidate would fail to deliver in the real world as well.

Question #4 – Share your experience of when you were responsible for training others on any one aspect of project management.

They say great leaders and great trainers have a lot in common with each other. That’s not entirely difficult to understand since good project managers are also known to be the big picture thinkers that influence major decisions in an organization. Holding such an influential position, most PMs become great communicators. That’s why the art of training, coaching, or mentoring should come naturally to them. If the candidates share an experience where they were in the position to coach one of their team members, take it as a positive signal. This means they’re good at guiding other team members to success (as compared to a one-dimensional PM, known for giving orders.)

Question #5 – If you’re allowed to design a dream job, what would you choose as general metrics to determine if a project is on track?

We know that managing a project involves far too many moving parts and variables. This question allows you to listen to how they would design the ideal metrics and judge their ability to delegate, organize, and manage assets in a hypothetical situation. This is an excellent way to judge one’s domain knowledge and skills, as well. Don’t forget to analyse whether their answer is based on the in-depth understanding of the domain and what metrics they choose to ignore because that will reveal their experience and knowledge of the industry.

Summary

Given that hiring, training, and coaching employees are such a time-consuming process, asking these carefully devised questions can help you decide the best fit for your organization. Obviously, there is no right, wrong, or inappropriate answer to these questions. However, it gives you a fair idea of what a candidate wants from the position.

Here’s a bonus tip. Don’t forget to reverse the table and allow time in the end for candidates to ask you questions. This is a great way to understand what matters to them. Their own words will also help you decipher whether they have the correct mindset to succeed as a project manager in your organization. The basic idea is to create a challenging interview environment where candidates can showcase their business acumen along with the soft skills needed for the job.

Differentiating Differences that Make a Difference

Written by Robin Goldsmith on . Posted in Articles. 9 Comments on Differentiating Differences that Make a Difference

Perhaps you’ve noticed that a lot of people write, speak, train, and consult about Business Analysis (BA).

The number involved grows quickly when we also include those dealing with systems analysis (SA), requirements analysis (RA), requirements engineering (RE), requirements management (RM), and whatever related two-letter acronyms you no doubt could add.

For the most part, each of these probably represents different names for the same thing. Yet, presumably those claiming one term versus another think theirs is somehow different from the others—in some important way that truly makes a difference. Ironically, if indeed there are differences among these terms, they are hard to tell because there are no agreed-upon definitions that actually differentiate among them.

In fact, it gets worse. Thus, one partisan is convinced their term represents a particular characteristic; whereas someone else feels equally strongly that that characteristic represents their different term; and each is unaware of the other’s perception. Stepping back a bit should make evident how silly it all is; but of course, nobody sees folly in something dear to him/herself. It’s not limited to BA, nor is it new. Centuries ago, satirist Jonathan Swift made light of similar silliness in the classic Gulliver’s Travels.

Yet, such perceived differences actually are of great consequence to lots of people. Whether real or imagined, material or superficial, presumed differentiations often are taken very seriously and can have enormous economic and professional impacts. Consider, for example, how picking just the right terms for ads, titles, and web sites affects sales of books, training, and consulting.

Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to

Now that we say it out loud, it’s fairly easy to recognize some of the significant consequences when similar things are called by different names and when different things are called by the same names. Yet, few are aware that in the U.S. and Canada, the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) and its various certifications predominate, whereas in Europe, the International Requirements Engineering Board (IREB) holds similar status. Each is convinced of their unique niche, but darned if I can see the difference. And, yes, a couple of other contenders further muddy the waters.

Where It Really Matters

In the final analysis, whether you call it RE, BA, or BS is superficial form and matters mainly to the handful of brand promoters like IREB and IIBA. However, difficulties differentiating content substance can have a much less evident, but unfortunately far greater and more insidious direct and indirect impacts.

We’re familiar with the physical science concept of inertia, wherein a body in motion tends to stay in motion and a body at rest tends to stay at rest. However, inertia also pertains to thinking. It’s very hard to overcome entrenched ideas, and institutions often create obstacles to further impede challenges to their vested ways of thinking. Establishing and defending a brand takes advantage of such inertia.

We still regularly see news reports of those in power, or seeking power, torturing and murdering people whose ideas are deemed to threaten the establishment/brand—just as they’ve done for dozens of centuries. Yet, once-heretical ideas can become mainstream, often though only after extended sacrifice by initial adopters.

While not happening to the same draconian extent in the BA community, nonetheless both conscious and unconscious forces continually curtail ideas that are counter to brands’ favored conventional BA wisdom. BA has become big business, relying largely on brands to sell products and services. Though probably not apparent to consumers, promoters quite consciously guard BA brands behind the scenes through economic, social, and legal pressures against their few generally easily-identified competitors.

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Unconscious Content Confusion

In contrast, content confusion directly affects a somewhat larger but still small group of BA authors and trainers like me. More importantly, though, content confusion can indirectly affect the full BA community by suppressing innovation and awareness of different and potentially better ideas. Content confusion is especially prevalent because it’s seldom recognized or conscious.

Stories of intrigue often advise “following the money.” In BA, money mainly comes from training, consulting, and publishing. Overwhelmingly, buyers choose which BA products and services to buy based on brief titles and descriptions. Not surprisingly, most BA courses and books have similar names. A search for a particular BA topic keyword on Google or even a training vendor’s website implies all displayed courses/books have comparable content.

Indeed, many BA products’ content essentially is interchangeable. Sometimes that’s intended, such as for courses/books to prepare one to pass a particular certification exam. More often it’s unintended, typically occurring because most authors/trainers simply repeat what they’ve learned from other authors/trainers. That’s not my content.

Better-known authors join to institutionalize their repeated content in various BA brands’ bodies of knowledge. Consequently, I find competing brands’ content virtually indistinguishable except for stylistic variations and a few consciously coined signature terms. Most brands avoid confronting competing brands directly, I’d say somewhat cynically because they can’t convincingly describe let alone set apart their differences.

Different authors/trainers do vary in how they present their common content, which presumably makes one product more interesting or informative than others. Over time, popularity and search engine rank should reflect superior products. However, inertia and promotion also affect product perceptions. Since few buyers look past the first page or even first item of a search, prominent item position is mainly what’s reinforced.

Moreover, titles and keywords that buyers think to look for are unlikely to reveal products that have different or innovative ideas content. Even the brief descriptions of similar-sounding products often cannot convey meaningful content differences.

Buyers sometimes rely on sales representatives to explain respective products’ pros and cons. With perhaps 1000+ titles for sale in their catalog, sales reps cannot actually be familiar with more than a few, and may not truly understand them, let alone how their content differs or why it matters. Not surprisingly, sales reps usually stick with pushing the same popular products, sometimes at the expense of possibly preferable ones.

Confusion’s Catch 22

Indeed, parts of my courses and writing are like what others also say. It would be foolish not to gain guidance from colleagues and other experts. However, mostly what’s the same is general concepts and techniques. On the other hand, my work is differentiated by key central models and methods which I developed personally over many years performing real projects of business significance for leading organizations.

Certainly, many people have project experience and maybe even have innovated; but I’ve seen few who critically understand what they’ve done and even fewer who can extend it to benefit others. Besides having a propensity for trying to figure out how and why things work, I’ve been fortunate to build perspective from encountering similar situations several times and having the occasion of creating courses to analyze and translate them into meaningful models and methods others can use to advantage.

For example, my BA work focuses on discovering what I call REAL business requirements, which are very different in ways that make important differences from the “requirements” most authors, trainers, and brands focus on.

Yet, few buyers, sales representatives, or even other BA authors/trainers recognize that my courses/writings (including also Proactive Testing™, REAL ROI™, and Beyond the Textbook™ acquisition) differ from most others, let alone understand the differences or appreciate why my materials are so much more valuable. Differences in titles and descriptions just don’t register with someone until after they’ve learned about my approaches; and they won’t learn about my approaches because the differences don’t register with them. Explanations like this are so important for building awareness.

REAL Business Requirements

Other authors, trainers, and bodies of knowledge do use the term “business requirements,” almost always to mean objectives and purposes/desired value. In contrast, REAL Business Requirements are business deliverable whats that when satisfied achieve objectives and thereby provide value. That’s a real difference.

REAL Business Requirements deliverable whats are satisfied by some product/system/software, whose product requirements/features are ways how presumably to satisfy the whats. Other authors, trainers, and bodies of knowledge focus almost entirely on product/system/software requirements hows, which do not themselves provide value.

Creep, changes to requirements after they supposedly have been settled, is a major cause of project overruns. Conventional wisdom is that creep is caused by requirements, meaning product requirements, which are not sufficiently clear or testable. Testability is largely a function of clarity.

While clarity and testability are important, much of creep occurs because the product requirements, regardless how clear and testable they are, fail to satisfy the REAL business requirements, mainly because the REAL business requirements have not been defined adequately, in turn because conventional wisdom mistakenly thinks that product requirements are THE requirements.

Thus, the key to reducing creep is first to discover the REAL business requirements deliverable whats that provide value when satisfied. Then, define the requirements/features of a product/system/software way how to satisfy the whats.

Traditional BA courses and writings don’t teach this because their authors don’t know it. When I present these ideas to a group of practicing business analysts, about half seem to have aha moments and make comments like, “Now I understand why I’ve been having requirements problems all these years.”

Ironically, many BA guru authors/trainers don’t seem able to understand the differences. Some folks would say it’s because they have a vested financial interest in the traditional model focused on product requirements that they sell. I think it’s more likely their mindsets are so firmly established that they cannot mentally accept something fundamentally different. I think that’s their loss, and more importantly also the BA community’s loss.

In addition to explanations like this to create awareness my courses do differ, I’ll more consistently include hopefully differentiating terms in course titles, such as REAL business requirements, and explain their important differences in course descriptions.

Project Intelligence (PQ) – Components of skills development for effective project management

Written by Mark Romanelli on . Posted in Articles. 5 Comments on Project Intelligence (PQ) – Components of skills development for effective project management

How much is enough? How much is too much?

Project management is, among other things, a quest for efficiency. That quest should extend to the amount of project management knowledge, skill, and ability for the job and task at hand.
Projects come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of complexity. That’s part of why project management certification and training is available in different levels. While knowledge is a great thing, seeking out the highest level isn’t always the ideal direction to pursue. PM skills should be a means to an ends, not the ends themselves. Not every project needs to have a leader with PMP or Master Black Belt credentials. Acquiring skills that a person doesn’t have the opportunity to use and practice them is most likely going to result in those skills to become rusty and forgotten, to the point of being useless. Selecting the right tools for the job starts with knowing and understanding what level of expertise is needed for the type of project work one plans to do.

The term “intelligence” is often thrown around and added to various topics in order to create a deeper understanding of underlying components; emotional intelligence and cultural intelligence are two examples. The same convention fits here when discussing the components of skills development necessary for identifying the right levels for effective project management. Welcome to the concept of Project Intelligence.

Project Intelligence (PQ) in this context is a framework for identifying and acquiring the right abilities for project management as part of an overall, complimentary skill set in your professional tool box. It can be thought of as a four-step process for acquiring the amount of project management skill for a particular position. It starts with examining the situation and concludes with putting a right-sized repertoire of abilities into action.

Developing PQ involves the examination and consideration of the following components:

  1. Drive
  2. Depth
  3. Development
  4. Deployment

Drive

PQ drive involves asking and answering the question of why someone wants or needs to develop project management skills. Presumably, it’s because they plan to work on projects. But what is the motivation, or ‘drive’ to it? Is this person going to occasionally work on projects as a member of a cross-functional team? Will they need to act as project managers regularly as a part of their job? It can also be the case that someone needs to be able to show project management knowledge in order to be eligible for their next promotion. What drives a person to acquire PM skills can be as diverse as the various types of projects we can think of. That drive will also directly influence the types of skills necessary to achieve their project management goals.

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Depth

A little, or a lot? How much project management knowledge is the right amount to satisfy the needs corresponding to the motivation? This is the question of depth. Determining the depth of knowledge required for project management can be compared to selecting the right set of tools for the job.
In this step, an individuals need to determine the type of knowledge that they need and how much of it is necessary. This way, they can focus their efforts on learning what they need to know. For example, the person occasionally working as a team member of cross-functional project teams will need to know the basics of the methodology they will be working in. Key concepts like deliverables, success criteria, sprints, and documentation procedures are what will help this individual the most. The regular project manager will need more extensive knowledge of the methodology, as well as details for team coordination and procedure implementation. The person interested in acquiring PM skills for their next promotion might want to consider CAPM or Yellow-Belt certification to document and demonstrate their knowledge.

Development

PQ development means learning. Once a person knows what project management skills they need, the next step is to go out and get them. With the necessary skill set identified, an individual can find the training to acquire those skills. This is the development step in the process, where an individual goes out and develops the project management competencies they identify for the depth of skill they require.
Once of the great things about the field of project management is the vast availability of resources for education and training. Of course higher qualifications and official certifications have specific and strict requirements, but for most types of education and training, there are options available for various needs, budgets, and schedules. Where there’s a will, there are usually a number of different ways.

Deployment

With the new project management skills learned and developed, it’s time to put them into practice. Theoretical knowledge that can’t be used is nothing more than useless information. In the deployment stage, individuals can take their newly acquired knowledge back to their professional settings and put them to use. This means managing project, working on project teams, overseeing project portfolios, or any other activities where the new project management skills will be useful and beneficial.
Also important in the deployment stage is to look out for repetitive opportunities. These are chances for people to use their project management skills again, and again, and again – pausing in between each time to look for chances to improve. Every new endeavour is an opportunity to learn and progress, but only if we take the time to use it.

Developing the right level of project intelligence is a dynamic process. As work environments are constantly changing with new challenges and situations, it’s important to regularly revisit and reassess the types of skills you need. By focusing on the immediate and near-future requirements, a person has the chance to learn not only the skills they need for the moment, but the skills they will actually have the opportunity to use, practice, and master. So when the time comes to move further up the ladder once again, they will have a strong foundation to start from before taking the next step.

5 Team-Building Activities to Enhance Employee Performance

Written by Harry Conley on . Posted in Articles. 4 Comments on 5 Team-Building Activities to Enhance Employee Performance

In searching for effective measures to boost employee and team performance, team-building activities have proven to be divisive.

 

Some see the inherent value in such exercises, but others see them as expensive folly, resulting in a jolly social outing but little more. Like anything else, value lies in the team-building activity being suitable and well-organized. With that in mind, here are five team-building themes that should really help to advance staff output.

Get out and get active

The value of getting active far exceeds the limits of improved work productivity. No matter what your line of work, getting up and getting out will take your employees out of their familiar everyday surroundings, and also take many out of their regular work comfort zones. Popular activities here include nature walks, orienteering sessions, or a regular sporting event such as softball or bowling. Whatever the activity, make any objective inclusive and team-oriented instead of competitive, which can have detrimental results. If you see that the activity is proving a particular struggle for one or more of your staff, then mix it up or build in elements which enhance the group dynamic.

“The key here is to really identify the challenges your employees face on a daily basis, and select an activity that mirrors those challenges and seeks effective means to overcome them. The more the employees can connect the exercise to their daily task, the more value will be added,” states Bianca Larsen, a team leader at Last Minute Writing and Writinity.

Cultural appreciation

First, a warning. Anything that actively involves breaking down social and cultural barriers contains an element of inherent danger, so think carefully before you proceed. Yet on the other hand, the rewards here are tangible. The idea is to create situations which actively encourage staff to highlight their differences, be that culturally, or even regarding their likes and dislikes. An example here would be a food party where all employees bring a typical dish from their family, or a dress down day where employees are encouraged to wear something traditional from their culture.

“The secret here is to unlock the invisible barriers that exist in all situations where there are groups of people from different backgrounds. Build trust and understanding, actively promote cultural appreciation, and the group dynamic will instantly respond, sending performance into a different stratosphere in most cases,” adds Harry Hughes, a business writer at Draft Beyond and Researchpapersuk.

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Get talking

Communication is a key element to any successful team, be that on the sports field or in the office. A team that has failed to unlock its potential is a team that doesn’t communicate effectively. So, what can be done to rectify this wrong? Get your staff talking, but not as they normally would. Take them out of their normal environment and out of their comfort zones by debating a number of diverse and eclectic subjects. Ideas here could include a debate-team scenario, or even a discussion where individuals must support standpoints they normally wouldn’t. It would perhaps be mindful to avoid the normal conflict areas of religion and politics, but even these subjects are not off limits if you trust your staff to be constructive in voicing their opinions. Just ensure everyone gets their say, and that opinions are always sought, not just delivered.

Have some fun

A vitally important element to team-building activities is having some fun. If the activity proves to be otherwise, you will quickly lose the buy-in from the key stakeholders – in this case your employees. There are countless fun activities that can be initiated for the purpose, from fancy dress parties to ‘escape’ scenarios where the team must work together to escape a locked room, for example. Activities which involve constructing something or creating something tangible are always worthwhile and enjoyable, while cooking something together which can then be shared is always a winner. The reality is that if your staff are not enjoying the experience, they won’t want to be there, and if they don’t want to be there, they won’t engage. Engagement in what they are doing is crucial to any activity: something that should always be applied in the office as well as out.

Get quizzing

This is a firm favorite going back many years. People, on average, just love pointless trivia, so setting up a regular staff quiz night in a relaxed environment can be a sure winner when looking to enhance staff morale and productivity. Just be sure to mix up the questions and the teams, and in general steer clear of talking shop, although a cheeky work-based round can have its merits too. Be careful not to overly stoke the competition, but keep the eye firmly on the aspect of fun, and this can be an enjoyable and rewarding exercise.

About the Author

Content Editor Harry Conley is a man of many talents. As well as his work for LuckyAssignments and GumEssays, he is involved in the development of training and workflow activities to enhance the ability of writers, always seeking to unlock potential along the way. Another string to his bow is his interest in the provision of supplementary materials and instructional support for contributors.

Is Certification Worth It?

Written by Aayush Sharma on . Posted in Articles. 2 Comments on Is Certification Worth It?

There has been a constant debate in the professional world that is certification worth it or not?

Let me add my two cents on this very interesting topic, which might help you to decide to go for your dream certification or not.

Birth Of Professional Certifications

The professional market realized that the skill set which they required for their specific jobs were not being met by the educational institutions (colleges and universities) all across the globe because of different course structures and learning objectives. A standard body of knowledge that was applicable to many different industries did not exist.

Organizations were looking for a standard in that two people from different parts of the world will be aware of same concepts, terminology, tools, and techniques. When hiring for the role of project manager, organizations wanted individuals with the same core skill sets and wanted assurance those core skill sets were verified or tested.

This led to the birth of different professional certifications and professional bodies which offer these certifications. Organizations began using these certifications as criteria for hiring.

Certification: A Money Making Model Or Continued Education?

I hear this lot of time that why do we have to renew our certifications in every few years by paying the professional body. Is it just a money making model? I do understand the resistance to paying for renewing a certification you did long back every 5 years.

The Body of Knowledge for the profession, with techniques, and required skills are enhanced year over year through project management research and the ever-changing environments in which companies operate. A good example fo this is the “Cloud.” This concept of storing data and applications outside of the company wasn’t something that existed 10 years ago. Utilization of “Cloud” computing takes a different set of skills and techniques to deliver a project successfully. Enhancements to existing areas of knowledge are also expected as the career of Project Management change and evolve.

The reason is most of these professional bodies which offer these certifications are nonprofits. They need to have a revenue model to provide you with free webinars, free journals, and free e- journals access throughout. Certification Bodies focus on keeping it as a continued education model where you are always updated with the most recent topics of that particular certification. The sad part is most of the people access their website only when they have to renew.

Certifications Cannot Beat Experience But Can Add Value

Experience is certainly very important, and there is no replacement for experience. You will need some experience prior to obtaining Certification. Another viewpoint is that in this constantly changing environment techniques, tools, and methodologies get obsolete quickly. Recent research has indicated that techniques used just 3 years ago are no longer used because they are no longer considered effective in the organization.

Experience helps but keeping yourself updated with the professional certifications is very helpful in maintaining your “street cred.” Greater value is achieved by combining your experience with newer and more innovative techniques. Certification shows you understand the core skills required for the role and continuing education allows you to keep your core skill sets current and sharp.

Certifications Are Marketing Gimmicks

In this competitive era where recruiter spends less than 45 seconds on screening a resume, there needs to be something that catches their attention and force them to make a cold call to you for the dream opportunity you have been waiting for a very long time. Certifications solve this purpose and make you stand out from your contemporaries. Apart from this, it shows the recruiter/employer that you are passionate about this particular field and you are trying your best to stay updated and conquer that field.

Gaining certification shows a strong commitment to your career. You are showing you are dedicated to your career by going through the certification process and being successful. Your knowledge and experience are verified as part of the certification process. Organizations value the certification because if demonstrates not only your commitment but your experience to the Project Management career.

Certifications For New Hire Screening

Most jobs have prerequisites for certifications. For example PMP for Project Managers, CBAP for BA lead and CSM for Scrum Masters and CSPO for Product Owners. A lot of contractual positions also need their consultants to be certified by renowned professional bodies. All these encourage the job seekers to polish their skills with the in-demand certifications. The organization by requesting a certification is demonstrating its desire to acquire top rated and high successful individuals in their career areas.

With that said, certification is the not the final word in obtaining the right candidate. Even with certification, the individual might not be good a good fit due to personality. Additionally being certified isn’t a guarantee the individual will be successful in their role. Hiring managers still need to review references and past projects to ensure the the candidate is a good fit for the organization.

Certifications are great assets to have in the current era. It separates you from the crowd and helps you get more opportunities which lead to the realization of your dreams and goals. It helps to show your determination and commitment towards a specific area of study. It keeps you updated with the latest trends in that specific area of study, and you are aware of the best practices which make you a good pick for an opportunity than others. Certifications act as important milestones in your professional journey.

Go ahead and pursue the certification you are passionate about because it will help you to chase your dreams and dreams do come true.