MGMT_6352_B01: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

Posted: January 20th, 2023

MGMT_6352_B01: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
Source Interviewee Assignment Questions
1.What is the most important thing a project manager does?A project manager is a person who has the overall responsibility for the successful initiation, planning, design, execution, monitoring, controlling and closure of a project.

Have you ever had a project that did not meet the deadline or budget?Last month, I missed a project deadline for an important client. (Task) I missed this deadline because I underestimated the need for support staff on the project. Despite working overtime, I missed the deadline by three days. (Action) When I realized that the deadline was fast approaching, I called the client and apologized. I took full accountability for the inconvenience and provided a new timeline that I could meet. (Result) I met the second deadline that I promised the client, and they were impressed with my transparent and honest attitude throughout the process.”

What does a typical relationship with your project sponsor look like?Negotiate funding for the project and be a spokesperson to the senior management. Provide direction and guidance for project empowerment, key business strategies and project initiatives. … Evaluate the project’s success on completion.

What was your most successful project? The most successful project was to create an advisor portal our client could use to manage customers’ assets. I had an internal kickoff where I worked with my team to develop a reasonable timeline, budget and detailed steps we would take to complete the portal. Afterward, we had a meeting with the client.

What sort of project management tools do you use?“I have primarily used Microsoft Project in the past, but my last organization used Basecamp, which was great for team collaboration. Each stakeholder was able to add ideas to the online board and select the best to address the issue or challenge at hand. I also use Trello for managing the team’s time and assign tasks.”

What escalation paths do you use?“If I have the resources, knowledge and time to solve a problem with my immediate team, that is my first course of action. If I feel the issue involves a sensitive matter, requires high-level approval or I simply need additional input on my decided course of action, it is important for me to work with my sponsor on solving the issue. No matter the problem, I feel it is always best for the team and for my own professional development to use every resource available to get as far as I can in solving the issue before bringing in others.

What project management methods do you use?“Since I have worked primarily in the software industry, I have found the Agile method works best for my projects. With Agile, I can create shorter delivery cycles so the client can see my team’s work and give us constructive feedback. It creates a more collaborative environment where I can work to create goals with my team based on their feedback.”

How do you deal with scope creep?“Scope creep is one thing that I watch for daily. I once had a massive project that included building an entire website, plus applications that would work on all phone and tablet operating systems. We needed to deliver everything in a year, and it was a multimillion-dollar project.”

How do you handle team conflicts?“I always encourage my team to try to resolve conflicts on their own first. Letting my teamwork things out together helps them build up their relationships and improves their communication. Sometimes it is necessary for me to intervene.”

How do you handle underperforming team members?“There was a time when my integration developer was having a hard time extracting data from a client website. I tried to give him time to work on a solution, but eventually, we started missing deadlines. I scheduled a meeting with him so we could discuss what was going on. Since I am not an expert developer, I had one of our senior integration developers join us. Instead of doing the part herself, the senior member helped my developer work out a plan to extract the data so he could learn the process. He ended up completing the task the next day and never had issues with it again.”
What was your last project like? “Overall, my last project was a success in that the client was happy with the product, but we had a setback. One of my key team members had an unexpected illness and had to take an extended leave of absence, which led to us almost missing our deadline. I learned that I should always have an alternate plan that includes re-delegating the tasks of any team members who cannot complete them to make sure we complete the project on time and in full.”