When have you had to change a major component of your project due to new information being presented?
Being able to swivel the focus of your project is a necessary skill for your success in most careers. Talk to the interviewer about a time when a significant change occurred on a project. How did you handle the implementation of the new information?
"I had a large project last month that was nearly complete when the client called to say that the dimensions provided were incorrect. Because of this, our team had to re-do the entire proposal. It took us an additional four days of work but, in the end, the client was delighted with our work, and it resulted in new opportunities with them."
"I had worked with a VP in the company, the CEO, and a member of the board to craft a strategic national roll-out plan that included which companies and pitches I would be responsible for, and what they would handle. Two months later, after working on the strategy each week as a collaborative team, I was informed that we were putting a pause on the project until further notice. The executives thought the company wasn't ready for such big clients yet, so instead, I had to scale the national roll-out back to be a local market strategy. After the initial sting and frustration of pulling out of the project, I was able to use that same framework to plan local market roll-outs in several major cities effectively. It proved to be a good learning experience, overall."
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Anonymous Answer
H battery example: The project is about implementing a battery into the grid. Initially, the executive made a decision not to have the generator participate in the energy market, so the entire project team, which I lead modeled the generator based on that decision. However, after we join the market, the executives changed their minds and want that battery to participate in the market, which requires significant changes in the modeling, which will impact several other stakeholders. I immediately called for a meeting, communicated the updates and the potential change of the work scope. I then worked with the leads of each working group to reassess the additional workload and worked with the California ISO to understand our options. It turned out that the deadline will be missed if we were to proceed with the new approach. I presented the pros and cons of each option and Given the online date of the generator, I suggested we continue with the current approach and switch to work on a new approach shortly after the generator is online. The senior management agreed to my suggestions.
Amanda's Feedback
Wonderful! Your example illustrates your ability to navigate ambiguity, handle significant change, and maintain project momentum while managing multiple stakeholders.
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