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Avanade Mock Interview

Question 16 of 30 for our Avanade Mock Interview

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Question 16 of 30

What actions do you take when you recognize project deadlines will not be met?

Sometimes, due to confounding factors that are not in control of the project manager or the project team, deadlines for project deliverables are missed. This is not uncommon in project management, but it is important for the project manager to inform project leadership and stakeholders of potential delays as soon as possible, along with information on the cause of the delay, and what the project team is doing to mitigate the situation. Through regular communication, project leadership and stakeholders should already be aware of many of the details of the project, but it is still important for the project manager to provide a thorough explanation of the cause of the delay. The interviewer is asking this question to assess the candidate's ability to articulate how they would respond and react in a situation where they may have to deliver difficult news concerning what may be viewed as a failure in their performance. To appropriately answer this question, the candidate must confidently answer and provide details about how they would immediately respond to a situation where there is a project delay.

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How to Answer: What actions do you take when you recognize project deadlines will not be met?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for an Avanade job interview.

  • 16. What actions do you take when you recognize project deadlines will not be met?

      How to Answer

      Sometimes, due to confounding factors that are not in control of the project manager or the project team, deadlines for project deliverables are missed. This is not uncommon in project management, but it is important for the project manager to inform project leadership and stakeholders of potential delays as soon as possible, along with information on the cause of the delay, and what the project team is doing to mitigate the situation. Through regular communication, project leadership and stakeholders should already be aware of many of the details of the project, but it is still important for the project manager to provide a thorough explanation of the cause of the delay. The interviewer is asking this question to assess the candidate's ability to articulate how they would respond and react in a situation where they may have to deliver difficult news concerning what may be viewed as a failure in their performance. To appropriately answer this question, the candidate must confidently answer and provide details about how they would immediately respond to a situation where there is a project delay.

      Written by Kelly Burlison on February 6th, 2019

      1st Answer Example

      "Unfortunately in project management, delays in project deliverables sometimes happen. I find the best approach to a project delay is immediately notifying project leadership and stakeholders of a potential delay, even if there is a possibility that the team may catch up as the final deadline approaches. I would rather project leadership be aware of a delay than being surprised by one in the end. When communicating a potential delay, which I know can be extremely frustrating for project leaders and stakeholders, I try to provide as much information as I can, so they can understand what is happening, and so they will know that as a project manager, I am doing everything I can to prevent further delays in the project. As project manager at Avanade, I will do everything I can to prevent project delays, but if and when they happen, I will be sure to keep project leaders and stakeholders fully informed of what is going on, so they are aware of the status of their project."

      Written by Kelly Burlison on February 6th, 2019

      2nd Answer Example

      "One of the projects I am managing recently got off schedule, and I had to deliver the frustrating news that the delivery of the final software application will be delayed. While this was not easy news to communicate, it was necessary for me to inform project leadership and stakeholders of the delay, and I did so immediately after we discovered the programming bug that sent the application back to development. In my communication with project leaders and stakeholders, I was sure to provide them as much information as possible, rather than just telling them there was a delay. While project leaders and stakeholders were not happy with the news, they appreciated that I notified them immediately, and that provided such a detailed account of what took place. This is the type of open communication I use in project management, even when I have to deliver what is considered bad news, and I will maintain this type of communication style when managing projects at Avanade."