In your opinion, what are the most prominent signs that a project is off track?

"Through my years of experience, the biggest tell-tale sign a project is off track is when very simple deadlines or timelines are missed, or tasks are completed with poor quality. When a team begins to cut corners, it's a sign that they are having struggles on a more critical part of the project. It could mean that methodology steps are being skipped over to recover time elsewhere. Morale issues are another significant give-away. As a project manager, I put a lot of effort into gaining buy-in from my teams. If I begin to hear complaints regarding overtime, project scope, or the overall vision, I see these as symptoms of a larger issue. If I fail to assess these situations quickly, they can send a project off track in no time."

"From the knowledge gained while earning my master's in healthcare project management, I believe there are a handful of indicators that a project is running off track. These include team troubles with morale, missing simple deadlines, or communication hiccups that should have never been an issue. Also, if any disagreement begins between stakeholders - no matter how small - this could signify the project vision not being completely defined or understood. Can you share with me the top indicators that your teams look for when suspecting a hiccup in a project?"

You want to avoid not having a prepared answer to this question. The interviewer wants to see that you can see the signs a project is running off course and take appropriate measures to rectify the problem. If you cannot give an example of how you determine a project is off track, the interviewer may think you are unprepared to handle this position.