How to Answer: How do you facilitate the success of your teams?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Project Manager job interview.
42. How do you facilitate the success of your teams?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
As the person in charge of the project and all the teams who are making it happen, you need to be someone who can motivate and manage others. The interviewer wants to know how you do this.
Written by Karrie Day on April 26th, 2023
How to Answer
Discuss how you've supported and led teams before and consider framing your response linearly. Walking your interviewer through your approach step-by-step will demonstrate your project management and communication skills at the same time.
For example, you could describe how you facilitate success through the various stages of team development (forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning). Alternatively. you could describe the actions you take to lead and support your team during the phases of the projects you work on (i.e. discovery, approval, analysis, design, development, implementation, support).
Written by Karrie Day on April 26th, 2023
Answer Example
"I am a natural leader who loves to inspire and support others. I always start a project by assembling strong teams that are filled with hard workers who are passionate and smart. From there, I can easily recognize the various stages a team moves through as I've witnessed it many times now.
First, they experience 'forming' when they start to learn about each other. Then, there tends to be 'storming' when conflict arises between team members as they realize they have differing opinions about things. My role at this point is to encourage them to hear each other out and be respectful. Next, comes the 'norming' stage as they begin to accept each other and truly work as a team.
My favorite is the 'performing' stage, which is when my team begins to function like a well-oiled piece of machinery - many parts all working toward one goal! It's always kind of sad when we get to the end of the project (the 'adjourning' stage), and they move on to other projects and responsibilities. But throughout the entirety of the project, I listen, remind, offer encouragement, guide, and help resolve conflicts so we all together reach our final project goal."
Written by Karrie Day on April 26th, 2023
About the Author
I began my professional career as an IT Business Systems Analyst. I enjoyed the role, but I knew early on that I wanted to explore project management after moving through the analyst ranks. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to partner with several talented project managers while I was working to grow my own skill set. I learned a lot from them about how to approach strategic planning, communication, conflict resolution, and how to motivate various personality types to perform their best under pressure. I learned even more from their failures.
It was clear that project management was as much an art as a science, and I eventually got my shot at taking everything I had observed over the years and blending it into my own style for steering projects and programs successfully. While project management was not my ultimate career goal, I greatly value my time managing projects. I have utilized the skills I worked to refine in project management in every position I have held since. For example, I use the communication, strategic thinking, and tactical planning skills I regularly leaned on as a project manager each time I work with one of my coaching clients.
Whether working as a project manager is a career goal of yours, or you fell into it through circumstance, you’re in good company. Over 16 million professionals claim the title of project manager, and project management isn’t going anywhere. In fact, the number of project managers is expected to grow by 7% over the next 8 years according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. According to the Project Management Institute, the global outlook is even more impressive boasting up to 33% growth through 2027. Regardless of the specific location, there will likely b a strong demand for project management skill sets in the years to come.
As a coach and writer for MockQuestions, I want to help you successfully navigate your upcoming interview for a project manager position. While some project manager skills are specific to the industry, location, and types of projects involved, many skills and behavioral traits are universally applicable to project management roles. This article will help any project manager prepare for a successful interview, and I encourage you to check out all of our sets dedicated to project management listed below.
Learn more about Karrie Day