What do you do to ensure a project doesn't go off track? If it does, how do you fix it?
Explain to the interviewer what tools and techniques you might use to monitor a project's progress. Begin with proactive methods such as establishing a strong communication plan, or nailing down a clear scope agreement. Next, describe methods you use when a project is in flight. Finally, discuss your go-to tools for getting a project back on track when unexpected challenges arise.
"Most importantly, when a project begins I spend time determining the extent of its scope. This allows me to easily identify and avoid scope creep later on, which helps to keep a project on track. Once the project's objectives have been clearly stated and individual goals/expectations created, I use an online project management program to record, track, and share all of this information. I also include benchmarks, which assist me in seeing how the project is progressing. All of these elements work together to ensure that my project stays on track and if it starts to veer off course I quickly become aware of that and can work to resolve the problem."
One of a project manager's biggest responsibilities is to make sure that projects stay on track to meet their deadlines. Your interviewer knows projects are easily knocked off course and wants to learn more about how you plan for success and handle progress concerns during a project.
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Anonymous Answer
I have had the unfortunate experience of having several projects "go off the track" earlier in my career and can confidently say it is easier to prevent that occurrence than it is to fix it. I have found that with proper planning, change management practices, and regular status checks to compare our target vs actual, utilizing software to track tasks, and regular in-person status meetings I can anticipate issues and problems that have the potential to cause a project to go sideways well in advance. Once a project does go sideways the utmost importance is getting back to green which requires an action plan to remediate the issue and incorporate steps to prevent this issue(s) from occurring again.
Amanda's Feedback
Good! You've focused more on what you do to ensure a project stays on track or how you fix it rather than the actual problem. Keeping the focus on the positive action is important for a question like this. If possible, illustrate how you put these safeguards or solutions into practice by talking about a specific time when your safeguards helped you anticipate and mitigate a big problem early on or how you were able to salvage a project with a clear action plan. Anytime you can provide a real-world example that illustrates your ability to use your skills it gives your answer more impact, making you a more memorable candidate.
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