What steps do you take when it becomes clear your team is behind on a project?

Describe the steps you take to assess the risk level of your project and identify the root cause of the associated delay. Then, walk your interviewer through your process for developing a plan to get things back on track and communicate any changes in the overall plan to your team and stakeholders.

"I would first deploy a method to get to the bottom of why we were behind as a team. I have used various root cause analysis methods and frequently lean on the 5 Whys method.

Once I identified the cause of the delay, I would work with my team to develop a strategy to address it. If there were performance issues, I would assign mentors and ask that they spend extra time leading those who need help. If a stakeholder or client was behind on their responsibilities, I would talk with them about the impact of their actions and develop a way forward. These actions usually correct the issue, and my teams get back on track quickly.

If the delay was outside my control, I would be transparent with my client or stakeholder. I would ensure them that the team would work to complete the most valuable pieces of the project on time and determine if there was an opportunity to remove anything unnecessary from the scope. I would also offer relevant updates to the delivery date as needed."