The questionnaire for Managers

I was asked recently to take part in filling anonymous questionnaire about Managers. The interview was conducted by a group of university students and I would like to share with you my answers and learn what is your position on them as well.

I would like to share my answers with you.

1. Please describe your job in more detail

Managing projects and ensuring they are successful, considering the time, scope and budget. I have a local team which I coordinate and have daily meetings with, and I also have daily communications with the other Project managers who work on the project.

My job is pretty standard in the project management world. One thing that makes it different is that I am also managing the PRINCE2 processes and Agile Scrum processes in my project and we are doing a custom-tailored development. Which has some challenges and excitements of trying something new, based on the project needs.

2. What is your management credo?

When there is a compromise, nothing is impossible. The “holy grail” of project management is the trio. Time-Cost-Scope. There must be a change process in place, which will ensure that any additional scope is handled by adjusting the other 2 parameters until the project is under control.

3. What was the best management advice you ever received?

Communication is the key. One thing that I love in this job is that I can foresee what could happen in the future and ensure that the right people are aware of this. In many projects, the lack of communication will lead to catastrophic results.

4. What is the best part of your job – what you like to do?

I like the fact that I contribute to the project success. I had been in a project with a chaotic management and as a Senior Software developer I could see how my time was wasted on producing the wrong things because of that. The fact that I can protect the project from such misunderstandings motivates me to do my job, even when I must navigate a difficult corporate political situation(not always).

5. What is the worst part of your job – what you do not like to do?

Communicating with difficult people. If all the people were cooperative and using their common sense, the world will be a better place. But the reality is a little bit different and the only fact is that we can’t change people. At the same time, as a project manager, we can’t just accept unreasonable demands. At this stage you can recognize a novice from an experienced project manager.

The Summary

Many skills are needed to be a good project manager. There are even coupled of certification authorities which govern the skills and the knowledge a project manager should have.

In my opinion the most important skill is to have a good communication skill, to enjoy speaking with people, to have a good presentation skill. Being a Project Manager can be challenging most of the times, because of stakeholders demands. Knowing why you are doing this and liking what you do can really help you do the right thing.

Do you agree with what I just wrote?

How would you answer those questions?