In the a blog post early this week, Interview Questions and Answers on Project Management, I listed several questions that I have been asked on project management. I thought I would finish up the week with the rest of questions from the interview. Hope you enjoy!
What part of this project most appeals to you? I enjoy working with businesses that have a business model and scaling them. I can add value to this project. I have worked with several consulting companies, mostly in the Quality fields. I understand training and the nuances of having successful practices. Please review my website, business901.com, and I believe you will see my interest.
What challenging part of this job are you most experienced in? I have experience in combining core business strengths into a brand strategy. I recommend reviewing my eBook on this page, https://business901.com/implementation/lean-scale-up/.
Why do you think you are a good fit for this particular project? I have started and scaled several small businesses in my career and add a degree of practical experience that few can match. You may find a few smarter, and you will find a few with large company experience. However, you will find few with as diverse of a background in a small business as myself. I have started a company with 2 -file cabinets and took it to 5 million in three years. Took another company from 3 million to 12 million. I have worked with consultants, e-commerce platforms and opened up a retail store which my wife which we ran for 7 years. A lot of people can tell you what and how to do it. I believe that you need to “do it” and adjust to what you learn.
Do you have any project management experience? I am highly proficient in building workflows, information products and project plans. My project management experience stems from website construction, newsletter delivery to Design and Operate management of multimillion dollar asphalt plants. I know how to construct, manage and complete projects. I have owned and managed companies from a distance and started companies with less than a file cabinet. I am a hands-on, walk the floor type person and enjoy understanding processes, people and what makes it all tick. I feel just as comfortable on the shop floor as I do a boardroom. I enjoy collaboration, teamwork and gain satisfaction on achieving mutual buy-in on projects and problems.
I have built project plans in the creative environment and experienced with Microsoft Project, Scrum, Kanban, Agile and many other project methodologies and packages. I have training in Lean and Six Sigma that enhances my ability to understand, coordinate and improve workflows and project plans
Which part of this project do you think will take the most time? In convincing someone, the strategy is to listen to the marketplace versus pushing content to the market place. When organizations reach out for marketing assistance they are really looking for sales and conversions. So, focusing on this first is important but very tactical in nature. If sound strategies have been already developed and we can expand on improving them, we are fine. However, if the strategies have not worked, new ones will be needed, and as a result, new tactics. It boils down to what is the current state?
Do you have suggestions to make this project run successfully? I use a project board that assists in making the project very transparent. Also, I recommend that each of us visit the board and comment daily or have a brief conversation daily. When looking at project I view it this way:
- Daily Meeting: Tactical (What roadblocks do I have?)
- Weekly Meeting Tactical (What resources do I need and will I have so we can prioritize the work based on what can be done versus what I would like to do)
- Monthly Meeting Strategic: Here is where we align and adjust strategy as needed. (At the beginning, we will need to be more strategic, but I encourage even startups to focus more on doing and learning rather than creating.)
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