The project you’re managing has many technical requirements but a primary stakeholder department – customer service – has little understanding of the technical side. Their focus is on resolving customer questions.

How do you move forward when stakeholders disagree?

You chose: "Take it to their supervisors and ask for a decision"

This approach could be helpful if the supervisors know their employees and are adept at building consensus within their teams. Unfortunately, it also allows for bias: the supervisors may be unrealistically optimistic about the project and they may not consider other stakeholders who will be impacted by the decision. Remove the bias by developing a list of pros and cons for each possible sign-off authority and ask the stakeholders to rank the impact on the project.

You chose: "Let the highest-ranking person win"

This approach will probably produce a decision in the least amount of time but does not take the project outcomes into consideration. Keep the focus on project success by developing a list of pros and cons for each possible sign-off authority and ask the stakeholders to rank the impact on the project.

Requirements Gathering

The project you’re managing has many technical requirements but a primary stakeholder department – customer service – has little understanding of the technical side. Their focus is on resolving customer questions. How do you make sure all their needs are incorporated into the requirements document, using language the vendor and the organization will understand?

You chose: "Build the requirements as you go, as they point out problems"

This approach will encourage communication and consensus building but can cause significant delays and cause extra work. Reduce the delays and keep the focus on project scope by taking responsibility for capturing and documenting requirements.

You chose: "Capture and document requirements"

Good job! This puts you in control of requirements collection and lets you implement requirements traceability. You'll be able to make sure the requirements are implemented and tested and then finally deployed. You'll also be able to see if the requirement was not deployed, why it was omitted.

You chose: "Let the vendor decide what requirements to implement"

This could seem like a good idea, because who knows more about how the software is used across your industry than the vendor? It falls short in practice because the vendor won't understand your organization's existing systems and procedures, culture or future goals. Keep the focus on project scope by taking responsibility for capturing and documenting requirements.

SME who is over committed

How do you deal with an SME who is so over committed they can’t deliver on a task – and it’s putting the project at risk?

You chose: "Talk to their manager and see if reprioritization of tasks is possible "

Good job! This is the best choice because it keeps the key deliverable in the hands of the person best able to guarantee success without overburdening them with tasks. It can also be advisable to involve the project sponsor, especially if the SME's immediate supervisor is not on board.

You chose: "Escalate the situation to the project sponsor"

This is a great choice, especially if you're concerned that the SME's immediate supervisor will not be on board. We think it's a good idea to start with the manager before you escalate to the project sponsor, but you'll be the best judge of that. It is best to find a way to keep the key deliverable in the hands of the person best able to guarantee success without overburdening them with tasks.

You chose: Call out the issue in a status meeting

While this does allow for the "team" to be part of solving the problem, it puts an unnecessary and potentially negative spotlight on the over-committed SME. There are two options here: you can involve the project sponsor or talk to the SME's manager to see about reprioritizing their tasks. That keeps the key deliverable in the hands of the person best able to guarantee success without overburdening them with tasks.

Working Relationships with Peers

When you delegate tasks to peers and occasionally have to escalate a task assigned to a peer, how do you return to regular working relationship afterward?

You chose: "Have a conversation with the peer about the escalation"

Excellent choice! By taking care to explain that the escalation related to the issue; not the person, you've treated the individual with respect and demonstrated your ability to work well with your team.

You chose: "Sever the relationship entirely"

This would be an extreme reaction to the situation and would not reflect well on you within the organization. The better choice is to have a conversation directly with the peer. Take care to explain that the escalation related to the issue; not the person.

You chose: "Fight it out in the parking lot"

Obviously, this would be an extreme reaction to the situation. The better choice is to have a conversation directly with the peer. Take care to explain that the escalation related to the issue; not the person.

Multitasking

5. How do you multitask? How do you split your time between everyday tasks and the time needed for the project?

You chose: "Deal with whatever demands attention in the moment"

This is one method of keeping the project moving but it does not manage the project effectively. A better choice is to abandon attempts to multitask and find ways to delegate or deprioritize any task that is not part of the project.

You chose: "Use timeboxing to manage tasks, hoping nothing arises that takes you off task"

This will keep the project moving but it does not manage the project effectively. A better choice is to abandon attempts to multitask and find ways to delegate or deprioritize any task that is not part of the project.

You chose: "Acknowledge that effective multitasking is a myth and delegate/deprioritize tasks that are not part of the project"

Great job! The only way to effectively manage a project of any magnitude is to delegate or deprioritize any task that is not part of the project.

You chose: "Do the tasks you enjoy and let the rest slide"

This is one method of keeping the project moving but it does not manage the project effectively. A better choice is to abandon attempts to multitask and find ways to delegate or deprioritize any task that is not part of the project.

The Project Managers of BDM Squared are passionate about continuous process improvement, and that includes improving our own PM skills. We hope this quiz was enlightening for you and offered confirmation of your skills or useful suggestions for better methods of dealing with real world PM issues.