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RED SAGSkills
hardProject Manager interview question

You join a program where every report is green, but you suspect it is in serious trouble. How do you find the truth and what do you do next?

What the interviewer wants to hear

  • Gather objective evidence: milestones, burnup, earned value, defects, demos
  • Talk privately to team members and stakeholders
  • Look at critical path and dependencies, not just status colours
  • Present findings honestly to the sponsor with options
  • Build a recovery plan and new baseline
  • Change the reporting culture so bad news is safe

Model answer

First I would look for objective evidence instead of status colours: milestone dates actually hit, burnup or earned value trends, open defects, test results and whether working increments have been demoed. I would check the critical path and key dependencies. In parallel, I would have private one-to-one conversations with team leads, testers and key users, because people often know the real situation but feel unsafe saying it. Once I had a clear picture, I would present it to the sponsor quickly and honestly, with facts, the likely impact and options such as reducing scope, adding capacity or moving the date. With agreement, I would create a recovery plan and new baseline through change control. Finally, I would change how status is reported, using clear criteria and evidence, and I would thank people publicly when they raise problems early, so green really means green.

Can you answer it under time pressure?

Take a timed hard round and get scored on every answer.

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