For this particular assignment I chose to interview a friend, and role model of mine. His name is Tomas John Sullivan who has a strong background as a project manager. Tomas, hereafter refer to as Tom, has worked for companies such as Springer Miller Systems, which is a computer software company. His track record shows skill diversity that includes project management, front office manager, customer service, and employee development.
1. What is the first thing you do when you prepare to start a project? The first thing I do is to take a look at the agenda. Verify if I have the strongest experience and knowledge to handle every aspect of the operation. In the event that I do not, I would immediately reach out to my network channels.
2. Along those lines, how do you start accessing that network? I would outline what I needed to have done in advance. The very next step is to contact the department I knew I was going to get feedback from because I find that if I talk to this party in advance I would get all the information, and assistance needed for the project.
3. Do you delegate responsibility? Absolutely, one of the things that I dealt with in the past was peer training as part of the project. Delegating responsibility would provide trainees with on-the-job experience but you have to give very detailed instructions. This just one example though.
4. Did you manage your own deadlines or did you have set deadlines most of the time? If you did how did you meet them? We had customer deadlines, which is what I always shoot for. However, I had my own deadlines to ensure I exceeded expectations which, I accomplished 98% of the time.
5. Do you always have a back up plan and how does it work? You always have to have a back up plan. Every project is different but the one thing they all have in common is that instructions, specifications, and in the case of software configurations, can change at anytime. You just have to be prepared for anything.
6. Are budgets something you deal with? Most of the projects I handled had a set budget so I did not have to negotiate. However, sometimes budgets can be tight and this is when you go back to the client to reevaluate.
7. How do you accomplish goals through people? You provide feedback; give positive criticism by using positive words. You also make sure they know they will get credit for their contribution to the project.
8. What do you think makes a good project manager? To me it’s very simple; a good project manager is someone who does not make assumptions. A good manager researches, evaluates, and communicates.
This was a very interesting journey for me. I have always enjoyed learning from people’s experiences. This is where the must current information is. I would like to thank Tomas John Sullivan for his valuable contribution to my project.
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