Program Manager Q & A

1. Why do you want to be a program manager?

I love being a program manager as it means I get to connect new ideas with ways to use them in the real world. This job lets me combine my love of technology and management activities with my desire to work with stakeholders from different backgrounds in diverse teams.

Being a part of interrelated projects from the beginning to the end and seeing how they improve people's lives is something that really motivates me. 

I'm also very interested in this role because it gives me the chance to learn, develop, and solve complex problems while building a collaborative and supportive work environment. As a program manager, I really believe I can make a small difference in the industry and beyond.

As I have over 3 years of experience in this role already, I, therefore, know being a program manager is the ideal fit for me, and a role I have much passion for. If you hire me, I will bring my enthusiasm, knowledge, and determination to your company for many years to come.

2. Tell me about the biggest challenge you faced as a Program Manager.

SITUATION 1: One instance comes straight to mind that happened during my last role as a Program Manager, where I had to recover a core project that was behind schedule.

The pressure was high from stakeholders, and morale on the team was low as we had lost a few key team members young on during the project.

TASK: I knew I had to get everyone on the same page and give them a sense of direction.

ACTION: So, I called a team meeting, listened to what they had to say,

and acknowledged the problems and concerns everyone had. I also made sure to ask everyone for their input on how they felt they could best contribute to the project.

SITUATION 2: One instance comes straight to mind that happened during my last role as a Program Manager, where after the project kick start meeting the project manager walked out of the project due the technical solution provided was wrong and he felt that we can't deliver the project.

The pressure was high from senior management within organization. 

TASK: I knew I had to get everyone on the same page and give them a revised solution and plan.

ACTION: So, I called Technical Architect and Project Lead who worked on the proposal revised the technical architecture with approval of management that we will start the project with 2 weeks of delay. After a week we projected new approach to client and got approval. Based on new approach we revised the project plan and re-started the project. By adding couple of senior developers during the development and we managed to deliver the project as per the schedule.

It thought me that any problem can be solved with right attitude, positive leadership skills and a good team.

3. What makes a great Program Manager?

Understand the vision of the program clearly

Have great communication skill

Are problem solvers and optimizers

Focuses on fast execution

Are leaders who influences and motivates the team/management

Are highly organized

 

One of the most important skills of a Program Manager is that they must be leaders who give their teams the chance to shine. A good Program Manager knows how important it is to strike a balance between deadlines, resources, and priorities while keeping the work environment positive. They hold everything together and motivate others to do their best work.

5. Describe a time when you introduced a new process for your team that you knew would be unpopular. How did you go about rolling out this process?

SITUATION: In my previous role, I planned on introducing a new process to improve the way our team working on Change. I knew it might not be a popular change at first, as some members of the team were quite set in their ways.

TASK: However, I made it my task to implement the Change Review Board (CRB) consists of Project Managers, Technical Lead and QA Lead within the program from different project process as effectively as possible with everyone onboard as I knew it would benefit the team in the long.

run.

ACTION: I started with a team meeting where I listened to their concerns, pointed out the possible problems, and explained why the change was being made.

RESULT: We were able to get through the transition by communicating openly, providing ongoing support, and showing the value of the new process. Eventually, the team embraced the new process, which paid off in the long run.

When given a development roadmap, how would you identify and address risk?

As a program manager, I would look at the roadmap with curiosity and excitement.

First, I'd work with the development team to figure out how complicated the project is and where it could potentially go wrong. Together, we would think of possible risks, such as technical problems or a lack of resources. Then I'd put them in order of impact and likelihood.

To deal with risks, I'd encourage my team members to talk freely about their worries and ideas. We'd make backup plans, set up regular checkpoints to see how things were going, and keep an eye out for any new risks.

My main goal would be to come up with creative solutions and give the team the tools it needs to face problems head-on. From my experience, being proactive and fostering a culture that is positive and aware of risks would help us stay on track and finish the project successfully.

Tell me about a program you were involved in that was failing to deliver the expected results and how you overcame the challenges?

• Defining the problem
• Finding the reasons
• Generating ideas for solutions
• Selecting the best solution
• Taking action
• Implementing and monitoring solutions
• Learning and Continuous improvement

How would you deal with a difficult team member as Technical Program Manager?

Assess the situation: Understand the bigger picture and get to the root of the problem

Communicate effectively: Listen first, provide specific examples, and ask open-ended questions

Collaborate on a plan: Develop an action plan and make the employee part of the solution

Provide coaching and support: Offer constructive feedback and additional training if needed

What is the program management lifecycle?

• Program Definition
• Project initiation
• Project planning
• Project execution
• Project monitoring and control
• Project closure

Talk me through the initial steps you would follow when starting a new program?

• Find out what the problem is. ...
• Find out who the stakeholders are. ...
• Think about what resources and skills you have available. ...
• Research which interventions are effective. ...
• Choose your goal and how to measure it. ...
• Identify which activities are likely to lead to the goal. ...
• Create the documentation.

What steps would you take as the Program Manager to monitor the performance of the projects ?

• Keep a project on track
• Ensure deadlines and standards are met
• Identify problems and risks before they occur
• Ensure work is completed on time, on budget, and according to project requirements and standards
• Make sure work doesn't go beyond the initial project scope

What steps would you take as the Program Manager to make sure teams under your control?

• Setting clear goals
• Providing regular feedback
• Delegating tasks
• Ensuring balance within the team
• Fostering a culture of collaboration
• Valuing each suggestion
• Overseeing performance
• Adjusting workload as needed
• Seeing issues and resolving them before they become problems