Interview with a Project Manager (part 4)

(based on real interview; names changed for privacy)

Jane Doe has been a project manager for over 15 years. She joined Ford Motor Company in Monroe, Michigan about two years ago. She manages a staff of project planners, and is very good at smoothing things over when political issues tend to get in the way of projects.

“The most successful project is one that employs all project management theories from the ground up to project completion. This includes critical path methods which allow project managers to use 'what if' techniques to expedite the project completion.

The reality is that not everyone uses project management theories to their full capabilities. Most project managers use the maintenance and tracking aspect of project management successfully to know where the project is at any given time. This enables management reporting functions on a routine basis.

Project management functions provide organization to projects. As with anything else, organization provides a catalyst for project completion.”