Course 1- Foundation of Project Management qUIZ aNSWERS
Week 2: Becoming an Effective Project Manager
Google project management: Professional Certificate
Coursera Answers & Study Guide
Becoming an Effective Project Manager INTRODUCTION
Project management is a key component of any successful organization. Becoming an effective project manager requires specialized knowledge and skills, which can be acquired through formal education or training.
Google’s Professional Certificate in Project Management provides certification in fundamental principles that enable individuals to become more proficient project managers. In contrast, Coursera’s courses provide comprehensive coverage of the various aspects of project management. These courses focus on the core topics such as understanding project management concepts, managing risk and change, communication planning, scheduling and budgeting, and resource management.
Through these courses, participants will learn the essential skills to become an effective project manager.
Learning Objectives
- Detail the core skills to be a successful project manager.
- Describe the role and day-to-day responsibilities of a project manager.
- Discuss when and why it is necessary to have a project manager.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE: LEARNING MORE ABOUT PROJECT MANAGER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Fill in the blank: _____ is how a project manager makes use of productivity tools and creates processes. The project manager may need to use certain tools and processes to do tasks like create a schedule and share information.
- Removing unforeseen barriers
- Planning and organizing (CORRECT)
- Managing tasks
- Budgeting and controlling costs
Correct: Planning and organizing is how you will make use of productivity tools and processes.
2. Fill in the blank: _____ is how a project manager keeps track of the team’s workload, ensures that things are getting done within a set period of time, and demonstrates progress to people outside the immediate team, like stakeholders.
- Removing unforeseen barriers
- Budgeting and controlling costs
- Managing tasks (CORRECT)
- Planning and organizing
By managing tasks, project managers will ensure the activities to complete the project are getting done by team members.
3. Fill in the blank: _____ is how a project manager oversees the financial components of a project and mitigates project issues and risks as they come up.
- Managing tasks
- Budgeting and controlling costs (CORRECT)
- Planning and organizing
- Removing unforeseen barriers
Correct: Project managers are in charge of overseeing the resources a team needs to complete a project and how much it will cost.
4. Fill in the blank: A cross-functional project team is a team that has _____.
- similar skill sets and works toward a common goal
- diverse skill sets and works toward a common goal (CORRECT)
- similar skill sets and works toward individual goals
- diverse skill sets and works toward individual goals
Correct: It’s helpful if your team has members with different skills and experiences. This diversity will make your team more likely to overcome multiple challenges.
5. How do project managers use prioritization to add value to their team?
- They give out tasks to those with the most seniority.
- They please project sponsors by going under budget.
- They determine which tasks are the most critical to the success of the project. (CORRECT)
Correct: After identifying tasks and breaking them down into smaller steps, project managers prioritize these tasks by speaking with their teams and with stakeholders to gather information and make a plan.
6. How do project managers use delegation to add value to their team?
- They match tasks to whoever asks first
- They match tasks to those who can best complete the work
- They match tasks to those who can get them done the fastest (CORRECT)
- Project managers match tasks based upon the skills and strengths of their team members.
7. Which day-to-day responsibility of a project manager includes maintaining timelines and schedules to track project completion?
- Planning and organizing (CORRECT)
- Budgeting and controlling costs
- Delegating tasks
Correct: As a project manager, you will use timelines and schedules to ensure your team completes the project on time.
8. What is the project manager responsible for on a team?
- Serves as the technical expert on every aspect of the project
- Oversees each team member’s work as their day-to-day boss
- Guides the team and makes sure they have the support that they need (CORRECT)
- Completes tasks that are essential to the project
Correct: Project managers are responsible for guiding the team. To do that well, they need to ensure that the team has the support they need to complete the project.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE: ACQUIRING THE CORE SKILLS OF A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT MANAGER
1. Which of the following is true of project managers’ experience? Select all that apply.
- They need to have a lot of technical knowledge about the project
- They need to know every single detail about the project at all times
- They need to be an expert in the project’s field
- They need to be familiar with project management tools. (CORRECT)
- They need to know how to manage a budget. (CORRECT)
- They need to have a lot of experience within the organization running the project
Correct: If budget management is part of operating a project, it’s helpful to have this experience prior to starting. Remember, operating a personal budget is experience!
Correct: While it’s possible to learn how to use project management tools (such as a spreadsheet or digital calendar) during a project, it’s helpful for project managers to understand the tools prior to starting a project.
2. Which skill should a project manager use when dealing with change and ambiguity?
- Effective organizational skills
- Flexibility (CORRECT)
- Enabling decision-making
- Escalating risks.
Correct: When dealing with change and ambiguity, a project manager needs to be flexible. This skill allows them to adapt and overcome challenges.
3. Using tools such as a digital calendar and a spreadsheet to track team tasks is evidence of what project management skill?
- Communicating and escalating
- Flexibility
- Effective organizational skills (CORRECT)
- Enabling decision-making
Correct: As a project manager, you will use several processes, such as tracking daily tasks and sending frequent status updates to complete your project.
4. Which of the following flexible planning strategies can help a project manager during times of unpredictability? Select all that apply.
- Assess external constraints. (CORRECT)
- Rely on the knowledge of key stakeholders rather than trusting the expertise of team members.
- Plan for risks and challenges. (CORRECT)
- Calculate float in the schedule. (CORRECT)
- Leaving extra time in the schedule for external events such as vacations and holidays can help minimize the impact to the project.
Correct: When project managers consider the risks that may occur, they may be able to find solutions for them in advance. Project managers should review past projects and examine the challenges they faced. Then they should evaluate if similar challenges could occur in this project and prepare accordingly.
5. Which interpersonal skill helps a project manager get to know their teammates and figure out what pushes them to do their best work?
- Understanding motivations
- Communication
- Negotiation
- Conflict mediation (CORRECT)
Correct : Successful project managers should get to know their teammates. This is important for learning how team members work best, how they prefer to receive feedback, and even how to share praise.
RECAP OF THE MOST VALUABLE INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
Interpersonal skills:
Enabling decision making: The ability to enable decision making on the team, or gather decisions from the appropriate leader is crucial to keep projects on task and achieve their goals. As a project manager, you will need to enable decisions frequently.
Communicating and escalating: As a project manager, you’ll use your communication skills in just about everything you do. And you need to know when it is appropriate to escalate, so that critical issues are raised and addressed as soon as possible to reduce negative impact on a project.
Remaining flexible: As a project manager, knowing how to be flexible when changes are needed is key. Plans will change — even with careful, upfront planning. As a project manager being flexible is critical to be able to course correct and adapt when the unexpected happens.
Organizational Skills: Having strong organizational skills means having the ability to organize the core elements of a project and ensure nothing gets lost or overlooked. A project manager needs to be organized so that they can manage a project and all of its moving parts.
Negotiation: As a project manager, you’ll have to know how to balance the needs of your teammates with the needs of the project. For example, if a teammate says they can’t complete their work on time, you may need to compromise on a deadline.
Conflict mediation: Resolving tension and conflict within a team is an important skill. This may involve setting up a meeting with two teammates that are struggling to agree upon the best way to handle a shared task.
Understanding motivations: Getting to know your teammates and figuring out what pushes them to their best work is an effective skill to have. Understanding motivations also involves understanding how your teammates prefer to receive feedback.
GOOGLE PROJECT MANAGEMENT COURSERA ANSWERS AND STUDY GUIDE
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Weekly Breakdown | Google Study Guides | Back to Top
Foundation of Project Management WEEKLY CHALLENGE 2
1. Suppose that as a project manager, you speak with stakeholders to determine which tasks the team should complete first. What project management value does this represent?
- Effective communication
- Delegation (CORRECT)
- Optimism
- Prioritization
2. When budgeting a project, what is the responsibility of a project manager?
- Controlling costs to ensure more money isn’t spent than what key stakeholders approved (CORRECT)
- Using a productivity tool to share information across the team
- Creating a schedule so team members know when their task should be complete
- Setting a period of time for a team member to complete an activity
3. As a project manager, you choose the best project management methodology for your team and ensure they adhere to it throughout the project. What project management responsibility does this represent?
- Help teammates adopt the right workflows and project management styles. (CORRECT)
- Ensure that issues and risks are tracked and visible.
- Hold all team members accountable for their assigned tasks.
- Collaborate with other teams at the organization.
4. What is an example of measuring progress for a cross-functional team?
- Setting up effective tools so the team can easily work together
- Learning what makes team members feel supported and giving positive feedback
- Defining key items and encouraging team members to ask questions
- Recording milestones and documenting when tasks are completed (CORRECT)
5. You’re a project manager on a team that is improving a product. How can you enable your teammates to make decisions?
- Limit communication with stakeholders to avoid their input until product launch.
- Provide data and feedback about how customers interact with the product. (CORRECT)
- Require teammates to include stakeholders during brainstorming sessions.
- Keep the task schedule vague and allow flexibility on deadlines.
6. As a project manager, you learn that the stakeholders are changing the nature of the project and the team’s deliverables will change as a result. You aren’t sure how this will affect the team’s tasks. How will you handle this ambiguity and deliver the news to the team?
- Tell them you’re upset with the changes and you didn’t make the decision
- Tell them there’s nothing you can do because the stakeholders fund the project
- Tell them the vague updates from stakeholders so they know all the information that you do
- Tell them you care about the challenges they are facing and are there to support them (CORRECT)
7. Suppose you have two teammates who disagree on the best way to complete a task. Which interpersonal skill can you use to help them resolve their disagreement?
- Conflict mediation (CORRECT)
- Negotiation
- Positive attitude
- Understanding motivations
8. As a project manager impacting an organization, you want to break down barriers to help your team succeed. Which of the following would a project manager do to break down barriers?
- Keep the project within the budget approved by leadership.
- Encourage stakeholders to provide feedback on new product features.
- Write clear goals for the project in the project’s documentation.
- Provide support for the team as they try new approaches to find solutions. (CORRECT)
9. Fill in the blank: In project management, a _____ is a person or an organization that defines the project requirements. They also may set important guidelines, such as the budget and deadlines.
- teammate
- competitor
- customer (CORRECT)
- vendor
10. Fill in the blank: _____ is when a project manager supports each individual on their team to meet expectations and exceed their own sense of personal potential.
- Communicating
- Planning
- Promoting
- Mentoring (CORRECT)
Correct: Project managers work in many industries. The skills project managers learn in one industry can be applied in others. Project managers tackle a variety of projects from start to finish.
11. Which of the following is true of an effective project manager in an organization?
- Must know all of the specific details of the project
- Have the necessary skills, knowledge, tools, and techniques for the project (CORRECT)
- Have had a previous role in the organization sponsoring the project
- Have personally met the project’s stakeholders
Correct: Project management helps ensure that a project delivers the expected outcomes, both on time and within budget. This takes collaboration and careful planning.
12. As a project manager, you direct the activities your team needs to accomplish within a set period of time. You also control the team’s workload to ensure the activities are getting done on time. Which project management responsibility does this represent?
- Managing tasks (CORRECT)
- Managing the budget
- Utilizing productivity tools
- Removing unforeseen barriers
13. As a project manager, you establish “escalation paths.” These allow you to quickly communicate task hindrances, also called roadblocks, to the right people. When escalating a roadblock, you document it and make sure everyone that needs to know is aware of the challenge. What project management responsibility does this represent?
- Ensure that issues and risks are tracked and visible. (CORRECT)
- Help teammates adopt the right workflows and project management styles.
- Hold all team members accountable for their assigned tasks.
- Collaborate with other teams at the organization
14. What can a project manager do to recognize individuals’ efforts on a team?
- Define key items and encourage team members to ask questions.
- Learn what makes team members feel supported and provide positive feedback. (CORRECT)
- Ensure team members have the correct skill sets for each project function.
- Set up effective tools so the team can easily work together.
15. You’re a project manager on a team that is improving a product. How can you enable your teammates to make decisions?
- Keep the task schedule vague and allow flexibility on deadlines.
- Provide data and feedback about how customers interact with the product. (CORRECT)
- Limit communication with stakeholders to avoid their input until product launch.
- Require teammates to include stakeholders during brainstorming sessions.
16. A project manager forgets to assess how national holidays and team member vacations will affect the project’s completion date. Now, because of team member time off, the project delivery will be two weeks late. What flexible planning strategy could the project manager have used to avoid the delay?
- Use collaboration tools
- Enable decision-making
- Escalate to stakeholders
- Assessing external constraints (CORRECT)
17. Suppose that unless a teammate receives additional resources, they are going to complete an activity past a deadline. You know that the stakeholders are reluctant to provide additional resources. Which interpersonal skill can you use to strike a middle ground between both the teammate’s and stakeholders’ needs?
- Negotiation (CORRECT)
- Conflict mediation
- Understanding motivations
- Positive attitude
18. As a project manager impacting an organization, you want to effectively manage the project. Which of the following would a project manager do to effectively manage the project? Select all that apply.
- Frequently communicate the larger project goal to the team. (CORRECT)
- Understand the impact of each process within the project. (CORRECT)
- Check in with the team as little as possible to increase productivity.
- Change the project end goal to meet the needs of project tasks.
19. Fill in the blank: In project management, a _____ is a person or an organization that defines the project requirements. They also may set important guidelines, such as the budget and deadlines. 1 / 1 point
- teammate
- customer (CORRECT)
- vendor
- competitor
20. Fill in the blank: _____ is when a project manager supports each individual on their team to meet expectations and exceed their own sense of personal potential.
- Mentoring (CORRECT)
- Planning
- Communicating
- Promoting
21. Which of the following is necessary to be an effective project manager?
- You must have been in the project’s industry for at least two years.
- You must know all of the technical details of a project before starting.
- You must trust team members on the technical aspects of a project. (CORRECT)
- You must have a college degree in management.
22. As a project manager, you learn that the stakeholders are changing the nature of the project and the team’s deliverables will change as a result. You aren’t sure how this will affect the team’s tasks. How will you handle this ambiguity and deliver the news to the team?
- Tell them you’re upset with the changes and you didn’t make the decision
- Tell them you care about the challenges they are facing and are there to support them (CORRECT)
- Tell them the vague updates from stakeholders so they know all the information that you do
- Tell them there’s nothing you can do because the stakeholders fund the project.
23. As a project manager impacting an organization, you want to build a great team. Which of the following would a project manager do to build a great team? Select all that apply.
- Allow the team members to have input and ask questions. (CORRECT)
- Address the team’s needs whenever it’s most convenient for the project manager’s schedule.
- Take the time to understand each team member’s motivations, strengths, and weaknesses.
- Understand the customer’s requirements to better shape the skills needed for the team. (CORRECT)
Becoming an Effective Project Manager CONCLUSION
In conclusion, a project manager is responsible for the planning, execution, and delivery of a project. They work with their team to ensure that all tasks are completed on time and within budget. A successful project manager has strong communication and interpersonal skills, as well as experience in managing projects from start to finish.
Project management is a critical role in any organization, and those who are successful in this field can add immense value to their teams and organizations.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to become a successful project manager, be sure to check out our course on Coursera.org. Join now and learn everything you need to know about becoming a top-notch project manager.
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