Hey, again! Let's get back into it.

In this video, we'll define a project, define project

management, and explain its value to an organization. Let's start by defining exactly what
a project is.

A project, is a unique endeavor, and usually includes a set of unique deliverables. It's
also a temporary pursuit

. It has a defined beginning and an end. To put it another way, a project is a series of tasks
that need to be completed to reach a desired outcome. Reaching that desired outcome
takes collaboration and careful planning that keeps the project on track and on budget.
That's where project management comes in. Project m

anagement is critical to the success of projects both big and small. Let's break it down into
the what, the why, and the how. What is project management? Why is project
management an important part of an organization? How is it vital to a project's success?

What is project management?

As I mentioned, project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and

techniques to meet the project requirements and achieve the desired outcome.

Why is project management an important part of an organization?

Project management is valuable to businesses because it helps ensure that a project

delivers the expected outcomes, both on time and within budget.

To demonstrate what I mean I'll take you through a real-life example of project
management. Imagine a school district signs a deal with a telehealth company to make
sure students don't have to miss school for simple health issues, like fevers or headaches.
The deal will be completed by the end of the school year. The students can now interact
with the doctor through a tablet, smartphone, or a computer, while they're at school.
Implementing this technology into the school's procedures is the project. It's got a clear
outcome and start and end date. So, how is that project managed? Well, this project has
several tasks, and each one has to be carefully planned out and tracked, or managed, in
order for the project to be completed. For example, to start you can organize training
sessions for faculty to get them better acquainted with the technology, policies, and
procedures. You can budget for tablets, computers, and other vital equipment to facilitate
the virtual checkups. You can maintain strong communication with doctors, the telehealth
company, and school staff members and so much more. To successfully launch the
product in the schools all of those things need to get done. That is project management.
Seems pretty important to an organization's success, right? More and more companies are
starting to understand how project management can save them lots of money and time.
Poor project management can lead to trillions of wasted dollars every year for
organizations around the world. More specifically, poor project management can lead to
48 percent of projects missing delivery dates, 43 percent missing budget targets, and 31
percent failing to meet an organization's goals. As a company that serves so many
different purposes in communities, it's no surprise that project management's a huge part
of Google. But here, many of our project managers are described as "program managers,"
because they manage multiple projects for specific products, teams, or programs. There
are thousands of people here with the job of keeping projects and programs running
smoothly. People like me. I'm a responsible innovation program manager. My team is
responsible for ensuring that the technology we produce, the research we pursue, and the
publications we put out are all done with Google's artificial intelligence principles in mind.
I review the processes for each of these types of technologies, and I give ideas for how to
continue innovating responsibly to meet our organizational goals. My job adds value to
Google through the core aspects of project management we've mentioned, planning and
organizing, managing tasks, and budgeting and controlling costs. Hopefully you have a
better sense of what a project is, what project management is, and why project
management is an important part of every company, and how it's vital to a project's
success. Next up, we'll learn more about what a project manager does.
Hey, so we've covered what project management is and why it's important to
organizations. Now, let's learn more about

what project managers do on a day-to-day basis?

Project managers usually follow a process that involves planning and organizing,
managing tasks, budgeting, controlling costs and other factors.

Everything they do helps make sure the project can be completed on time and on budget.
In broad terms, a project manager also needs to make sure that the project outcome is
bringing value to the company. A project manager can add value in many different ways.
Whether that's creating a new service for customers or modifying an old service so it's
more tailored to the customer's needs. No matter what the task is, a successful project will
always add value. And it's the project manager's job to make sure that project is both
valuable and successful. You may be asking yourself, well, if I'm a project manager,

how do I add value to an organization every day?

What does the day-to-day life of a project manager look like?

Well, a project manager's responsibilities can vary, depending on the project, the industry,
and the company they're working in. Are you constructing a new building? Are you project
managing a renewable energy product in a startup? Or are you setting up your own event
management company? Your tasks will be different in each scenario, but here's a general
overview of what a typical day might look like.

Play video starting at :1:29 and follow transcript1:29

A project manager's daily responsibilities always include some version of the following,
planning and organizing.

An example of that might be gathering requirements from teammates or customers. This

means figuring out what exactly your project's trying to accomplish. You might have a
kickoff meeting or send a survey. From here you may also work on creating project plans.

Creating project plans is a key part of project management. It helps set the tone of the
project, keeps everyone on pace and aligned, and helps move tasks along.

Which leads me to my second point, managing tasks. Once the project is underway, the
project manager helps manage tasks for the team members and communicates key
milestones to the larger team or customers. This helps keep team members, and
customers updated on how the project is progressing.

The third piece is budgeting and controlling costs and other factors. Managing the budget
and controlling costs is a common responsibility that project managers have to
understand to keep the project on track and within budget.

This is a full-time job because the plan you've created and managed may change causing
unexpected costs to come up. And that's just to name a few. I could go on for days. But the
most important thing to know about the day to day of a project manager is this: You'll use
different tools, techniques and methodologies every single day. There's never a dull
moment. Personally, my favorite part about being a project manager is that I get to watch
the project's growth from start to finish. It's really special to create something from
nothing, working from the ground up. It's a really satisfying feeling. As a project manager,
you'll use a variety of skills every day, and a lot of these skills you might already have, and
we'll discuss this more coming up. See you there.

Which of the following responsibilities are common for a project manager? Select all that
apply.
Controlling company operations

Project planning and organizing

Correct
A project manager will create a project plan, which is a key part of project management. It
helps set the tone of the project and keeps the team on pace and aligned. The project
manager will also organize meetings and project documents.

Managing tasks

Correct
Once the project is underway, the project manager helps manage tasks for the team.
When the team hits project milestones, they communicate the project progress to team
members and/or customers.

Budgeting and controlling costs

Correct
The project manager has the responsibility to manage project costs and ensure the
project stays within budget.

Welcome back. Let's get right into it and explore the variety of skills you'll use. Have you
ever been tasked with planning a loved one's surprise birthday party? There's usually a lot
of pressure and responsibility, but when you get it right, it feels amazing. That's still true
even if there were a couple of issues. Maybe the guest of honor arrived home earlier than
expected and nearly ruined the surprise. But if you made someone feel special on their
birthday you probably planned a successful project. As you chose a venue, sent out
invitations, and calculated your budget based on your number of guests, you were using
several project management skills, like planning and organizing, managing tasks,
budgeting, and controlling costs, and more. Or maybe you've never planned a party. Have
you ever worked in the retail space, or in the service industry? Then you might have
experience that'll translate into the project management field, too. For example, you
might have been in charge of managing several employees' schedules. To do that, you had
to plan and organize which employees' work styles would complement each other in a
productive way. You also had to make sure that all duties and responsibilities would be
covered during each shift. Plus, you had to be aware of all employees' availability. Doesn't
sound familiar? Well, have you ever had to relocate for a new job and planned a big move?
To successfully move all of your belongings, you may have coordinated friends and family
to help. You would have had to budget and control costs for moving companies, boxes,
and miscellaneous expenses. You probably packed your boxes one room at a time and
clearly labeled the boxes so that you knew what each box was when you arrived at the
new place. You had to manage all of these tasks simultaneously. You've likely handled
several tasks like these in your lifetime. In studying project management, you'll learn to
further advance and sharpen these skills so that you'll be equipped to manage even
bigger, more daunting tasks. The abilities that helped you complete these past projects
are a great selling point for yourself as a future project manager. So be sure to bring up
these examples in job interviews to demonstrate your skills. For instance, if you're asked
questions like, "Tell me about a time when you had to juggle several tasks at once", or
"Tell me about a time when you had to influence a customer or a teammate." It's good to
have examples that demonstrate your skills with time management and leadership in
both your everyday life and previous workplaces. Are you thinking about all of the skills
that you already have and can use in your future project management role? Perfect. Up
next, we'll learn more about the types of project management roles that you'll be qualified
for after this program. We'll also discuss how to start exploring the various job
opportunities out there for you. See you soon.

Hey everyone, my name is X. Yes, just the letter. At Google, I'm a Program Manager for a
department called Responsible Innovation. Most of us, in our everyday life, use program
management. When you have only a couple hours left in a day and you have to figure out,
well, do I clean my house or do I go to the grocery store? How long will each of those task
takes? Those are just different elements or variations of program management and
project management. My path to program management is pretty non-traditional. I didn't
go graduate from a great college. In fact, I dropped out of high school and I dropped out of
college. So a GED is the highest credential that I have. After I dropped out of high school, I
taught myself how to code. I built a whole bunch of websites, but realized, like, I didn't
have the responsible skills to make me a "mature adult." So I ended up joining the
military. After spending eight years in the Army, I traveled the world building apps for
really big companies and governments around the world. When I came into Google, I
realized I could still be technical, but then I'm just using the skills I already have. So how
can I grow myself as a person by learning new skills? That's when I heard about the
program manager role. The program manager role at Google is super cool because it
varies depending on which team you're on. If you're a program manager on Google Cloud,
that could look very different than being a program manager in YouTube. That switch up
and that change from coding all day long in front of a computer screen was something
that was really, really attractive to me. Some of the biggest skills from my past and my
history that helped me become a program manager and make that transition from
somebody who was managed by program and project managers, to actually becoming
one myself, was taking a little bit more accountability in my personal life. There's lots of
things I want to learn in life. I started doing things like making schedules to practice, like,
different instruments, like the bass guitar. Each of my roles, whenever I worked with a
project or program manager, I also made sure to check in with them about why they were
doing what they were doing. I'm someone who doesn't really learn from books if you can't
tell by me dropping out of school. So I always found somebody who was willing to teach
me why they were doing what they were doing, because that's how I learn. I tend to be
more kinetic. I learn as I go. Program management to me was a natural calling. Not
because I like to run around and tell everybody what to do, but because I have a real
personal passion for bringing people together and getting everybody on the same page to
move towards the same goal. Whether that's convincing all my friends to go to my favorite
vegan spot in downtown LA, like four times a week, or whether that's getting us all
together to resolve conflict or to work on an idea and collaborate on projects on the side
together. Those skills that you use in your everyday life to keep your task together can
apply to program and project management very easily. You just have to be a little bit more
intentional around them and there's a lot more paperwork involved.

Welcome back. Now that you have a general understanding of what a project manager
does, let's focus on the types of jobs that you may be qualified for after completing this
program. To start, I've got a question for you. How many open roles do you think are out
there for project managers? Hint: The answer is a very big number. Project managers are
in high demand. In 2017, a study by the Project Management Institute found that by the
year 2027, employers will need 87.7 million people filling project management-aligned
roles. According to that same study, the industries with the most growth are
manufacturing and construction, information services and publishing, management and
professional services, finance and insurance, utilities, and oil and gas. Project
management plays a big part in helping all of these industries grow. In some industries,
you will find the term "project manager" grouped with a more industry-specific qualifying
word. For example: "construction project manager" or "IT project manager," or
"engineering project manager." Don't worry. These are all still project manager roles—
they're just specific to an industry. And it's important to keep in mind that the skills you
learn in one industry can be applied to another industry. New projects are popping up
every single day. Across all industries, we noticed that new technology is introduced,
which leads to processes changing and a need to manage those processes. So all kinds of
companies need people like you who can tackle a variety of projects from start to finish,

to help them navigate these changes. By now, you might have noticed that you already
have some of those skills, like organizing or planning an event, problem-solving, or even
managing a budget, and you use them effectively in your everyday life. Reflect on some of
those skills we mentioned earlier and ask yourself, what are some of the parts of project
management that you're drawn to? While you may not have the answer just yet, thinking
about these things can help you find suitable roles later. As you keep going in this
program, try to keep track of the lessons and activities you prefer and the ones you didn't
like as much. This will help you narrow your choices as you search through job boards
later. The beauty of project management is that you don't need to be an expert on a
focused technical topic— you just need to be able to manage projects. You could be a
construction or technology project manager, or you could enter the healthcare industry
and work in patient management. You could also enter the energy sector and act as an
environmental project manager. The possibilities are almost endless. What's equally
exciting is that you could even end up with a completely different title altogether. For
instance, there are roles that entail a sequence of ongoing projects that are considered
programs or operations in the industry. In this case, the role may not be described as a
project manager, but instead something a little more evergreen, like "operations
manager" or "program manager." Other titles that might make sense for you can include
"operations assistant," "project assistant," "project coordinator," and "program
assistant." When it comes to job duties, your responsibilities might change depending on
the type of company you choose. For example, the workload and specific tasks at a small
agency will be different from those at Google. It's also important to keep in mind that as
the world continues to change and evolve, so do industries and the job opportunities
you'll find there. So be sure to cast a wide net. You'll be able to find more and more jobs
you're qualified for. In addition to being qualified for project management-related jobs,
there's plenty of other roles or paths that may interest you. Internships can sometimes be
a good place to start. An internship is a short-term way to get hands-on experience in an
industry. Plus, internships are a great way to help boost your resume and set yourself
apart from other candidates. One of the key benefits of internships is that you get real
work experience while simultaneously networking with people in that industry. It's a win-
win. Now some internships in your field might not technically be project manager roles,
but a lot of roles are easily transferable. For example, something like an "events manager
intern" role can become a full-time project manager position later on. Internships aren't
great for everyone's lifestyle, but if you can make them work, they're a fantastic option.
Another path you can take is contract work. Working for companies on a contract means
you'll work with them on a project-by-project basis, but you won't be a full-time
employee. This kind of work is a great way to get your foot in the door and build your
portfolio. Plus, it gives you the flexibility to try your hand at a few different projects at
once, depending on the commitment level required for that. Another benefit of
contracting is that it lets you explore different kinds of companies and project types. Since
it's a temporary position, you can explore what type of company is the best fit for you.
Maybe you find you like working with a large or a small team, or you find you enjoy specific
types of projects. And if you find a situation that suits you and the organization, your
contract position might just lead to a full-time position. As you keep charging forward, try
thinking about the type of job you might be interested in going after when we're done
here. Every new topic you discover brings you one step closer to your first role in project
management, and one step closer to where you want to be. In the next video, we'll learn
how to identify and search for job titles best-suited for a project manager. We'll see you
there.

Which of the following is true for project managers that work in a specific industry?
They have skills that are specific to the industry.

They can apply consistent processes to prevent change.

They can learn skills in one industry and apply them in another.

They have expertise in a focused, technical topic.

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.
SkipContinue
Explore project management roles
You are about to start on your path to securing a high-demand position as a project
manager. One of the greatest benefits of the project management field is that it
encompasses a wide variety of positions across numerous industries. As you complete this
certification, you will acquire skills that will qualify you for various job titles. Here, we will
discuss some different project management job categories and some common roles
within those categories. We’ll also describe the great potential for career progression in
project management, from entry-level positions to senior program management roles,
and the many opportunities in between!  

Project management job categories and common roles 

Introductory-level project management roles

Entry-level project management positions are a great opportunity to get your foot in the
door and learn the ins and outs of how a company operates and manages projects. The
lessons you learn from these experiences are extremely valuable to your growth in project
management. Some entry-level project management positions include:

 Junior Project Manager: Performs all aspects of being a project manager

alongside a more experienced professional.
 Project Administrator: Assists the rest of the project team with administrative
tasks. 
 Project/Program Assistant: Supports team members working on a project and
offers administrative support. May perform research or create training documents
along with other jobs as assigned by program leaders.
 Project/Program Coordinator: Participates in hands-on project work and
administrative tasks. Works under a project manager to make sure projects are
completed on time and within budget.
  Project Support Specialist: Works alongside a project manager and team
members to oversee assigned projects. May also be responsible for training and
developing employees to perform designated tasks.

Traditional project management roles

Once you have gained some experience in introductory-level positions, you can explore
traditional project management roles, such as:

 Project Manager: Responsible for the initiating, planning, executing, monitoring,

and closing of a project. Includes industry-specific titles like IT project manager,
construction project manager, or engineering project manager, which utilize skills
that are transferable among industries.
 Project Analyst: Moves a project along by sharing information, providing support
through data analysis, and contributing to strategy and performance. 
 Project Leader/Director: Drives core decision-making and sets the direction for
the project. Usually knowledgeable about the product or deliverable. 
 Project Controller: Primarily responsible for project planning. You are likely to see
this job title in industries like engineering and construction.
 Technical Project Manager: Conducts project planning and management for
identified goals within a company. Ensures that projects are completed to the
requirements within a defined time frame and budget.
 Project Management Office (PMO) Analyst: Manages the progress of complex
projects to ensure timely execution and completion. 

Program and portfolio management roles

As you have learned, project managers are responsible for the day-to-day management of
projects. They shepherd projects from start to finish and serve as a guide for their team.
Project managers must apply the right tools, techniques, and processes to complete the
project successfully, on time, and within budget. 

After you have carried out projects successfully and feel you are ready for a step up in
responsibility, a program manager position may be the next step for you. While a project is
one single-focused endeavor, a program is a collection of projects. Program managers are
responsible for managing many projects. At Google, all project managers are called
program managers because they manage multiple projects simultaneously. 

Successfully implementing programs as a program manager can eventually make you a

great fit for more senior positions, such as a senior program manager or a portfolio
manager. A portfolio is a collection of projects and programs across an entire
organization. Portfolio managers are responsible for portfolios of projects or programs for
one client. Over the course of your career, you might progress from project manager to
program manager to portfolio manager roles.
While project, program, and portfolio managers hold different types and levels of
responsibility, they are all project managers. In Course 4 of this certificate program, you
will learn more about differentiating projects, programs, and portfolios.

 Program managers: Manage a group of projects that are related or similar to one
another and handle the coordination of these projects. They facilitate effective
communication between individual project managers and provide support where
necessary. They also help create and manage long-term goals for their
organization.
 Portfolio managers: Responsible for managing a group of related programs within
the same organization. They coordinate various programs in order to ensure they
are on track and that the organization is meeting its strategic initiatives. Portfolio
managers look at all projects and programs within the organization and prioritize
work as necessary. 

Operational management roles 

In operational management roles, you will get the opportunity to experience several
different departments and how they interact and operate. Operational management roles
allow you to work alongside peers and management from various business segments,
giving you an appreciation for what each segment does on a daily basis. Key elements of
project management include making sure a project is on budget and on schedule. This
course, and your experience as a project manager, will give you the tools to be able to
apply those skills to running a business. Some operational management positions include:

 Operations Analyst: Manages and coordinates research, investigates workflows,

creates business procedures, and recommends changes to improve the project
and company. 
 Operations Manager: Oversees strategic decision-making and rolls out plans of
action based on financial, schedule, and resource reporting. 
 Chief Operating Officer: Responsible for overseeing the day-to-day administrative
and operational functions of a business.

Agile roles

We will discuss the Agile project management approach in depth later, but here are a
couple of the positions you may see that are related to that approach:
  Scrum Master: Coordinates and guides the Scrum team. Knowledgeable in Agile
framework and Scrum and is able to teach others about the Scrum values and
principles.
 Product Owner: Drives the direction of product development and progress. 

Industry-specific management roles

As you search for project management roles, you may see positions with titles like
“engineering project manager” or “construction project manager.” Keep in mind that the
skills you learn in one industry can be applied to another industry. For example, you may
have experience as a software engineer but are interested in pursuing a career in project
management. You will be able to apply what you’ve learned working in a technical field, as
well as with the skills you have picked up in this certification course, to a project manager
position in multiple industries. Having experience working on a team to achieve a task and
understanding how to execute an effort on schedule and on budget are aspects of your
professional experience—combined with your project management knowledge—that
make it possible for you to move between industries.

Key takeaway

Project management is a career path with a great deal of potential!

With each step along your career path, you are building yourself up to be a significant
contributor to any company.  We have discussed a number of possible job titles for you to
search for when you start exploring project management roles. Regardless of the industry
in which you currently work, you have gained transferable skills. Transferable skills are
abilities that can be used in many different jobs and career paths. Your transferable skills
can likely be utilized in project management roles in many other industries. 
Hi again! Let's discuss how to search for a job in the project management field. It's no
secret that job searching can be a challenge. Even the most detailed, specific job listings
can leave you wondering what the company is really seeking in a candidate. Don't worry,
we've all been there, and we're here to help you sort through the lingo and the confusion.
The more job listings you find, the more buzzwords you'll likely notice, too— words like
"data-driven," "team player," "self-starter." Understanding all the buzzwords in job
listings will help figure out if a job is right for you. Up to now, we've discussed project
management as a role, but many companies actually list it as a skill. Here's some more
good news. You'll soon be qualified for a position as a project manager, and a position
that lists project management as a skill. Here's the even better news. If you have the skills
to manage projects, you'll be qualified for program manager or operational roles that
require you to manage an end-to-end system or department, too, which asks for the same
skill set. Now, let's check out different types of jobs that use your project management
skills. When job hunting, keep your options open. As I just mentioned, you don't have to
limit yourself to just project manager titles. There's lots of other titles you're qualified for,
too. You'll know what's a good fit for you by reading the job descriptions, so cast a wide
net. Depending on the field you choose, you might find roles like Operations Manager,
Program Manager, Operations Associate, or Project Assistant. All of these could be a
great fit for your skills. For example, let's say you're searching a job board for project
management roles when you notice a Community Operations Manager role for a small
city open up. The job title isn't project manager, but you'll notice that the job functions
match your skill set, and your years of experience also match the job requirements. The
job description may include a list of required skills like organizational management,
strong planning and communication skills, budget preparation and monitoring.
Sound familiar? Maybe you'll even start to notice that the job's responsibilities seem like
tasks you've covered in this course, like

creating monthly status reports,

helping to implement new and necessary technologies,

tracking work plans and performance metrics,

assisting other members of the operations team on given projects, and

ensuring timely responses to requests for information.

These duties are nearly a perfect match for your project management skills, and there are
plenty more listings like these two. How great is that? The skills that go into project
management are used in all kinds of roles and professions. Believe it or not, we've all
worked with or learned from a project manager at some point in the past. Can you guess
who that is? It's your teachers! Think about it. Everything that goes into being a teacher
takes project management skills: Designing a curriculum that's accessible to students
with unique needs; managing a budget; communicating with others like parents,
department heads, or school admins; developing processes to make things run efficiently
in the classroom; and so on. For example, when I went for my first interview at Google, I
highlighted my experience as the founder and advisor to a student leadership group. I told
them about how I assembled and led a team of 20 students to plan and execute events
like fundraisers, community gatherings, and academic assemblies for over 300 students
during the academic year. I even kind of surprised myself, looking back at how much
relevant project management experience I had. Now, I'm sure you'll think back on your
own experiences and feel the same thing.

One more thing to call out is networking. Networking is when you meet other people in a
professional setting with the goal of learning, sharing knowledge, and creating new
business connections.

This plays a big role in job hunting, so it is a great tool to start learning and perfecting. The
skills you learn here will prepare you for all kinds of project management jobs. Knowing
how to search for jobs will make it even easier to match those skills with the best
opportunities for you.

My name is Gilbert, and I'm a talent outreach specialist here at Google. Talent can mean
many things; it can mean folks that have never envisioned themselves at Google. And so
part of our team's remit is to identify talent that Google or other companies may not
necessarily reach out to, or consider for roles in the past and helping them navigate the
interview process. That could also mean candidates that are already interested or have
expressed interest in opportunities at Google in the past, and engaging them to support
them through the interview process today. At Google you have to wear the program and
project management hat, regardless of what role you're in. And that's definitely been the
case for me. So in my role I've had to practice skills such as: communicating to
stakeholders, managing a budget, managing a project timeline in many different projects
within my role. An example of this could be organizing events for university students that
come to Google's campus. And hear from guest speakers about the projects we work on,
the roles and their career journeys. And so as you can imagine this can be a complex
project. My first job out of college was completely unrelated to what I'm doing now. I was
an assistant manager at a big box retailer. And so a lot of the skills that I actually learned
in that role have translated to support me in my role and allowed me to have success. So
some of these skills are being able to talk to and have difficult conversations, being able to
manage a budget, managing resources, and managing your time. These are especially
important in the retail setting. I started applying a lot of these project management
frameworks or practices, even into the smallest projects. Maybe it's related to my goals for
the next three months, setting up project plan based around that, right? I was the only
stakeholder, I was the only one reviewing this documentation. But the practice of being
able to do this really helped me so that when I had to do it for a project at Google with
multiple stakeholders, with multiple timelines, competing priorities. It was already second
nature to me, because I even applied it just in my day to day. So I think one of the biggest
support that I had as far as working through imposter syndrome, or lack of confidence as I
stepped into a lot of these skills is really just practice. And you can practice it in many
different ways, in your personal life, in your professional life, and anything in between. So
that was really important for me as I've gone through this journey of up-skilling as a
program and project manager. I'd say that by joining this course and stepping into this,
you're already taking the first step. And I think that's just as important, right? Not letting
fear, or fear of failure get in the way of new opportunities for you. And the second piece is
don't be afraid to ask for help. I think that folks are generally willing to help and support
you. So the biggest thing that you can do is reach out, and not be afraid to ask questions.
Not be afraid to do an informational interview, to ask for resume tips, to ask for advice
from people that are maybe already in the role that you're hoping to step into, or in the
field that you're looking to work in. Just reach out to them, ask them questions. I think
people like to connect with folks that are intuitive, that are curious and are just eager to
learn. And so if you can leverage those two pieces, I think that you're going to have
success in whatever you do.

Yes, my current role and skills definitely can help me to transferable to a project
management career as i already played team lead role to manage more than 30 resources
to complete end to end project. I want to start my career as "Technical project manager"
succeeding as "Project or Program Manager" in All types of IT/Telecom industries.

Test your knowledge: Learning about careers in project management

Practice Quiz • 8 min
Congratulations! You passed!

Grade received 87.50%

To pass 75% or higher

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Test your knowledge: Learning about careers in project management

Total points 4

1.
Question 1

When you review a job listing, which section offers the most insight when deciding if
the role is well-suited for you?

1 / 1 point

Job salary
Job description

Job benefits

Job location

Correct

The job description indicates that the job matches your skill set and experience. 

2.
Question 2

Which of the following might be part of a job description for an entry-level project
manager role?

1 / 1 point

Our leadership team is currently looking for a Senior Project Manager to support our
clients in the Life Sciences and Industrial sectors.

Our company is seeking a Program Manager with experience managing a team in

the Agile framework.

Our business group is hiring an experienced project management professional who

has a broad understanding of solutions and industry best practices.

Our North Coast branch needs a new Junior Project Manager who can channel drive
and enthusiasm. You’ll be front and center, hands-on, and contributing your creative
energy to high-impact projects.

Correct
The term “Junior” typically refers to a newer role that requires less project
management experience.

3.
Question 3

Which of the following best exemplifies the progression of a project management

career?

1 / 1 point

Project manager to portfolio manager to program manager

Program manager to project manager to portfolio manager

Project manager to program manager to portfolio manager

Correct

While you may encounter a different title progression in your career, this is a typical
progression. All project managers lead projects from start to finish and serve as
guides for their team. However, program managers are responsible for managing
many projects at the same time, and portfolio managers are responsible for portfolios
of projects or programs for one client.

4.
Question 4

What three types of information can be helpful to include in your search for project
management roles?

0.5 / 1 point

Essential project management skills like coordination, organization, and leadership

Correct

Using skills that are essential for all project managers in your job search can help
you find both project management and project management-related roles, even if
those roles do not include “project manager” in the title.
Skills you’ve acquired in your current or previous position

Common project management-related buzzwords like “process improvement” and

“risk management”

Training you may gain later in your project management career

You didn’t select all the correct answers

You're one step closer to becoming a rockstar in project management. Let's revisit the
concepts we've learned so far. We started by discussing how project management is the
application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to meet the project requirements
and achieve the desired outcome. Then we learned that project management is alive in
nearly every industry and company. So you're working on an incredibly useful and
versatile certification. We also learned what a project is: A unique endeavor and
temporary pursuit, carefully planned out to achieve a particular goal. Hopefully by now,
you're familiar with the idea that every project has a defined time frame, cost, scope, and
dedicated resources. We've covered some broad concepts and key terms that will help
you become a successful project manager, and we've gone over how to search for jobs
when that time comes. We've also discussed how to effectively translate your past
experiences into talking points for why you'll be a successful project manager. We talked
about how you can transfer skills from your previous job into your new project
management role, and how that'll really set you apart. Everything from juggling a to-do
list to budgeting for a loved one's birthday party demonstrates that you probably already
have some of the skills to be a phenomenal project manager. But no worries if you don't.
We're starting from scratch here. By the end of this course, you'll have the skills, but also
the experience, and knowledge to find the role you want. Whether that's contract work,
internships, or general project management positions, you'll be able to figure out what's
the best fit for you. And as we go forward, I want to encourage you to keep thinking about
what kind of work you might like to do in the future. And let's not forget the most exciting
news we learned about project management: just about everyone needs a project
manager. This position's in high demand, and that demand just keeps growing. Wow,
okay. That's a lot of ground we covered, and we've just barely scratched the surface. I
hope you've enjoyed the course so far because it's about to get even more fun. Coming up,
we have your first graded assignment, and I know you'll ace it. Remember, take your time
and relax. Trust yourself. You've got this. Don't forget, you can always review your notes
and readings or go back and rewatch some of the videos if you're unsure about an answer.
Good luck, and I'll see you again soon.
Week 2

Welcome back. Let's start by reviewing what we've discussed so far. Earlier, you were
introduced to project management as a career path. We discussed how this course can
help you advance your career goals with a project management certification. We also
discussed some of the basics of project management, like how to define a project and its
different components. Then, we went over some distinct project management careers,
roles, and responsibilities. Now it's time to gain a deeper understanding of a project
manager's role. By the end of this module, you'll be able to explain

the unique value a project manager brings to their team.

You'll also be able to describe a project manager's roles and responsibilities, and list their
core skills.

This course will help you continue to recognize the skills that you already have that will
help you become a successful project manager. It will also help you identify new skills that
you may need to learn in preparation for your new career. Ready? Let's get started.

Earlier in this course, we introduced you to the world of project management. We

discussed how project management spans industries and companies of all kinds, from
large corporations to small businesses.

Now let's define what a project manager is and describe how they add value to their
teams and organizations.

Let's start with the definition. Project managers shepherd projects from start to finish and
serve as guides for their team, using their impeccable organizational and interpersonal
skills every step of the way. As you learned earlier, project managers usually follow a
process that involves planning and organizing, managing tasks, budgeting, and
controlling costs so that the project can be completed within the approved timeframe.
We'll dig deeper into these topics throughout this program. What you need to know right
now is that project managers play a crucial role in their organizations.

Project managers add value to their teams and organizations in key ways that
include prioritization, delegation, and effective communication. So let's break these
down. First, we'll discuss prioritization. Project managers add value to their teams and
organizations through effective prioritization of tasks required to complete a project.
They're experts at helping team members identify and break down large tasks into smaller
steps. There'll be times when a project manager may not know which task to prioritize. To
determine which ones are the most critical to the success of the project, they'll connect
with their teams and with stakeholders to gather information and make a plan.
Stakeholders are people who are interested in and affected by the project's completion
and success, like the leader of an organization. You've probably used prioritization to
complete work in the past. In any kind of project, personal or professional, there are tasks
with different levels of priority. For example, let's imagine that you've decided to rent a
house and plan to repaint the rooms. You've picked out your paint and you're eager to get
started. While it may be tempting to start painting right away, you'll need to prioritize
tasks like laying out drop cloths to protect the floors and furniture, applying blue tape to
the rooms' edges, and much more. Those preliminary steps are critical and need to come
before painting. Other related steps, like choosing new face plates for your light switches,
can come later in the process or be switched out of the project entirely if you run out of
time or money. When you choose to take care of these preliminary steps before wedging
open the paint can, you're prioritizing the tasks or steps of your project. You're also
increasing the likelihood that you'll be satisfied with your newly-painted rooms. This
process is similar for professional projects. When you effectively prioritize important
tasks, you set up your team and yourself for a better project outcome.

Now, let's discuss delegation. Project managers use delegation to add value to their
teams and organizations by matching tasks to individuals who can best complete the
work. Let's return to our house painting example for a second here. Painting multiple
rooms can be a time-consuming project, so it's possible that you might enlist a few friends
to help you get it done. Maybe one friend has professional painting experience. Now, with
that in mind, you might ask her to handle the more challenging aspects of the project, like
painting the ceiling or the detailed molding. You might also schedule her to paint the
molding before another friend paints the walls. So by delegating this task to the person
with the right skills to complete the work and ordering the task appropriately, you're
applying knowledge of your team's strengths to the planning of your project. That
makes sense, right?

Finally, let's talk about effective communication. Project managers deliver value through
effective communication, both with their team and with key stakeholders. This refers to
being transparent, which means being up front with plans and ideas and making
information readily available. Project managers keep in regular contact with their team
about the progress of the work and help identify areas where a teammate may need
support. In our house painting example, this might involve checking in with your friends
periodically to ask if they have enough paint or supplies left to complete their tasks.
Checking in regularly means you'll know if you need to buy more paint before the can is
empty, which ensures that the project stays on track. In addition to keeping up with
teammates, project managers keep in regular contact with people outside of the team,
like company leaders who are invested in the project outcomes. For example, you might
reach out to your landlord to get permission to paint and to share the days you'll be
working on this project. Though your landlord isn't directly involved in the project's
execution, the outcomes will affect her property and so it's important to keep her
informed. Without your project management skills, you might run out of paint halfway
through the project, your walls might get painted without drop cloths to protect the
floors, and your landlord could be caught off guard about your plans. So it's a good thing
you're here to keep the project running smoothly and efficiently. Great. Now you should
be able to define what a project manager is and explain how they use prioritization,
delegation, and effective communication to deliver value to their organizations. Coming
up, you'll hear about the career path of a real life project manager at Google. Their journey
to me is fascinating and we can't wait to share it with you.

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.

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.

My name is JuAnne. I'm a Senior Program Manager at Google. I'm a first-generation

Chinese American. My family and I came to the United States when I was young. My
parents worked really hard when I was growing up and I spent a lot of time by myself,
basically just having to take care of myself; planning my meals, doing my homework,
taking care of chores. I feel like I got a little bit of my program management skills from just
being really organized, having to be really organized all the time. My path to being a
project manager really started as a business systems analyst. I was writing requirements
or gathering requirements for our customers and translating them into documentation for
our engineers so that they could implement it. Through that process, I became a project
manager. I started to manage the timelines, manage the tasks, understand all the pieces,
and who needed to be involved. There you go, you have a project manager. I think the
funnest part about being a project manager is really working with people. You get to meet
all different kinds of people, different personalities. Sometimes you get to travel to places
to meet them but even when you don't, just meeting new people and understanding how
we interact, how people interact and behave is fascinating. I think if you build a
relationship, focus on the relationship, and really understand what their style, where
they're coming from, what their concerns are, it will help your working relationship much
better. You can communicate with them in the style that's necessary. You can work with
them in the style that's more receptive to them and that would just make the project
better all around.

How project managers impact organizations

You can save this reading for future reference. Feel free to download a PDF version of this
reading below:

How project managers impact organizations

PDF File

You have learned that project managers can prioritize, delegate, and effectively
communicate to deliver value to their projects. This reading will focus on the main ways
that project managers can add value to projects and impact organizations, which include:

 Focusing on the customer

 Building a great team
 Fostering relationships and communication
 Managing the project
 Breaking down barriers

Customers are always a key element to success in any business. There is no exception to
that in the field of project management. In project management, the word “customer”
refers to a person or an organization that defines the requirements of the project and
sets important guidelines, such as budget and deadlines. In projects, customers can be
internal or external. Internal customers are stakeholders within your organization, such as
management, project team members, resource managers, and other organizational
departments. External customers are customers outside of your organization, such as
clients, contractors, suppliers, and consumers.  

To successfully deliver a project, it has to meet the customer’s standards. To meet the
customer’s standards, you have to make sure you clearly understand their
expectations. The customer is at the center of a successful project. Project managers
can add a lot of value to the project by building relationships with customers and taking
the time to make sure the customer is heard and satisfied with the result. 

Asking the customer questions

Let’s discuss how you can focus on the customer in a project. First, sit with the customer
and ask what problem they are trying to solve. You might ask if they have a specific vision
of the final outcome they would like delivered. Sometimes, customers will lean on project
managers to find the solution to their problem. It’s your job to ask questions like:

 What is the problem you would like us to help solve? Example response: The
customer wants help developing a new process that would allow their company to
be more efficient.
 How is the problem impacting your organization? Example response: The customer
states that they are losing clients because of their current inefficient processes
since clients are sometimes receiving their orders late.
 What prompted you to ask for help now? Example response: The customer says
that they may lose department funding if they do not improve efficiency. 
 What is your hope for the outcome of this project? Example response: The
customer states that their ultimate goal is to increase the speed at which they fill
orders without sacrificing quality.  
Taking the time to dig a little deeper into the “why” behind the project can help a project
manager better support and understand the customer. The more you understand the
customer’s goals, the more likely you will be able to produce what the customer is
seeking.

The team is a project’s biggest asset. A successful project manager knows that and takes
the time to understand each person’s motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. Project
managers add value to the project by identifying the right team for the project and
enabling the team to be successful and make decisions. 

When you work to build a great team, you have to consider the skills needed for the
project, as well as the resources available. Understanding the customer’s requirements
helps shape the skills needed for your team. If you are working on a project that requires
people with medical expertise and you hire people who do not have a medical
background, no matter how hard that team works, they will not have the right skill set to
complete the project. As project manager, you should bring on people with the right skills
and ensure the team knows that each individual is valued, trusted, and appreciated. You
can demonstrate how you feel about the team’s value by allowing them to have input and
ask questions, and by addressing their needs as soon as possible. 

Maintaining customer satisfy and building a great team are two ways that you, as a
project manager, can add value to a project. Both of these skills are built on the
foundation of relationships and communication. The project managers who add the
most value are the ones who take the time to build relationships, communicate, and treat
others with consideration and respect.

Project managers can set the tone for a project and build relationships within their teams
and with stakeholders. Taking the time to check in daily with your team, see how they’re
doing, and ask if there is anything they need help with can go a long way towards making
them feel valued and heard. 

When you build teams, each person is generally assigned specific project tasks. Once each
task is done, the person responsible for that task hands that part of the project over to the
next person. Your team members don’t always see the whole picture and how they impact
others in a project. A successful project manager sees the impacts of each process within
the project and communicates those impacts to the team. This ensures that everyone
working on the project understands their task goal as well as the big picture goal for the
finished product. For example, if a graphic designer working on marketing materials for
your project doesn't understand the customer’s overall goal to appeal to educators, they
may not be able to fully capture the vision for the campaign. Helping this team member
understand the big picture allows them to tailor their tasks to meet the needs of the
project end goal.

Managing a project can be busy, but if you take the time to build relationships and
maintain open lines of communication, you will increase the chances of the project’s
success as well as the customer’s and your team members’ satisfaction.  

Sometimes, when you ask why something is being done a certain way, the response you
get is, “Because we’ve always done it this way.” A project manager adds value to a project
when they break down barriers, allow their team to innovate new ways to do things, and
empower them to share ideas. As a project manager, you have to model ingenuity and
collaboration, and encourage your team to do the same.

How can you break down barriers on a project? You can provide support for your team as
they try new approaches to find solutions, and you can advocate for additional resources
for your team. If your team is having a hard time getting an answer from another
organization, you can reach out to the organization yourself in order to keep the team on
track and on schedule. 

Key takeaway

You have now learned some of the ways that project managers can add value to projects
and impact organizations. By focusing on the customer, building a great project team,
fostering relationships and communication, managing the project, and breaking down
barriers, you can overcome obstacles and find solutions to succeed. 

Reflection: Relevant project management roles and companies

Total points 4

1.
Question 1

In this module, we discussed how project managers can add value to teams and
organizations. In this exercise, you will reflect on the responsibilities of a project
manager. Are you ready?

1 / 1 point
I'm ready!

Correct

Great! Now, compare your answer to the feedback below.

2.
Question 2

Start by creating a list of 5-10 local and remote businesses currently operating that
you think would hire project managers.

1 / 1 point

Telecom Operators Telecom vendors Renewal energies companies IT companies for multiple
business units like(software for banking, passport service, telecom services) Real estate
companies Construction firms Automobile parts supplier industries
Correct

Project managers can provide value to all businesses regardless of size or location.
For example, smaller businesses often don’t have the resources to hire several
employees. The small businesses may need a project manager to oversee
contracted employees and vendors.

3.
Question 3

Consider the businesses on your list, and then add types of responsibilities you think
these project managers would have. Write 2-3 sentences.

1 / 1 point

Telecom Operators : Project Managers responsibilities planning and organizing by to provide

new media for enterprise customers. Issue resolution which reported by enterprise
customer(Can be a Bank, passport service, government railway network) Telecom vendors:
Project Managers responsibilities like Creating project plans for new telecom operator
lunching project deliver a project(like new 4G/5G network build) to customer . Understand
their budget and service. IT companies for multiple business units like(software for banking,
passport service, telecom services). Project Managers responsibilities managing the task and
budgeting and controlling costs and other factors for already running projects
Correct

Did you consider these responsibilities? Organizing product documentation, making

use of productivity tools, creating schedules, managing tasks, budgeting, managing
quality, and controlling costs.
4.
Question 4

Choose one of the businesses on your list, and provide an example of how you think
a project manager can help that business. Write 1-2 sentences.

1 / 1 point

IT companies for multiple business units like(software for banking, passport service,
telecom services), A project manager will create a project plan, which is a key part of
project management. It helps set the tone of the project and keeps the team on pace
and aligned. The project manager will also organize meetings and project
documents. Once the project is underway, the project manager helps manage tasks
for the team. When the team hits project milestones, they communicate the project
progress to team members and/or customers.

Correct

For any business or company size, the skills and strategic approach that project
managers apply to problems will always be valuable.

Welcome back. I hope you enjoyed that last story because for me, it's always helpful to
hear about someone else's career path. Maybe you even noticed a few parallels between
their career path and your own, or you felt inspired to pursue a specific area of project
management. So far we've discussed the types of project management roles you'll be
qualified for, and how to search for them. Earlier, we discussed the value that project
managers bring to their teams and their organizations. Now let's learn more about the
roles and responsibilities of a project manager. Earlier you learned that project
management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to meet the
project requirements and achieve the desired outcome. How does that actually happen?
That's where you come in. Project managers usually follow a process that involves
planning and organizing, managing tasks, budgeting, and controlling costs, and
other factors, so that the project can be completed within the approved budget and
timeframe. Let's break these down into examples of responsibilities that you might find in
a job listing for a project management role.

We'll start with planning and organizing. One responsibility that falls under the umbrella
of planning and organizing is making use of productivity tools and creating
processes. During the planning and execution of a project, you might need to use certain
tools and develop processes to improve information sharing across the team; you may
also need to create plans, timelines, schedules, and other forms of documentation to
track project completion, and you'll usually need to maintain those documents
throughout the entirety of the project.

The next task is budgeting and controlling costs, and other factors. As the project is
underway, changes to the plan and budget are bound to come up. Believe me. This will
require you to monitor and manage the budget, track issues and risks as they arise,
and manage quality by mitigating those issues and risks. One way to do this is by
removing unforeseen barriers that come up. Now, by barriers, we mean things that can get
in the way of project progress. For example, if your teammates lack the resources needed
to complete a task, you might identify that issue, or barrier upfront, escalate the

issue to a stakeholder, and work to secure the resource so your team can move forward.
Another huge piece of the project manager's role is managing tasks

. A project task is an activity that needs to be accomplished within a set period of time by
you, your team, or your stakeholders. Keeping track of tasks is a great way to help manage
the team's workload and ensure that things are getting done. Keeping track of tasks is
also a great tool for demonstrating progress to people outside the immediate team, like
your stakeholders.

Back when I was a program manager in Student Development here at Google, one of our
goals was to create pathways for students who identify with communities that are
underrepresented in the technology industry. A large part of my day-to-day
responsibilities involved working with two separate engineering teams to create our
technical curriculum. To manage the tasks associated with this project, I created separate
project trackers for each team that outline the vision for the curriculum. These trackers
kept both teams in the loop about the timeline for delivery, the categories and
subcategories for work, and the team members assigned to each task, I also made sure to
update our stakeholders every step of the way. By actively managing tasks through out
the project lifecycle, I was able to keep tabs on everyone's work and efficiently inform
stakeholders, which allowed us to achieve our project goal with minimal issues. Nice job.
Now you should be able to describe the roles and responsibilities of a project manager.
Coming up, we'll discuss a project manager's role within the extended team, including
how to work alongside the people tasked with executing the project. Catch you in a bit.

Question
Which day-to-day responsibility of a project manager includes maintaining timelines and
schedules to track project completion?

Planning and organizing

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.
Identify project opportunities from a key
conversation
As project manager for an arts education center, you join a planning meeting for the
upcoming quarter. Team members will discuss top priorities, and you’ll identify a
project and related tasks to achieve these goals.

What are the key takeaways?

Follow the conversation by reviewing what each stakeholder has to say. Once you
reach the end, identify the correct project or task discussed by selecting it from the
list.
Opportunities from conversations
Multiple choice exercise
What are the key takeaways?
Follow the conversation by reviewing what each stakeholder has to say. Once you
reach the end, identify the correct project or task discussed by selecting it from the
list.

Planning conversation

SamiraSenior artistic director

I’m glad everyone was able to make it. It’s been a big year for us so far—we’ve had a lot of
positive feedback on our classroom outreach program. So, let’s discuss priorities for the
upcoming quarter.
 ZoeDirector of education

Online education is the big one for us. The more classes we put online, the more students
we can reach.

SamiraSenior artistic director

Are you thinking of live-streaming the classes or recording them in advance?

ZoeDirector of education

Mostly live-streaming, but we want to pre-record some short demos. They’ll be a half-hour
each and hopefully generate some interest before we go live.
 CharlieCommunications coordinator

For which courses?

ZoeDirector of education

One each for art, music, theater, and dance since those are the most popular. But the
instructors still need to pick their topics and script their lessons.

CharlieCommunications coordinator

Once they’ve got their topics, I can start working on promotional materials to get the word
out. I’ll write a press release and ask our graphic designer to create some image assets.
 AndreChief development officer

When will the demos be ready? I’d love to play one or two of them at our annual fundraiser.

ZoeDirector of education

The art and music demos should be ready in time. I’ll ask the videographer. We’re meeting to
set the filming schedule soon.

Identify the project

Shift the organization’s business model to prioritize virtual learning over in-person classes

Create online course offerings to expand the organization’s reach within the community

Plan a fundraiser to raise money for the organization

Correct.
The team has received positive feedback on their classroom outreach program, so online
education is a priority for the quarter
Responsibilities that utilize interpersonal skills
What are the core job responsibilities of project managers? Let’s recap what we learned
in the previous video.

The project manager is responsible for planning, organizing, managing tasks, budgeting,
controlling costs, and other factors to help keep the project within budget and on time. 

What does that mean? Basically, as the project manager, you will be responsible for
tracking the day-to-day details of the project, but you will also have an opportunity to step
back and see the bigger picture of the overall project.

Depending on the project and organization, you may also have responsibilities that utilize
your interpersonal skills. Interpersonal skills are the behaviors you use to interact with
others, such as communication, active listening, and leadership.

Let's review these responsibilities.

Teaching and mentoring, empowering the team, communicating, controlling change and
building relationships

Teaching and mentoring

As a project manager, you can serve as a mentor to your team. When you take the time to
fully explain the expectations, you eliminate rework, confusion, and frustration. Mentoring
and teaching others the lessons that you, as a project manager, have learned allows your
team to make better choices and build on your experience. Mentoring also involves
supporting each individual on your team in meeting expectations and helping them to
exceed their own sense of personal potential.

Building relationships 

Relationships are everything! Getting to know your team members lets them know that
you care about them as people, not just as employees. Taking the time to build
relationships with your customers, clients, vendors, and other stakeholders is equally
important. Dedicate time to check in with people. Pay attention to the insights they offer
you about their work style since their actions can inform how to most effectively interact
with them. Ask about their lives beyond the project, and then follow up on those
discussions later on to show your interest. When you foster these relationships, you are all
more invested in the success of your project.

Controlling change

The American novelist Louis L’Amour wrote, “The only thing that never changes is that
everything changes.” This applies to projects as well. Projects change as you continue to
understand the expectations and the needs of your stakeholders. As a project manager,
you need to remain flexible and adjust to the stakeholders’ needs. However, it is also
important to protect your team from constant change and rework. A good way to do this is
by documenting the initial expectations of the project and clearly identifying the changes
being requested. It is also helpful to understand the budget and schedule impact of the
changes and make sure that the stakeholders understand those impacts. As the project
manager, you are responsible for protecting your team. 

Empowering your team

We all enjoy being heard and appreciated in our careers. Giving your team the ability to
work directly with the stakeholders and their teams lets them know that you trust and
believe in their skills! One of the best things about empowering your team is getting fresh
ideas and passionate employees willing to help find solutions to problems. Another way
you can empower your team is by delegating responsibilities to them, allowing them to
make some decisions for the project, and using their input in the planning and execution
of the project. Effective mentoring often leads to more empowered teams.

Communicating status and concerns

As a project manager, communication is everything. With effective communication, you

can work together with your team to find solutions to challenges. The project manager
sets the tone for the project. Maintaining an open door policy and building trust within
your team and among stakeholders—all while staying positive—will help the success of
the project.
Key takeaway

You have learned that project managers may be responsible for teaching and mentoring
project team members, building relationships with the team and various stakeholders,
controlling change and the impact to the project, empowering team members to make
decisions, and communicating status and potential concerns. These interpersonal
responsibilities can be just as important to the success of your projects as your more
concrete responsibilities, like scheduling and budgeting.

As you continue through this course, you will learn more about how these project
manager responsibilities are embedded into the different phases of a project.

Hey and welcome back. Earlier you learned more about the responsibilities of a project
manager. And while it might seem like a lot to keep track of, it's important to know that
you, as the project manager won't need to do everything on your own. Let's discuss the
role of the project manager and how that role relates to other roles within the project
team. It's easier to hear the term manager and immediately think of your boss. But a
project manager is not often the direct manager of the people working on a project team.
Here, we're discussing the project manager as someone who manages the tasks of a
project. But what does that really mean, right? Well, although you might have a few
teammates working with you on a project, you're probably not their day-to-day boss. With
the help of your team, you can get a lot more done together. Everyone on your team will
have their own set of roles and responsibilities. And you'll come together to ensure that
everyone is able to do their part to advance the project. Each person will be an expert on
their portion of the project, but no one will be an expert on every aspect of the project,
and honestly, neither will you. For instance, the graphic designer will focus on graphic
design, but probably won't be an expert on copywriting. Similarly, you'll be an expert on
project management, but may not be an expert on marketing. Here's another way to think
about it. Imagine that you're organizing a camping trip. You might be the person in charge
of planning the trip, but that doesn't mean you have to be a camping expert. Maybe you've
never been camping before, but your partner grew up spending every summer by the
campfire. In that case, you might assign them the task of picking out the right number and
style of tents for your group. So, in this example, you are planning the trip by giving your
partner the job of finding the right number of tents and the right size tents to make sure
everyone is covered. You aren't doing the research or the task yourself, but you're making
sure that things are getting done. It's similar in the workplace. As the project manager, you
won't be an expert in every project role, and that's okay. As we said, your job isn't to be
the expert on everything. Instead you're responsible for guiding your team and making
sure that they have the support that they need in order to complete the project. So how
does a project manager go about doing that? Let's discuss using a few more examples of
the required responsibilities you might find in a job listing.
  First, you'll need to hold all team members accountable for their assigned tasks.
Managing tasks will help you hold your team members accountable by giving them
ownership over specific pieces of the project.
 Second, you'll need to ensure that issues and risks are tracked and visible, and be
able to establish escalation paths. Now by escalation paths, I mean that you should
know how you will communicate risks to the right people at the right time.
 Third, you'll need to understand and help teammates adopt the right workflows
and project management styles. As the project manager, you'll likely have the best
idea of which style is best for the work. It's your job to ensure that the team
adheres to that style and the other systems in place.
 And fourth, you'll need to collaborate with other teams at the organization to meet
the requirements based on project, scope, schedule, and budget. In other words, a
project may affect not only your team, but other teams at an organization, as well
as, say, the marketing or the finance team. So you'll need to work with those teams
to ensure that everyone is happy with the project outcomes.

You'll learn more about working with other stakeholders in a later course. Catch all that?
Let's recap. You learned that a project manager isn't always the direct manager of each
member of the project team. Rather, they're responsible for guiding those people and
ensuring they have the support they need to complete the project. Now that you have a
good sense of the way that a project manager fits into the project team, let's move a little
bit ahead, where we'll discuss the types of skills that a project manager needs to succeed.
Meet you there.

Working with cross-functional teams

You can save this reading for future reference. Feel free to download a PDF version of this
reading below:

Working with cross-functional teams

PDF File

As a project manager, you will likely work with cross-functional teams. A cross-functional
team includes team members who have different backgrounds, types of expertise, and job
functions. Even though these team members have different skill sets, occupy different
roles, and may even work in different departments, they are all working towards a
common goal: the successful completion of your project. 

Sometimes the members of a cross-functional team are referred to as “T-shaped

professionals.” They are skilled in how to collaborate and innovate with those in different
job functions and across different departments, but they also contribute their own specific
areas of expertise. Each member of a cross-functional team has their own unique
perspective and experience, bringing different ideas and strategies to the project. 
Let’s explore each of these ideas in more detail.

Clarify goals

When working with cross-functional teams, it is important to ensure that each member of
the team understands their role, how they support each other, and the common goals of
the project. It is vital to set clear goals for the team and make sure that the team
understands those goals. Be direct and concise, avoiding extraneous details and
explanations. When communicating task or project goals, make sure you define key items,
such as budget, deadlines, quality requirements, or important resources. Ensure your
team members understand task and project goals by encouraging them to ask questions
and clarify information. It will be up to you to continuously check in with your team to
make sure they’re all moving towards their goals, staying on track, and completing quality
work. Cross-functional teams may work in different departments, be in different physical
locations, and have different leadership, but all team members work together with the
project manager to support the current project. Your project may be competing against
other priorities, so communicating clearly and often with your team—and vice versa—
helps you identify any potential issues or concerns before they arise.

Get team members with the right skills

Making sure you have team members with the correct skill sets for each of the project
functions is critical. If you are building an airplane and you’ve got five engineers but no
mechanics, you are missing a key element of your cross-functional team. As the project
manager, you must help ensure that your team has the right people with the right skill
sets needed for the project to succeed. Later in this program, we will discuss some tools
you can use to help you identify the skill sets needed to accomplish your project tasks.
Measure progress

Showing your team how much they have accomplished helps keep them motivated. Take
the time to measure and communicate the project’s progress across the cross-functional
team. This helps everyone see the full picture and recognize their impact on the project.
You can measure progress in many ways, including meeting key milestones, completing
project tasks, and meeting project goals on time and within budget. Regularly
communicate with your team members to check on their progress. Ask them if they
anticipate being finished on time. If not, ask how you can help them succeed. Keep track
of the team’s progress throughout the project by documenting when tasks and goals are
completed, and let your team members know if the project is on track or not. Make sure
you communicate successes, delays, or issues, to the team so they know how the project
is progressing. Keeping everyone informed is essential to the project’s success.

Recognize efforts

Sometimes, when you work with cross-functional teams, there are certain skills that get
recognized more than others. A mechanic could get accolades for coming up with the
solution to a problem within the project, while the finance member who sourced the
funding might be forgotten. As a project manager, it is your job to make sure that each
member of your cross-functional team recognizes the value of their efforts each step of
the way. You have learned the importance of building relationships with stakeholders, and
building relationships with your cross-functional team members is just as important.
Learning what makes your team members feel supported, giving

, and being mindful of each individual's background, personal identifiers, and work style
can help mediate some of the differences among team members. 

Key takeaway

Being able to communicate clearly with team members, clarify the goals of the project,
get team members with the right skills, measure team progress, and recognize team
members’ efforts is an important part of your role as the project manager, and is key to
your project’s success.

A great project manager is some funky combination of EMT, ninja, and jazz musician. An
EMT who can show up on a scene that's full of chaos, figure out what needs to happen
now, triage all of the things on site, and then develop a plan of action while also
participating in that action. A ninja, because you have to be stealth about how you go
about influencing other people. Overt action or pushing people too hard isn't necessarily
received well. A jazz musician, particularly a jazz drummer, who keeps a steady beat as a
lot of things are happening around you. On a team, you're going to be surrounded by a
bunch of talented people. A trombone player, a bass player, a trumpet player, a pianist,
and you, keeping the beat and making sure that everybody is working in time. I spend
most of my days with my product and engineering counterparts talking a lot about
strategy, updating status to key stakeholders, and trying to figure out what comes next for
our product. Some things about my job never change from this day to my very first day.
The fact that I communicate with a lot of people in a day, a lot of different types of people,
from engineers to product managers to partnerships, to sales and marketing, all of that's
the same. The biggest difference is the number of people that I communicate with, and
the complexity of the topics I cover. The most important thing for you to keep in mind is
staying organized. The more organized you are in your actions, the more organized your
team is in their thinking and their actions. What I do to stay organized is lists, all day long. I
have post-it notes, I have electronic lists, I have lists in e-mails, and those lists help me
stay on top of what actions need to happen now, what actions need to happen next, and
which I can put off for a few more days. I do use lists to help manage my time. I think one
of the things my lists are most important for is making sure I know what needs to be done
today. Then, once my list is made and I'm sure of what needs to be done today, I budget
time for those things. A stand-up is a quick meeting, usually at the start of the day, but you
can have them at any time. My stand-ups usually happened in the morning around 9:30 or
10:00 o'clock, depending on when the engineering team got in. They lasted for about 15
minutes so that we were clear on what had gotten done the day before and what was on
the docket to get done today. Then we usually checked in again quickly around lunch to
make sure that people were still on track or ran into any technical issues that might
require a longer time to finish the task. I think the thing that makes me a great project
manager is a bias to action and resilience. One of my favorite phrases, is pick it and stick it.
In part because I think it's important to make a decision to get yourself unstuck, to follow
through on that action, learn some things and decide to take a new action once you've
learned something. The latter half of that is resilience. I'm resilient and my teams are
resilient. If we've taken a bad action, we've learned that we can learn and change our
mind with new information. I'm Elita, a Senior Engineering Program Manager at Google.

Test your knowledge: Learning more about project manager roles and
responsibilities
Total points 4

1.
Question 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.

1 / 1 point
Budgeting and controlling costs

Managing tasks

Removing unforeseen barriers

Planning and organizing

Correct

As a project manager, you will be in charge of how your team shares information and
communicates progress.

2.
Question 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.

1 / 1 point

Managing tasks

Planning and organizing

Removing unforeseen barriers

Budgeting and controlling costs

Correct
By managing tasks, project managers will ensure the activities to complete the project are getting
done by team members.

3.
Question 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.

1 / 1 point

Managing tasks

Budgeting and controlling costs

Removing unforeseen barriers

Planning and organizing

Correct

Project managers are in charge of overseeing the resources a team needs to complete a project
and how much it will cost.

4.
Question 4

Fill in the blank: A cross-functional project team is a team that has _____.

1 / 1 point

diverse skill sets and works toward a common goal

diverse skill sets and works toward individual goals

similar skill sets and works toward individual goals

similar skill sets and works toward a common goal

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.

Hey, and welcome back. Now that you've learned about the roles and responsibilities of a
project manager, let's discuss the core skill sets that a project manager should bring to the
role. While there are lots of different skills a project manager can bring to their role, there
are four specific skill sets that we think can help a project manager be successful.

Those are enabling decision-making, communicating and escalating, flexibility, and

strong organizational skills.

First, let's talk about enabling decision-making. The ability to enable decision-making on
the team, or gathering decisions from the appropriate leader, is crucial to keep projects on
task and achieve their goals. Lots of the day-to-day decisions within a project will likely fall
to you and your teammates to discuss and agree on. You'll ensure that projects stay on
schedule by gathering information from teammates and using those insights to help the
team make informed decisions. You'll also make sure that those decisions are
communicated to the necessary coworkers, whether that's the immediate team or
company leaders. For example, you might provide relevant data or feedback to help your
teammates make an informed decision between choice A and choice B.

The second skill is communicating and escalating. As a project manager, you'll use your
communication skills in just about everything you do. This might look like documenting
plans, sending emails about the status of the project, or holding a meeting to escalate
risks or issues to stakeholders.

The third skill is flexibility. As a project manager, knowing how to be flexible when changes
are needed is key. Plans definitively will change, even with careful upfront planning. For
example, maybe the goals of your company change, or maybe a member of your team
unexpectedly takes a new position at another company. A good project manager knows
that unpredictable moments like these are almost always guaranteed. A quote we love
here at Google is, "The only constant is change," and that's true. By staying cool under
pressure, you'll be able to adjust while helping your team stay calm, too. Finally, a
successful project manager needs strong organizational skills. As you learned earlier, the
role of a project manager requires using a lot of different processes to keep the project on
track.
Having strong organizational skills means having the ability to organize these processes
and the core elements of a project to ensure nothing gets lost or overlooked, which trust
me, can and does happen. To prevent this, you might decide to track daily tasks in a
spreadsheet or send frequent status updates or reminders. There are many ways to stay
organized and hone your organizational skills, and we'll talk more about them throughout
the program.

To recap, decision-making, communicating and escalating, flexibility, and strong

organizational skills are four core skill sets that are essential to successful project
management. You can continue to build on these skills by becoming familiar with industry
knowledge that applies to most project management roles. Knowledge of helpful tools
and templates and familiarity with popular project management styles like Waterfall and
Agile, can help you organize and document the project throughout its lifecycle. We'll learn
about these throughout this program. Hopefully, you feel better equipped to explain the
core skills a project manager should bring to the role. These skills really help enforce team
morale and accountability for the tasks of a project. We'll discuss this coming up. See you
soon.

Key competencies: Flexibility and handling ambiguity

In the previous video, we discussed the four key competencies of a project manager:
enabling decision-making, communicating and escalating, strong organizational skills,
and flexibility. With time and practice, you will master these skills to help you become
successful in a project management role. In this reading, we’ll dig deeper into why
flexibility is essential for effective project management and how you can help your team
deal with ambiguity. 

First, let’s review the other project management competencies you’ve learned about so
far.

Enabling decision-making

You can help team members feel empowered from the start of your project by making the
decision-making process collaborative. For example, state the goals of specific
deliverables and elicit input from your team on how to achieve those goals. You may have
an idea of how you would like certain tasks to be accomplished, but your team members
may have more creative or efficient approaches. Empowering your team to express their
opinions and make their own decisions allows you to focus on the overarching
management tasks and prioritize them in order of importance. Additionally, when you
allow team members to have a voice in decisions, it helps foster an environment of
responsibility, accountability, and team closeness. 

Communicating and escalating

Project management requires clearly communicating project goals and expectations,

team member roles and responsibilities, and constructive feedback. Knowing how to
effectively communicate and when to escalate issues to management is key to keeping
you, your team, and your organization on the path to success. When escalation is
required, try to approach management with both the problem and the potential solution
or suggestions. This will show that you’re taking initiative as a project manager. 

Strong organizational skills

If you demonstrate that it is important for you, as a leader, to stay organized through
efficient tracking and communications, your team will follow suit. One way to do this is by
utilizing the abundance of organizational tools available, such as:

 Planning and scheduling software (templates, workflows, calendars)

 Collaboration tools (email, collaboration software, dashboards)
 Documentation (files, plans, spreadsheets)
 Quality assurance tools (evaluations, productivity trackers, reports)
You may need to experiment with different organizational approaches to determine what
works best for you and your team.

Flexibility

All project managers need the ability to adapt and overcome changes and challenges.
Let’s further explore why flexibility is such a critical project management skill and discuss
how it can help prepare your team for change, mitigate risks, and handle ambiguity. 

Flexible planning
Change is inevitable, and the more flexible you are as a project manager, the more
successful you will be throughout your career. These flexible planning strategies can help
you manage your project during times of unpredictability: 

 Assess external constraints. When planning your project, take external events into
account, such as national holidays and team member vacations and sick leave.
Leaving extra time in the schedule for these inevitable events up front can help
minimize the impact to your project.
 Plan for risks and challenges. If you consider the risks that may occur, you may be
able to find solutions for them in advance. For example, what if someone on your
team gets sick or decides to quit? Are you able to replace them within the
company? If not, can you hire an independent contractor? Come up with a list of
people who may be able to join your team if one of your team members becomes
unavailable. You can also assess risks by looking at historical data. Review your
past projects and examine the challenges you faced. Then evaluate if similar
challenges could occur in this project and prepare accordingly. We will discuss risk
management at length later in this program.
 Calculate “float” in your schedule. Float, or slack, refers to the amount of time
you can wait to begin a task before it impacts the project schedule and threatens
the project outcome. Identifying float in your schedule can help with resource
management, scheduling, and keeping your project on track. You will learn more
about calculating float in a later course, when we discuss creating a critical path for
your project tasks.

Handling ambiguity
Ambiguity can be a big challenge in managing projects. Project managers often face
ambiguity in goals, requirements, schedules, vision, or other areas related to the project.
Your team will look to you to lead during times of ambiguity and change, and flexibility is
especially important during these instances. Here are some different ways to help your
team deal with ambiguity: 

 Keep calm. In uncertain times, handling ambiguity with grace and poise will help
inspire the members of your team to do the same. 
 Express empathy. As a project manager, it is important to try to understand what
your team is thinking and feeling, especially during times of ambiguity. Let your
team members know that you care about the challenges they are facing and are
there to support them.
 Communicate what you know clearly. Define the aspects of the project that are
confirmed and will not change. This helps your team get a better sense of what to
expect, regardless of any aspects of the project that are still unknown or changing.
 Make decisions and stick to them. Try not to second-guess your decisions in front
of your team since this can lead to greater uncertainty. If you need to change
course, clearly explain why you have chosen to do so to your team. 
 Trust the expertise of your team. Increase clarity by having everyone on your team
discuss what they already know or believe to be true about components of your
 project, such as what is involved in specific tasks or resources needed, based on
their areas of expertise. Then, discuss what you still don’t know and brainstorm
ways to gather more information.

Key takeaway

As a project manager, having the flexibility and ability to handle ambiguity in a rapidly-
changing business setting gives you an advantage. Mastering these competencies, along
with enabling decision-making, effective communication skills, and strong organizational
skills, will allow you to innovate and grow as a project manager and leader.

Congratulations! You passed!

Grade received 100%

To pass 100% or higher

Go to next item

Reflection: Identify the essential skills of a project manager

Total points 6

1.
Question 1

In this exercise, you’ll practice identifying core project management skills. Read the scenario
below and try to identify the skills the project manager uses. Specifically, you can identify the
skills discussed previously, and consider when the project manager:  

 Enables decision-making
 Communicates and escalates 
 Demonstrates flexibility
 Applies organizational skills

Are you ready?

1 / 1 point

I'm ready!

Correct

Great! Now, compare your answers to the feedback below.

2.
Question 2

Scenario: Planning a Corporate Retreat

An event planning team of five is tasked with planning a corporate retreat for a business with 85
employees. This retreat involves hundreds of to-dos, a large budget, client-initiated changes, and
important discussions with the client. The project manager knows there is a lot to do, and they
are ready to lead the way.

Right from the beginning of the project, the project manager creates a spreadsheet to track what
needs to get done in the project, and what teammates are working on. They also send status
update emails twice per week to the stakeholders.

The project has a $100,000 budget. There are many items to purchase and rent, including venue
space, retreat materials, food, chairs, and tables. The project manager allows each one of their
teammates up to $3,000 in expenses, with anything over requiring an approval. 

Shortly after the project begins, the client decides they want to slightly change the theme of the
project to focus on the future instead of the past. The project manager has to work with several
team members to implement the changes which include graphic design, retreat materials, and
signage.

Throughout the process of changing the theme of the retreat, the project manager works closely
with the client by phone, email, chat, and video to ensure that the theme updates meet their
expectations.

There is an award-ceremony dinner at the end of the retreat. The deadline to finish scheduling
the dinner is in two days. Several crucial decisions need to be made: the menu, lighting, and
presentation music. To make sure the deadline is met, the project manager has a video meeting
with the client to ensure the dinner choices meet their expectations.

1 / 1 point

I've read the scenario!

Correct

3.
Question 3

How did the project manager enable decision-making in the project? Write 1–3 sentences.

1 / 1 point
You can help team members feel empowered from the start of your project by making the
decision-making process collaborative. You may have an idea of how you would like certain tasks
to be accomplished, but your team members may have more creative or efficient approaches.
Empowering your team to express their opinions and make their own decisions allows you to
focus on the overarching management tasks and prioritize them in order of importance

Correct

Thank you for your response. If your response did not include the process for dealing with project
expenses, you may want to consider how the project manager enables their team.

For instance, by giving each teammate a $3,000 purchasing limit, the project manager enables
teammates to make decisions on what to buy for the retreat. If they didn’t give the team this
option, then the project manager would have to make all the final purchasing decisions
themselves.

4.
Question 4

How did the project manager communicate and escalate in the project? Write 1–3 sentences.

1 / 1 point

Project management requires clearly communicating project goals and expectations, team
member roles and responsibilities, and constructive feedback. Knowing how to effectively
communicate and when to escalate issues to management is key to keeping you, your team, and
your organization on the path to success. When escalation is required, try to approach
management with both the problem and the potential solution or suggestions

Correct

Thank you for your response. If your response did not include the final dinner scheduling, you
may want to consider how the project manager dealt with that deadline.

When the deadline for the celebration dinner was approaching, the project manager scheduled a
meeting with the client to escalate and communicate the decisions that needed to be made. If the
project manager didn’t escalate these decisions, it may have gone past the deadline to order
food and materials for the dinner.

5.
Question 5

How did the project manager remain flexible in the project? Write 1–3 sentences.

1 / 1 point

By assess external constraints, Plan for risks and challenges and calculate “float” in your schedule.
A good project manager knows that unpredictable moments like these are almost always
guaranteed. A quote we love here at Google is, "The only constant is change," and that's true. By
staying cool under pressure, you'll be able to adjust while helping your team stay calm, too

Correct

Thank you for your response. If you did not include client change requests in your write-up, you
may want to consider how the project manager addressed client expectations. 

When the client requested to change the theme of the retreat, the project manager had to stay
flexible. They worked with teammates to get the necessary changes in place quickly.

6.
Question 6

How did the project manager use strong organizational skills in the project? Write 1–3 sentences.

1 / 1 point

You might decide to track daily tasks in a spreadsheet or send frequent status updates or
reminders. If you demonstrate that it is important for you, as a leader, to stay organized through
efficient tracking and communications, your team will follow suit. One way to do this is by
utilizing the abundance of organizational tools available, such as: • Planning and scheduling
software (templates, workflows, calendars) • Collaboration tools (email, collaboration software,
dashboards) • Documentation (files, plans, spreadsheets) • Quality assurance tools (evaluations,
productivity trackers, reports)

Correct

Thank you for your response. If your response did not cover how the project manager used tools
to stay organized, consider the following: The project manager created a spreadsheet to track
and organize the tasks for the project. 

They also used the tracker to assign tasks to specific team members. Sending status updates
twice per week was also a way the project manager stayed organized. The status updates could
also be viewed as a communication skill as well.

My name is Rachel, I'm a Senior Program Manager in Google, New York. Google hired me
out of a bar in the East Village about 12 years ago. For about three years, a group of NY Ops
and SRE, drank at my bar. Like everyone at the bar, they asked the bartender for advice. I
gave them advice and helped them through a lot of problems, and I also became friends
with them. I really admired them, they were incredibly smart and charming and really
good drinkers, and tippers. Eventually, I wanted something different for my life. I've been
standing behind a bar all night long, and there was an opportunity to apply for an admin
role in their team. So, I joined Google in 2008. They hired me first as an Administrator for
Site Reliability and Engineering Ops in New York City. After about two years, I transferred
into Program Management. Google's hiring is a little more conventional now, but the skills
that I polished while being a bartender informed my everyday work. A wise old bartender
that I knew in the lower East side once told me that, "A bar was a room full of tables and
chairs and some beer, and a meeting room was the same, a room full of tables and chairs.
People come into a bar like they come into a meeting room wanting to leave feeling
something else." As a program manager, my job was to help people through that
experience, the aesthetic experience of meeting with each other, making decisions, and
coming to conclusions together. Very similar to bartending and helping people have a
better night. My role as a program manager started by someone taking a risk on me. My
engineering partner picked me out of the admin pool because he knew that I could build a
community with these engineers. When you work in a bar, you have to talk to anyone who
comes into the bar. Anyone who walks through that door is your customer. You have to
understand what they want, what they want to drink, whether they can continue drinking,
whether they might be done drinking, all of these things. When you are working with a
subject matter expert, an engineer, a product designer, a UX person, the same things
apply. You have to be able to talk to any engineer on your team, any product manager you
need to work with, and you have to understand their unique needs. Program Management
isn't just about the process and the artifacts that you create, it's about how you relate to
people. Understanding what you've learned in other parts of your life, whether it was in a
bar or art school, these are the experiences that you bring into the job that make your
work unique. Your skills, talking to people or de-escalating conflict or understanding what
people need. This is what makes you a great program manager.

Common myths about project managers

We have talked about the skills that project managers need to be successful in their role.
Now, let’s debunk some of the common myths about what is needed to be an effective
project manager. 

Myth: You have to be an expert in the field and have a lot of technical knowledge about
the project. 

Reality: There are benefits to the project manager not having a lot of technical knowledge
about a project. Rather than getting caught up in the technical details when
communicating with management and stakeholders, the project manager can look at all
of the different pieces that the cross-functional team is working on and assess how they
each contribute to the success of the project. As a project manager, you bring on the right
team members—with their differing areas of expertise—and trust them to be able to focus
on the technical aspects of the project. Your job is to handle the communication,
documentation, and organization necessary to get the project successfully to the finish
line. 

Scenario: Jamar just landed his first project management job with a construction
company.  He’s been tasked with managing the construction of a new elementary school
in his city. He isn’t expected to know how to do all of the technical skills, like engineering,
construction, plumbing, and electrical; he hires the right people for the job. He
communicates the needs, timelines, and expectations of the project to his team members
and stakeholders and helps break down any barriers to completing the project on time.
Jamar helps the engineers and construction workers communicate with one another to
ensure that they are all on the same page regarding the requirements. He makes sure that
the materials are in place as needed for the plumbers and electricians. 

The bottom line: Project managers hire the experts and help put all the pieces of the
project together. Project managers don’t need to be experts in every field.   

Myth: Only people with a lot of experience within an organization can manage projects
successfully. 

Reality: It is a common misconception that anyone who has significant experience and
success in an organization can manage projects there. In order to successfully manage
projects in any organization, you must acquire the necessary skills, knowledge, tools, and
techniques and be able to apply them. You don’t necessarily need to have worked in
previous roles at that organization. In taking this certification, you are learning and
practicing how to be an effective project manager before taking on a position.

Scenario: Sofia is a supervisor at a large customer service call center. She has been
recognized by leadership as a top performer. To reward her, management has offered her
the role of project manager for the implementation of a new call center software program.
It will be her job to oversee the installation, training, and implementation of the new
process. Sofia tries to manage the project, but she has no idea how to create a project
plan, manage the various members of her team, identify risks, or handle any of the other
major project management tasks. She lets her manager know that she does not have the
appropriate training to manage the project but that she would like to build those skills.
Sofia’s manager enrolls her in a project management training course so that she will have
the necessary skills to manage projects in the future. 

The bottom line: To be a successful project manager at any organization—regardless of

whether you have worked there previously—it is essential to master the skills, tools, and
techniques of project management.
Myth: You have to know every single detail about the project at all times. 

Reality: Details matter in project execution, but as a project manager, you must also focus
on the big picture and strategy

for the project. What is the end goal? Do you and your team have a clear direction? If the
whole team understands their objectives and has what they need to be successful in their
tasks, they can work on the individual details and provide you space to supervise the
overall project goals. Open lines of communication will help ensure that your team
members share any possible risks to the budget or schedule with you. 

Scenario: Yui is a project manager working for a clothing company. The company is
developing a new line of winter sleepwear that is set to launch in late October. Yui meets
with the key stakeholders to determine their goals and timeline for the project. She
recruits employees from the merchandising, exports, marketing, materials, production,
and quality control departments to be a part of the project team. Yui meets with her team
at the start of the project to clarify the objectives for the product line and checks in with
them regularly to remove any barriers and find out where they need additional support.
When a team member from the materials department informs Yui that the fabric they
were planning on using for a particular style of pajamas has increased in price, Yui works
with the team member to find a new supplier so that the overall project budget is not
impacted. 

The bottom line: Your role as a project manager is to communicate with your
stakeholders, clarify objectives, and set expectations. Trust your team to handle the
details of each project task and communicate with you when there’s an issue. Through
your direct communication and strategic approach to problem-solving, you can provide
solutions and help remove barriers for your team. This is where you add value! 

We have just busted three project management myths! Recognizing these truths will help
you be more confident and successful as you pursue your project manager career.

Congratulations! You passed!

Grade received 100%

To pass 75% or higher

Go to next item

Test your knowledge: Acquiring the core skills of a successful project manager
Total points 4

1.
Question 1

Which of the following is true of project managers’ experience? Select all that apply.

1 / 1 point

They need to be familiar with project management tools

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.

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 have a lot of experience within the organization running the project

They need to have a lot of technical knowledge about the project

They need to know how to manage a budget

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!
2.
Question 2

Which skill should a project manager use when dealing with change and ambiguity?

1 / 1 point

Enabling decision-making

Effective organizational skills

Flexibility

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.
Question 3

Using tools such as a digital calendar and a spreadsheet to track team tasks is evidence of what
project management skill?

1 / 1 point

Communicating and escalating

Flexibility

Effective organizational skills

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.
Question 4

Which of the following flexible planning strategies can help a project manager during times of
unpredictability? Select all that apply.

1 / 1 point

Calculate float in the schedule.

Correct

Project managers should determine the amount of float certain tasks have to help them figure out
where they can change the order of tasks or juggle resources if needed. 

Rely on the knowledge of key stakeholders rather than trusting the expertise of team members.

Plan for risks and challenges.

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.

Assess external constraints.

Correct

Leaving extra time in the schedule for external

such as vacations and holidays can help minimize the impact to the project.
Earlier, you learned about the role of the project manager and the core skills you'll need to
be successful in that role. You've also learned more about your role within the project
team. Now let's discuss a few key skills that you'll use to build relationships with your
teammates and stakeholders. Using your interpersonal skills is key to building
relationships with the people involved in your project. By developing these relationships,
you'll learn about the needs and concerns of the team. This will help you determine the
priorities of the project and motivate your team throughout the process. Possessing
strong interpersonal skills is a huge part of good leadership. Even if you've never held a
formal leadership position, having these skills will help you when you need to guide a
team. This is called influencing without authority, which refers to a project manager's
ability to guide teammates to complete their assigned work without acting as their direct
managers. There's a few key interpersonal skills that you can use to accomplish this and
guide the project outcomes, even without the authority of being your teammates' boss.

These skills include communication, negotiation, conflict mediation, and understanding

motivations. Let's break these down.

First step is a key skill we've mentioned a few times now, communication. In the context
of leading a team, communication can include checking in with teammates to understand
how they're progressing on a task and providing clear feedback on the quality of a
teammate's work.

Next is negotiation. Negotiation might include working with a teammate to compromise

on a new deadline when they tell you that they won't be able to complete their work on
time. Now, trust me, I know this can be frustrating, but you'll need to use your negotiation
skills often with your teammates and stakeholders to balance their needs and what is best
for the project.

Another important skill is conflict mediation. As we mentioned, project plans can change
and issues will arise. This can sometimes lead to tension and conflict within the team.
Conflict mediation is a great skill to practice and develop to ensure the project does not
suffer as a result. This might involve setting up a meeting with two teammates who are
struggling to agree upon the best way to handle a shared task.

Finally, there's understanding motivations. This means getting to know your teammates
and figuring out what pushes them to do their best work. Understanding motivations
might also include learning how your teammates prefer to receive feedback, and how they
like to receive recognition for doing a great job. You would use that individualized
information to motivate and encourage each person on your team.

To recap, communication, negotiation, conflict mediation and understanding motivations

are all interpersonal skills that will help you influence without authority. During job
interviews for project management positions, you might be asked to discuss a time when
you influenced without authority, and it's possible that you've already noticed ways that
you've used these skills in your personal life without even realizing it. For example, let's
say you have a coworker who's constantly late to every meeting and I mean, every
meeting, while you can't force them to arrive on time, it's likely that you've thought about
ways to motivate them to want to be on time. In doing so, you might have also wondered
how to change the way you communicate with your coworker, to influence them to be on
time. Maybe you've tried asking them to arrive 15 minutes earlier than the rest of the
group or maybe you've told them how this behavior impacts the rest of the team. Both of
these strategies are examples of influencing without authority, and they serve to
encourage specific behavior. Influencing without authority is one of the most critical and
one of the most challenging aspects of project management. As you've just learned, you'll
need to leverage your interpersonal skills in order to do it effectively. In later courses, we'll
review and learn more about using your interpersonal skills to manage various projects.
We'll see you in the next video.

Which interpersonal skill helps a project manager get to know their teammates and figure out
what pushes them to do their best work?

Communication

Understanding motivations

Negotiation

Conflict mediation

SkipSubmit
Earlier, you learned about the role of the project manager and the core skills you'll need to
be successful in that role. You've also learned more about your role within the project
team. Now let's discuss a few key skills that you'll use to build relationships with your
teammates and stakeholders. Using your interpersonal skills is key to building
relationships with the people involved in your project. By developing these relationships,
you'll learn about the needs and concerns of the team. This will help you determine the
priorities of the project and motivate your team throughout the process. Possessing
strong interpersonal skills is a huge part of good leadership. Even if you've never held a
formal leadership position, having these skills will help you when you need to guide a
team. This is called influencing without authority, which refers to a project manager's
ability to guide teammates to complete their assigned work without acting as their direct
managers. There's a few key interpersonal skills that you can use to accomplish this and
guide the project outcomes, even without the authority of being your teammates' boss.
These skills include communication, negotiation, conflict mediation, and understanding
motivations. Let's break these down. First step is a key skill we've mentioned a few times
now, communication. In the context of leading a team, communication can include
checking in with teammates to understand how they're progressing on a task and
providing clear feedback on the quality of a teammate's work. Next is negotiation.
Negotiation might include working with a teammate to compromise on a new deadline
when they tell you that they won't be able to complete their work on time. Now, trust me,
I know this can be frustrating, but you'll need to use your negotiation skills often with your
teammates and stakeholders to balance their needs and what is best for the project.
Another important skill is conflict mediation. As we mentioned, project plans can change
and issues will arise. This can sometimes lead to tension and conflict within the team.
Conflict mediation is a great skill to practice and develop to ensure the project does not
suffer as a result. This might involve setting up a meeting with two teammates who are
struggling to agree upon the best way to handle a shared task. Finally, there's
understanding motivations. This means getting to know your teammates and figuring out
what pushes them to do their best work. Understanding motivations might also include
learning how your teammates prefer to receive feedback, and how they like to receive
recognition for doing a great job. You would use that individualized information to
motivate and encourage each person on your team. To recap, communication,
negotiation, conflict mediation and understanding motivations are all interpersonal skills
that will help you influence without authority. During job interviews for project
management positions, you might be asked to discuss a time when you influenced
without authority, and it's possible that you've already noticed ways that you've used
these skills in your personal life without even realizing it. For example, let's say you have a
coworker who's constantly late to every meeting and I mean, every meeting, while you
can't force them to arrive on time, it's likely that you've thought about ways to motivate
them to want to be on time. In doing so, you might have also wondered how to change the
way you communicate with your coworker, to influence them to be on time. Maybe you've
tried asking them to arrive 15 minutes earlier than the rest of the group or maybe you've
told them how this behavior impacts the rest of the team. Both of these strategies are
examples of influencing without authority, and they serve to encourage specific behavior.
Influencing without authority is one of the most critical and one of the most challenging
aspects of project management. As you've just learned, you'll need to leverage your
interpersonal skills in order to do it effectively. In later courses, we'll review and learn
more about using your interpersonal skills to manage various projects. We'll see you in the
next video.

Reflection: Influence without authority

Total points 2

1.
Question 1

In this exercise, you will read a scenario and comment about how you would react to the
situation. Then, you will list and describe skills that make a project manager successful. Start by
considering the following scenario:
A co-worker is responsible for researching and providing you with a list of potential venues for a
retirement party. For the last three weeks, they have been telling you they will complete the list
by “the end of the week (EOW).” When you check in with them at the beginning of each of the
weeks, they tell you they didn’t get around to completing it but that it will be done by the current
week.

How might you influence this situation without authority? Write 2-3 sentences.

1 / 1 point

Communication, negotiation, conflict mediation and understanding motivations are all

interpersonal skills that will help you influence without authority. Maybe you've told them how
this behavior impacts the project

Correct

How did you do? Here are a few approaches we recommend:

Talk to your co-worker about the overall schedule for the retirement party, and explain to them
how selecting a venue as soon as possible is critical to the success of the overall event and will
determine what the date of the party will be.

Ask your co-worker about their current workload and see if there is anything you can do to free
up their schedule. You can also offer to get someone else to help them, if needed.

Midweek, consider sending your co-worker a gentle reminder about their end of week
commitment and ask how it's coming along.

2.
Question 2

Write a list of the most valuable interpersonal skills required to be a successful project manager
and describe how each skill contributes to a project manager’s success. Write and describe at
least four skills.

1 / 1 point

First skill is communication. In the context of leading a team, communication can include
checking in with teammates to understand how they're progressing on a task and providing clear
feedback on the quality of a teammate's work. Next is negotiation. Negotiation might include
working with a teammate to compromise on a new deadline when they tell you that they won't
be able to complete their work on time. This can be frustrating, but you'll need to use your
negotiation skills often with your teammates and stakeholders to balance their needs and what is
best for the project. Another important skill is conflict mediation. As we mentioned, project plans
can change and issues will arise. This can sometimes lead to tension and conflict within the team.
Conflict mediation is a great skill to practice and develop to ensure the project does not suffer as
a result. This might involve setting up a meeting with two teammates who are struggling to agree
upon the best way to handle a shared task. Finally, there's understanding motivations. This means
getting to know your teammates and figuring out what pushes them to do their best work.
Understanding motivations might also include learning how your teammates prefer to receive
feedback, and how they like to receive recognition for doing a great job. You would use that
individualized information to motivate and encourage each person on your team.

Correct

Here’s a recap of the most valuable interpersonal skills we’ve discussed so far in the course.

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.

I'm Ellen and I'm a director of technical program management. That means I lead a team
of program managers at Google. I love project management because I really like this idea
that you can do more together as a team with a group of people than you could do alone.
By bringing in a bunch of people together and getting organized, getting aligned around a
common goal, We can do some pretty amazing things. I think a successful project
manager is somebody who really knows how to pull together a group of people. To me,
there's really two parts of project management. One is this laser-like focus on executing
on this goal, but then the other part is the people. So a successful project manager can do
both. When I first started managing project managers, it was really about everyone works
on their own project. How do I just guide them, give them guidance and help them with
their projects. Over the years, I've shifted to mentoring on project management, to
mentoring project managers. What I mean by that is, it's different. I'm no longer saying,
"Here's what you should do on your project." I'm really trying to help them think about
how to think about their projects. One of the things that I think about a lot as I'm building
a project management team is having a really diverse set of folks with different
backgrounds, different experiences. We're a global company, so we're really trying to
make sure we are a global team as well. When I talk about diversity of background and
experience, it really is about working in different types of environments with different
types of teams. When I chat with new project managers and they say like, "How do I
continue to grow as a project manager?" My answer is, work on different projects, work on
as many projects as you can, but don't be afraid to try different areas, different domains,
work with different people. With every project you work on, you're going to really learn
something.

Nice work. So far, you've started learning all about project managers and the value they
bring to their teams. We also introduced you to a few program managers here at Google,
who spoke about their own experiences working in the field. You also learned more about
the day-to-day responsibilities of a project manager and how they guide their teammates
to do their best work. And you learned about the types of skills you'll need to succeed in a
program management role. As we move forward, you'll develop and hone lots of the skills
needed for the daily tasks of a project manager. And hopefully, you've also identified the
skills you already have that can help you become a great project manager and an asset to
employers. Next up, we'll discuss the project life cycle. You'll learn more about the
different phases of a project and the tasks associated with each phase. You'll also learn
more about some of the most popular project management methodologies used across
industries today, and how to choose the best one for your project. See you soon.

Weekly Challenge 2
Latest Submission Grade 79.54%

1.
Question 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?

1 / 1 point

Effective communication
Optimism

Delegation

Prioritization

Correct

2.
Question 2

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?

1 / 1 point

Removing unforeseen barriers

Managing tasks

Managing the budget

Utilizing productivity tools

Correct

3.
Question 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?

1 / 1 point
Collaborate with other teams at the organization.

Ensure that issues and risks are tracked and visible.

Help teammates adopt the right workflows and project management styles.

Hold all team members accountable for their assigned tasks.

Correct

4.
Question 4

What can a project manager do to recognize individuals’ efforts on a team?

1 / 1 point

Set up effective tools so the team can easily work together.

Ensure team members have the correct skill sets for each project function.

Define key items and encourage team members to ask questions.

Learn what makes team members feel supported and provide positive feedback.

Correct

5.
Question 5

You’re a project manager on a team that is improving a product. How can you make sure the
project stays on schedule?
0 / 1 point

Track daily product improvement tasks of team members in a spreadsheet.

Limit communication with stakeholders to avoid input until product launch.

Provide data and feedback about how customers interact with the product.

Have a meeting with stakeholders to make them aware of product concerns.

Incorrect

Please review the video about the core skills of a project manager.

6.
Question 6

As a project manager, you learn that a teammate will be out sick for at least a week. They will be
unable to complete their tasks, potentially causing the project to go past its deadline. Which work
reallocation strategy can keep the project on schedule?

1 / 1 point

Have teammates work longer hours to get their tasks done and then do the out-sick teammate’s
tasks.

Review the out-sick teammate’s tasks to determine which tasks have “float” and figure out where
the order of tasks can be changed or resources can be juggled.

Distribute all of the out-sick teammate’s tasks evenly among team members.

Get leadership to approve overtime so the teammate can catch up on work when they return.
Correct

7.
Question 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?

1 / 1 point

Positive attitude

Understanding motivations

Conflict mediation

Negotiation

Correct

8.
Question 8

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.

0.75 / 1 point

Understand the impact of each process within the project.

Correct

Frequently communicate the larger project goal to the team.

Correct
Check in with the team as little as possible to increase productivity.

This should not be selected

Please review the reading on how project managers impact organizations.

Change the project end goal to meet the needs of project tasks.

9.
Question 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.

1 / 1 point

teammate

vendor

customer

competitor

Correct

10.
Question 10

As a project manager, how can you protect the team from changes to the project? Select all that
apply.

1 / 1 point

Limit communication outside the team once the project begins.

Clearly identify any project changes.

Correct

Let the stakeholders know how changes impact the budget and schedule.

Correct

Document initial expectations of the project.

Correct

11.
Question 11

Which of the following is necessary to be an effective project manager?

0 / 1 point

You must  have a college degree in management.

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.

You must have been in the project’s industry for at least two years.

Incorrect

Please review the reading on common myths about project managers.

Weekly Challenge 2
Latest Submission Grade 86.36%

1.
Question 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?

1 / 1 point

Optimism

Effective communication

Delegation

Prioritization

Correct

2.
Question 2

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?

1 / 1 point

Managing the budget

Utilizing productivity tools

Managing tasks

Removing unforeseen barriers

Correct
3.
Question 3

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?

0 / 1 point

Collaborate with other teams at the organization.

Ensure that issues and risks are tracked and visible.

Hold all team members accountable for their assigned tasks.

Help teammates adopt the right workflows and project management styles.

Incorrect

Please review the video about the responsibilities a project manager has within a team.

4.
Question 4

What can a project manager do to recognize individuals’ efforts on a team?

1 / 1 point

Ensure team members have the correct skill sets for each project function.

Define key items and encourage team members to ask questions.

Learn what makes team members feel supported and provide positive feedback.
Set up effective tools so the team can easily work together.

Correct

5.
Question 5

You’re a project manager on a team that is improving a product. How can you make sure the
project stays on schedule?

1 / 1 point

Track daily product improvement tasks of team members in a spreadsheet.

Provide data and feedback about how customers interact with the product.

Have a meeting with stakeholders to make them aware of product concerns.

Limit communication with stakeholders to avoid input until product launch.

Correct

6.
Question 6

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?

1 / 1 point

Escalate to stakeholders

Use collaboration tools

Assessing external constraints

Enable decision-making

Correct

7.
Question 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?

1 / 1 point

Negotiation

Understanding motivations

Positive attitude

Conflict mediation

Correct

8.
Question 8

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.

0.5 / 1 point

Understand the impact of each process within the project.

Correct
Check in with the team as little as possible to increase productivity.

This should not be selected

Please review the reading on how project managers impact organizations.

Frequently communicate the larger project goal to the team.

Correct

Change the project end goal to meet the needs of project tasks.

This should not be selected

Please review the reading on how project managers impact organizations.

9.
Question 9

Which of the following are examples of internal customers? Select all that apply.

1 / 1 point

Management

Correct

Suppliers

Team members

Correct

Organizational departments

Correct
10.
Question 10

As a project manager, how can you protect the team from changes to the project? Select all that
apply.

1 / 1 point

Limit communication outside the team once the project begins.

Document initial expectations of the project.

Correct

Clearly identify any project changes.

Correct

Let the stakeholders know how changes impact the budget and schedule.

Correct

11.
Question 11

To be an effective project manager, what important actions/steps should you take?

1 / 1 point

Confirm team members handle the documentation and organization necessary to finish the
project

Limit communication between team members so they can complete their work

Gain mastery over every detail of a project at all times

Ensure team members understand the team’s objectives and their individual tasks

Correct

Congratulations! You passed!

Grade received 95%

To pass 80% or higher

Go to next item

Weekly Challenge 1
Latest Submission Grade 95%

1.
Question 1

Which of the following are benefits of an internship? Select all that apply.

1 / 1 point

Boost your resume

Correct

Get short-term, hands on industry experience

Correct

Network with people in your desired industry

Correct

Get a guaranteed permanent position

2.
Question 2
Which of the following best describes why there is increasing demand for project management
roles in today’s job market?

1 / 1 point

Project management is a relatively new job title.

Project management roles are designed to adapt to changes and handle new processes as they
come up.

There’s significant turnover in the project management field.

Project management isn’t adequately compensated when compared to similar roles.

Correct

3.
Question 3

Which of the following are benefits of a contracting job in project management? Select all that
apply.

0.75 / 1 point

Guaranteeing a permanent position with a company

Building a portfolio

Correct

Experiencing different kinds of companies and project types

Correct
Developing a professional network

You didn’t select all the correct answers

4.
Question 4

Throughout a project, project managers have to keep project expenses within an expected
range. What is this project management responsibility called?

1 / 1 point

Networking

Managing tasks

Planning and organizing

Budgeting and controlling costs

Correct

5.
Question 5

Fill in the blank: Project management is _____.

1 / 1 point

the use of applications that can help you deliver your project on time, and with a successful
outcome

the series of tasks that need to be completed to reach a desired outcome

the practice of decision-making that is carefully planned and designed to meet the project
requirements

the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to meet the project requirements and
achieve the desired outcome

Correct

6.
Question 6

Fill in the blank: Project management is valuable to businesses because it _____.

1 / 1 point

helps ensure that a project sticks to long-term and short-term deadlines

helps ensure that a project delivers the expected outcomes on time and within budget

helps ensure that a project centralizes communication—both in real time and all at once

helps ensure that a project delivers goods or services that meet the customer’s needs

Correct

7.
Question 7

Which of the following responsibilities involves gathering project requirements and creating a
project plan?

1 / 1 point

Managing tasks
Forecasting the budget

Planning and organizing

Communicating project milestones

Correct

8.
Question 8

Fill in the blank: A ______ has a clear outcome and a clearly-defined start and end date.

1 / 1 point

task

project

program

communication

Correct

9.
Question 9

Which of the following tasks or roles could one use to demonstrate project management
experience during a job interview? Select all that apply.

1 / 1 point

Planning a surprise party

Correct
Managing a retail store’s inventory changes

Correct

Attending a formal event

Organizing a big move

Correct

10.
Question 10

As someone moving to a new location, you have several tasks. You have to plan for the various
expenses like boxes and movers. You also have to clearly label the boxes, and manage all of the
tasks leading up to and during the move. Which project management skills does the move
require? Select all that apply.

0.75 / 1 point

Deep technical experience

Budget preparation and monitoring

Correct

Organizational management

Strong planning and communication skills

Correct

You didn’t select all the correct answers

Congratulations! You passed!

Grade received 90.90%

To pass 80% or higher

Go to next item

Retake the assignment in 6h 3m

Weekly Challenge 2
Latest Submission Grade 90.9%

1.
Question 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?

1 / 1 point

Delegation

Effective communication

Optimism

Prioritization

Correct

Question 2
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?

1 / 1 point

Removing unforeseen barriers

Managing tasks
Managing the budget

Utilizing productivity tools

Correct

3.
Question 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?

1 / 1 point

Collaborate with other teams at the organization.

Hold all team members accountable for their assigned tasks.

Ensure that issues and risks are tracked and visible.

Help teammates adopt the right workflows and project management styles.

Correct

4.
Question 4
What can a project manager do to recognize individuals’ efforts on a team?

1 / 1 point

Set up effective tools so the team can easily work together.

Ensure team members have the correct skill sets for each project function.
Learn what makes team members feel supported and provide positive feedback.

Define key items and encourage team members to ask questions.

Correct

Question 5
You’re a project manager on a team that is improving a product. When inspecting the project,
you discover a defect. What action can you take that will simultaneously communicate and
escalate the newly-found problem?

0 / 1 point

Track daily product improvement tasks of team members in a spreadsheet.

Implement more functional tools so the issue doesn’t occur again.

Have a meeting with stakeholders to make them aware of product problems.

Ask team members about how customers interact with the product.

Incorrect
Please review the video about the core skills of a project manager.

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?

1 / 1 point

Use collaboration tools

Assessing external constraints

Escalate to stakeholders
Enable decision-making

Correct

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?

1 / 1 point

Understanding motivations

Conflict mediation

Negotiation

Positive attitude

Correct

Question 8
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.

1 / 1 point

Frequently communicate the larger project goal to the team.

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.

Understand the impact of each process within the project.

Correct

Which of the following are examples of internal customers? Select all that apply.

1 / 1 point

Organizational departments

Correct

Suppliers

Team members

Correct

Management

Correct

10.
Question 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.

1 / 1 point

Communicating

Planning

Mentoring

Promoting

Correct

11.
Question 11
To be an effective project manager, what important actions/steps should you take?
1 / 1 point

Confirm team members handle the documentation and organization necessary to finish the
project

Gain mastery over every detail of a project at all times

Ensure team members understand the team’s objectives and their individual tasks

Limit communication between team members so they can complete their work

Correct

Congratulations! You passed!

Grade received 90.90%

To pass 80% or higher

Go to next item

Weekly Challenge 2
Latest Submission Grade 81.81%

1.
Question 1

Suppose that as a project manager, you assign tasks to the team members who can best
complete them. What project management value does this represent?

1 / 1 point

Effective communication

Delegation

Prioritization
Optimism

Correct

2.
Question 2

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?

1 / 1 point

Utilizing productivity tools

Removing unforeseen barriers

Managing the budget

Managing tasks

Correct

3.
Question 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?

1 / 1 point

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.

Ensure that issues and risks are tracked and visible.

Correct

4.
Question 4

What can a project manager do to recognize individuals’ efforts on a team?

1 / 1 point

Ensure team members have the correct skill sets for each project function.

Define key items and encourage team members to ask questions.

Set up effective tools so the team can easily work together.

Learn what makes team members feel supported and provide positive feedback.

Correct

5.
Question 5

You’re a project manager on a team that is improving a product. When inspecting the project,
you discover a defect. What action can you take that will simultaneously communicate and
escalate the newly-found problem?

0 / 1 point

Track daily product improvement tasks of team members in a spreadsheet.

Ask team members about how customers interact with the product.

Implement more functional tools so the issue doesn’t occur again.

Have a meeting with stakeholders to make them aware of product problems.

Incorrect

Please review the video about the core skills of a project manager.

6.
Question 6

As a project manager, you learn that a teammate will be out sick for at least a week. They will be
unable to complete their tasks, potentially causing the project to go past its deadline. Which work
reallocation strategy can keep the project on schedule?

0 / 1 point

Have teammates work longer hours to get their tasks done and then do the out-sick teammate’s
tasks.

Get leadership to approve overtime so the teammate can catch up on work when they return.

Distribute all of the out-sick teammate’s tasks evenly among team members.

Review the out-sick teammate’s tasks to determine which tasks have “float” and figure out where
the order of tasks can be changed or resources can be juggled.

Incorrect

Please review the reading on flexible planning and handling ambiguity.

7.
Question 7
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?

1 / 1 point

Positive attitude

Understanding motivations

Conflict mediation

Negotiation

Correct

8.
Question 8

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.

1 / 1 point

Change the project end goal to meet the needs of project tasks.

Understand the impact of each process within the project.

Correct

Check in with the team as little as possible to increase productivity.

Frequently communicate the larger project goal to the team.

Correct

9.
Question 9

Which of the following are examples of external customers? Select all that apply.

1 / 1 point

Suppliers

Correct

Consumers

Correct

Contractors

Correct

Team members

10.
Question 10

Which of the following are examples of how a project manager empowers their team? Select all
that apply.

1 / 1 point

Allows team members to make some decisions for the project

Correct

Asks team members to get approval before communicating directly with stakeholders
Delegates project responsibilities

Correct

Uses team members’ input in project planning and execution

Correct

11.
Question 11

Which of the following is true of an effective project manager in an organization?

1 / 1 point

Have had a previous role in the organization sponsoring the project

Have the necessary skills, knowledge, tools, and techniques for the project

Must know all of the specific details of the project

Have personally met the project’s stakeholders

Correct

Congratulations! You passed!

Grade received 100%

To pass 80% or higher

Go to next item

Weekly Challenge 2
Latest Submission Grade 100%

1.
Question 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?

1 / 1 point

Delegation

Prioritization

Effective communication

Optimism

Correct

2.
Question 2

As a project manager, you create plans, timelines, schedules, and other forms of documentation
to track project completion. Which project management responsibility does this represent?

1 / 1 point

Managing tasks

Removing unforeseen barriers

Managing the budget

Planning and organizing

Correct
3.
Question 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?

1 / 1 point

Hold all team members accountable for their assigned tasks.

Collaborate with other teams at the organization.

Help teammates adopt the right workflows and project management styles.

Ensure that issues and risks are tracked and visible.

Correct

4.
Question 4

What is an example of measuring progress for a cross-functional team?

1 / 1 point

Learning what makes team members feel supported and giving positive feedback

Setting up effective tools so the team can easily work together

Defining key items and encouraging team members to ask questions

Recording milestones and documenting when tasks are completed

Correct

5.
Question 5

You’re a project manager on a team that is improving a product. How can you enable your
teammates to make decisions?

1 / 1 point

Keep the task schedule vague and allow flexibility on deadlines.

Provide data and feedback about how customers interact with the product.

Require teammates to include stakeholders during brainstorming sessions.

Limit communication with stakeholders to avoid their input until product launch.

Correct

6.
Question 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?

1 / 1 point

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
Tell them you’re upset with the changes and you didn’t make the decision

Correct

7.
Question 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?

1 / 1 point

Negotiation

Understanding motivations

Conflict mediation

Positive attitude

Correct

8.
Question 8

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.

1 / 1 point

Frequently communicate the larger project goal to the team.

Correct

Change the project end goal to meet the needs of project tasks.
Check in with the team as little as possible to increase productivity.

Understand the impact of each process within the project.

Correct

9.
Question 9

Which of the following are examples of internal customers? Select all that apply.

1 / 1 point

Management

Correct

Suppliers

Organizational departments

Correct

Team members

Correct

10.
Question 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.

1 / 1 point

Mentoring
Communicating

Planning

Promoting

Correct

11.
Question 11

To be an effective project manager, what important actions/steps should you take?

1 / 1 point

Gain mastery over every detail of a project at all times

Confirm team members handle the documentation and organization necessary to finish the
project

Limit communication between team members so they can complete their work

Ensure team members understand the team’s objectives and their individual tasks

Correct

Congratulations! You passed!

Grade received 97.50%

To pass 80% or higher

Go to next item
Weekly Challenge 1
Latest Submission Grade 97.5%

1.
Question 1

Which of the following are benefits of an internship? Select all that apply.

1 / 1 point

Boost your resume

Correct

Network with people in your desired industry

Correct

Get short-term, hands on industry experience

Correct

Get a guaranteed permanent position

2.
Question 2

What did researchers project in 2020 for job growth in the project management field?

1 / 1 point

Project management-aligned roles will need nearly 90 million people to fill positions by the year
2027.

Project management talent is only in high demand in large American cities.

Project management talent is in high demand in a few countries.

Project managers cannot succeed without a PM certification.

Correct

3.
Question 3

Which of the following are benefits of a contracting job in project management? Select all that
apply.

1 / 1 point

Building a portfolio

Correct

Experiencing different kinds of companies and project types

Correct

Developing a professional network

Correct

Guaranteeing a permanent position with a company

4.
Question 4

Throughout a project, project managers have to keep project expenses within an expected
range. What is this project management responsibility called?

1 / 1 point

Planning and organizing

Budgeting and controlling costs

Networking

Managing tasks

Correct

5.
Question 5

Fill in the blank: _____ is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to meet the
project requirements and achieve the desired outcome.

1 / 1 point

Organization

Communication

Budget management

Project management

Correct

6.
Question 6

What does it take for a project manager to ensure a project stays on-track and on-budget? Select
all that apply.

0.75 / 1 point

Collaboration
Networking

Careful planning

Correct

Technical industry experience

You didn’t select all the correct answers

7.
Question 7

Which of the following responsibilities involves overseeing activities that team members do on a
daily or weekly basis?

1 / 1 point

Managing tasks

Controlling costs

Forecasting the budget

Gathering requirements from customers

Correct

8.
Question 8

Fill in the blank: Typically, projects have a(n) _____ beginning and end.

1 / 1 point

vague
immovable

broad

defined

Correct

9.
Question 9

Fill in the blank: It's likely that you have used project management skills in the past, and these
skills are _____ in professional project management.

1 / 1 point

transferable

uncommon

inapplicable

impracticable

Correct

10.
Question 10

As someone moving to a new location, you have several tasks. You have to plan for the various
expenses like boxes and movers. You also have to clearly label the boxes, and manage all of the
tasks leading up to and during the move. Which project management skills does the move
require? Select all that apply.

1 / 1 point
Budget preparation and monitoring

Correct

Organizational management

Correct

Deep technical experience

Strong planning and communication skills

Correct

1.
Question 1

As someone seeking a project management role, you occasionally meet people in a professional
setting to share knowledge and create new business connections. This is an example of what
strategy to get a job?

0 / 1 point

Get an internship

Join LinkedIn

Update resume

Attend local or online networking events

Incorrect

Please review the video on searching for a job in project management.

2.
Question 2

What did researchers project in 2020 for job growth in the project management field?

1 / 1 point

Project management talent is in high demand in a few countries.

Project managers cannot succeed without a PM certification.

Project management talent is only in high demand in large American cities.

Project management-aligned roles will need nearly 90 million people to fill positions by the year
2027.

Correct

3.
Question 3

Which of the following are benefits of a contracting job in project management? Select all that
apply.

1 / 1 point

Building a portfolio

Correct

Guaranteeing a permanent position with a company

Experiencing different kinds of companies and project types

Correct
Developing a professional network

Correct

4.
Question 4

Once the project is underway, project managers help manage tasks for the team members and
communicate key milestones to stakeholders. What is this project management responsibility
called?

1 / 1 point

Budgeting and controlling costs

Managing tasks

Networking

Selecting tools

Correct

5.
Question 5

Which of the following is a way to define a project? Select all that apply.

1 / 1 point

A series of tasks that need to be completed to reach a desired outcome

Correct

An ongoing process with no defined end date

A unique, temporary pursuit that has a defined beginning and end

Correct

An endeavor with unlimited deliverables from stakeholders

6.
Question 6

Fill in the blank: Project management is valuable to businesses because it _____.

1 / 1 point

helps ensure that a project centralizes communication—both in real time and all at once

helps ensure that a project delivers goods or services that meet the customer’s needs

helps ensure that a project sticks to long-term and short-term deadlines

helps ensure that a project delivers the expected outcomes on time and within budget

Correct

7.
Question 7

Which of the following responsibilities involves overseeing activities that team members do on a
daily or weekly basis?

1 / 1 point

Managing tasks

Gathering requirements from customers

Forecasting the budget

Controlling costs

Correct

8.
Question 8

Fill in the blank: A ______ has a clear outcome and a clearly-defined start and end date.

1 / 1 point

task

project

program

communication

Correct

9.
Question 9

What is true of successful project managers?

1 / 1 point

Project managers need a formal education since project management jobs require a business
degree.
Project managers gain relevant experience in the real world since skills like budgeting and time
management are transferable.

Project managers are most successful when learning project management skills early in their
careers since it is a highly technical role.

Project managers are most successful when trained in a sector that is experiencing rapid growth,
like telecommunications or health care.

Correct

10.
Question 10

As someone moving to a new location, you have several tasks. You have to plan for the various
expenses like boxes and movers. You also have to clearly label the boxes, and manage all of the
tasks leading up to and during the move. Which project management skills does the move
require? Select all that apply.

1 / 1 point

Budget preparation and monitoring

Correct

Strong planning and communication skills

Correct

Organizational management

Correct

Deep technical experience

Congratulations! You passed!

Grade received 100%
To pass 80% or higher

Go to next item

Retake the assignment in 23h 48m

Weekly Challenge 1
Latest Submission Grade 100%

1.
Question 1

Which of the following are benefits of an internship? Select all that apply.

1 / 1 point

Get short-term, hands on industry experience

Correct

Get a guaranteed permanent position

Network with people in your desired industry

Correct

Boost your resume

Correct

2.
Question 2

Which of the following best describes why there is increasing demand for project management
roles in today’s job market?

1 / 1 point

Project management isn’t adequately compensated when compared to similar roles.

There’s significant turnover in the project management field.

Project management roles are designed to adapt to changes and handle new processes as they
come up.

Project management is a relatively new job title.

Correct

3.
Question 3

Which of the following are benefits of a contracting job in project management? Select all that
apply.

1 / 1 point

Building a portfolio

Correct

Developing a professional network

Correct

Guaranteeing a permanent position with a company

Experiencing different kinds of companies and project types

Correct

4.
Question 4

Once the project is underway, project managers help manage tasks for the team members and
communicate key milestones to stakeholders. What is this project management responsibility
called?
1 / 1 point

Networking

Budgeting and controlling costs

Managing tasks

Selecting tools

Correct

5.
Question 5

Fill in the blank: _____ is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to meet the
project requirements and achieve the desired outcome.

1 / 1 point

Budget management

Project management

Organization

Communication

Correct

6.
Question 6
Project managers need to meet each project's requirements and achieve the desired outcome.
To do this, should project managers use the same tools, techniques, and methodologies every
day on their projects?

1 / 1 point

Yes. Project managers should use the same tools, techniques, and methodologies every day—
this consistency is key to achieving an optimal outcome.

No. Project managers should use varying tools, techniques, and methodologies throughout a
project—this is key to supporting and adapting to a project team.

Maybe. Project managers should adopt whatever tools, techniques, and methodologies that a
specific company prefers—this keeps senior management happy.

Correct

7.
Question 7

Which of the following explains how a project manager best accomplishes their responsibilities?
Select all that apply.

1 / 1 point

Assigns project tasks to the appropriately-skilled stakeholders

Establishes the budget after the project begins

Communicates key project milestones to stay on task

Correct

Helps the team get what they need to keep the project going
Correct

Knows what the project team needs to accomplish and when

Correct

8.
Question 8

Fill in the blank: Typically, projects have a(n) _____ beginning and end.

1 / 1 point

vague

immovable

broad

defined

Correct

9.
Question 9

Fill in the blank: It's likely that you have used project management skills in the past, and these
skills are _____ in professional project management.

1 / 1 point

transferable

uncommon
inapplicable

impracticable

Correct

10.
Question 10

Fill in the blank: There are _____ job titles a project manager can have.

1 / 1 point

very specific

many and varied

only a few

a decreasing number of

Correct