Is the Manager Committed to the Project?

 

Situation: You're Looking for a Truly Committed PM...

George Washington once said,

"I do not mean to exclude altogether the idea of patriotism. I know it exists, and I know it has done much in the present contest. But I will venture to assert, that a great and lasting war can never be supported on this principle alone. It must be aided by a prospect of interest, or some reward."

Aside from being qualified on paper, what makes a Project Manager successful?   I beleive the project itself needs to not only be something the PM can accomplish, but something that fits within that person's "big picture" interests.  Find a qualified PM with whom your interests are aligned and you'll have a motivated, committed leader.

The George Lucas Educational Foundation recognizes the importance of Big Picture context as well when using project approaches to teach students.    This is an excerpt from their project based learning series, called Start with the Pyramid.

"The Big Picture 
In project-based learning, students try to answer a question -- one that has relevance for them -- that is greater than the immediate task at hand. In its book Connecting the Bits, the NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education gives the example of students at a Kentucky elementary school conducting surveys, doing research, building models, and taking field trips with the goal of determining the best kind of new bridge to build over the Ohio River.

Ask your Candidate:
- How does this project fit within the context of your career?  
- What will you learn from this experience that you couldn't learn elsewhere?
- Is this project the right thing for the company to do from your perspective? Why?
- Is this the right project for you? Why?