Quiz #3

Q.1 You’ve just taken over a project that’s part way through. Your first move is to call a meeting of the team and your first question is to ask, ‘Ok, so what’s this project supposed to be delivering?’. Which of the following answers would reassure you most?

• A one-liner e.g. ‘we’re making a ____’, ‘the project will be over when …’
• A one-liner plus they hand you an up-to-date description of what the project is delivering
• They start to tell you the history of the project.
• They don’t answer the question directly but say, ‘We’re 90% done’.

Q.2 Same scenario as previous. Having asked them the previous question, you then say, ‘Can I see the plan?’ Which of the following would reassure you most?

• ‘We have a high-level plan’.
• ‘We’re using Agile.’
• ‘You mean a Waterfall kind of thing?’
• ‘Here you go.’

ANSWERS

Q.1

• 3 points. It’s a good start but you’re gonna need more than that.
• 5 points. Of course.  
• 0 points. See https://tinyurl.com/yc5n7wca.  
• 0 points. See https://tinyurl.com/yc5n7wca.  

Q.2 

• 1 point. If I think back over the number of times I’ve heard people say this – for me, this equates to no plan. But 1 point on the basis that I could be wrong this time.
• 2 points. So does that mean there isn’t a plan? In my experience this has often been the case. But 2 points on the basis that I could be wrong this time.
• 0 points. There’s no plan – believe me.
• 5 points. Yes.  

SCORES

10 points                     Don’t think the questions were too difficult.

Less than 10 points     Don’t think the questions were too difficult!