Putting out fires sounds so…unpleasant. If someone asked me if I wanted to do that, I would probably feel reluctant, resentful, and a host of other negative things! What if we had an alternative phrase to use when responding to these unexpected, urgent needs that inevitably arise in all of our workplaces?

I want to share the three questions I was asked over and over in interviews with different tech companies. If you are preparing for a project manager interview, or just want some insight into this field, then this post is for you!

I recently listened to a Seth Godin interview where he shared some wisdom of his entrepreneurial journey. One comment in particular stood out to me, when he suggested that entrepreneurs don’t follow a roadmap, instead, they follow their compass.

Project Management itself may sound like a pretty clear job - - after all, it’s defined by process and organization, so how messy can it get?

It’s widely known that the Japanese company, Toyota, is an excellent example of lean manufacturing. Recently, I was reading about a concept Toyota employs called “genchi gembutsu,” which is translated in English as “go and see for yourself.”

The book “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries defines a startup as “a human institution designed to create a new product or service under conditions of extreme uncertainty.” Ries offers the idea that a startup can exist just the same within a large corporation as it can in a Silicon Valley garage.