20 Questions

Questions to Ask About a Project

Navigate project discussions with strategic questions that help you understand scope, requirements, and expectations while gathering valuable information for successful project execution.

1

What's the project's main objective and what are the expected outcomes?

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Why this works

Reveals the project goals while helping you understand what the project aims to achieve and what success looks like.

2

What's the project timeline and what are the key milestones?

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Why this works

Shows the project schedule while revealing the timeline, deadlines, and important milestones throughout the project.

3

What's the project budget and what are the financial constraints?

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Why this works

Demonstrates the financial scope while revealing the budget, funding sources, and financial limitations.

4

What's the project scope and what are the boundaries?

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Why this works

Shows the project limits while revealing what's included and excluded from the project scope.

5

What's the project team structure and what are the roles and responsibilities?

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Why this works

Demonstrates the team organization while revealing who's involved and what each person is responsible for.

6

What's the project's approach to risk management and contingency planning?

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Why this works

Shows their risk awareness while revealing how they identify, assess, and manage project risks.

7

What's the project's approach to quality assurance and testing?

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Why this works

Demonstrates their quality focus while revealing how they ensure quality and test deliverables.

8

What's the project's approach to communication and stakeholder management?

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Why this works

Shows their communication strategy while revealing how they communicate with stakeholders and manage relationships.

9

What's the project's approach to change management and scope changes?

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Why this works

Demonstrates their flexibility while revealing how they handle changes and scope modifications.

10

What's the project's approach to resource allocation and management?

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Why this works

Shows their resource management while revealing how they allocate and manage project resources.

11

What's the project's approach to technology and tools?

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Why this works

Demonstrates their tech approach while revealing what technology and tools they'll use for the project.

12

What's the project's approach to documentation and knowledge management?

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Why this works

Shows their documentation strategy while revealing how they document and manage project knowledge.

13

What's the project's approach to vendor and supplier management?

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Why this works

Demonstrates their vendor relations while revealing how they work with external vendors and suppliers.

14

What's the project's approach to compliance and regulatory requirements?

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Why this works

Shows their compliance awareness while revealing how they handle regulatory requirements and compliance.

15

What's the project's approach to training and knowledge transfer?

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Why this works

Demonstrates their learning focus while revealing how they handle training and knowledge transfer.

16

What's the project's approach to performance measurement and reporting?

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Why this works

Shows their measurement strategy while revealing how they track and report project performance.

17

What's the project's approach to lessons learned and continuous improvement?

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Why this works

Demonstrates their improvement focus while revealing how they capture lessons learned and improve processes.

18

What's the project's approach to sustainability and environmental considerations?

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Why this works

Shows their environmental awareness while revealing how they incorporate sustainability into the project.

19

What's the most important thing for team members to know about this project?

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Why this works

Provides key guidance while revealing what they consider most critical for project success.

20

What's the project's vision for success and how do you plan to achieve it?

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Why this works

Shows their long-term thinking while revealing their vision for project success and strategies to achieve it.

Mastering Project Discussions

Expert tips and techniques for getting the most out of these questions.

Best Practices

Understand the Scope

Ask about project scope, objectives, and boundaries to ensure you understand what the project entails and what's expected.

Assess Resources and Timeline

Ask about budget, timeline, and resources to ensure the project is realistic and achievable with available resources.

Evaluate Risk and Quality

Ask about risk management and quality assurance to understand how they handle potential issues and ensure quality.

Question Sequences

The Scope Explorer

1
What's the project's main objective and what are the expected outcomes?
2
What's the project scope and what are the boundaries?
3
What's the project timeline and what are the key milestones?

The Management Focus

1
What's the project's approach to risk management and contingency planning?
2
What's the project's approach to quality assurance and testing?
3
What's the project's approach to communication and stakeholder management?

Common Pitfalls

Don't Focus Only on Technical Aspects

While technical details matter, also ask about management, communication, and stakeholder relations. These factors greatly impact project success.

Avoid Generic Questions

Don't ask questions that don't reveal their specific approach and methods. Ask about their unique project management strategies.

Don't Ignore the Human Side

Remember that projects involve people. Ask about team dynamics, communication, and stakeholder management.

Conversation Templates

The Scope Explorer

1
Step 1: Start with: "What's the project's main objective and what are the expected outcomes?"
2
Step 2: Follow with: "What's the project scope and what are the boundaries?"
3
Step 3: Deepen with: "What's the project timeline and what are the key milestones?"

The Management Focus

1
Step 1: Begin with: "What's the project's approach to risk management and contingency planning?"
2
Step 2: Explore with: "What's the project's approach to quality assurance and testing?"
3
Step 3: Connect with: "What's the project's approach to communication and stakeholder management?"

Further Reading

"The Project Management Body of Knowledge" by PMI
"Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time" by Jeff Sutherland
"The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries

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