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Every card for one document, both halves open. Nothing here is graded, scheduled or due — tick the ones that are still abstract and queue an example for each.

30 cards · 0 with examples
Project Management Unraveled Expanded
Q What are the four pillars of effective project management
A Simplicity, Embracing Uncertainty, Communication, and Standardization
new project-management uncertainty philosophy
Q In project management, why does 'simplicity scales' mean the default answer to adding more process, categories, or committee members should be 'no'?
A Simple things survive contact with reality better — they're easier to communicate, maintain, and hand off than elaborate systems.
new project-management simplicity decision-making philosophy
Q In project management, what is the most effective tool for reducing uncertainty?
A Forward motion — starting and taking action, which generates information and reveals wrong assumptions
new project-management uncertainty decision-making
Q In project management, why is waiting until you 'know enough' to start considered counterproductive?
A It wastes time and creates false confidence — uncertainty is inherent to every project, and forward progress (not more planning) is what reduces it.
new project-management uncertainty decision-making
Q In project management, what is consistent, deliberate communication — overhead on top of the real work, or the real work itself?
A It largely IS the real work, since most project failures are fundamentally communication failures.
new project-management communication pm-philosophy
Q According to project management principles, what is the root cause underlying most project failures?
A Communication failures — breakdowns in information moving between people
new project-management communication failure-modes
Q Why does standardizing project processes free up a project manager's attention?
A Routine tasks become repeatable procedures, so mental effort is reserved for the genuinely novel parts of the project.
new project-management standardization productivity
Q In the definition 'a project is a temporary endeavor to create something unique,' what does *temporary* specifically mean?
A It has a defined beginning and end — it is finite and one-off.
new project-management definitions fundamentals
Q What two essential characteristics define a project, distinguishing it from ongoing processes?
A Temporary (finite, one-off) and unique (produces something that didn't exist before)
new project-management definitions fundamentals
Q What three elements must be defined to convert loose activity into a manageable project?
A A clear goal, a budget, and a deadline.
new project-management project-definition scope
Q In project management, what is the most effective way to reduce uncertainty?
A Taking action (building, testing, shipping) — forward progress generates information and clears the fog faster than more planning.
new project-management uncertainty decision-making
Q In the output → outcome → benefit chain, what does 'output' refer to?
A The thing you actually produce — the work done.
new project-management value-chain definitions
Q In the output → outcome → benefit chain, what does 'outcome' refer to?
A What changes because the output exists (the result produced by the output)
new project-management definitions value-chain
Q In the output → outcome → benefit chain, what does 'benefit' represent?
A The advantage or improvement that the outcome delivers (the ultimate reason the project is done)
new project-management value-chain definitions
Q In project management, what is the danger of focusing on the output rather than the benefit?
A You risk delivering something technically complete that nobody actually needed.
new project-management scope-definition benefits-realization
Q According to project management principles, what are the only two valid motivations that justify a project's existence?
A It either solves a problem or captures a new opportunity.
new project-management project-definition scope
Q In project definition, what does the 'why now?' question help you distinguish?
A Real priorities from things that merely sound good (i.e., why this moment rather than next quarter or next year)
new project-management project-definition prioritization
Q What three elements must a useful project goal specify to serve as a measurable definition of done?
A A direction and magnitude (which number, by how much) and a date (by when)
new project-management goal-setting definition-of-done
Q When building a project team, what is the correct sequence for identifying key roles?
A Sponsor → initial team members → stakeholders → steering committee
new project-management team-building stakeholders
Q When breaking down project work, how small should each task be in a project breakdown structure?
A Completable within about one week
new project-management planning work-breakdown
Q Why are week-sized tasks considered the sweet spot for project breakdown?
A Big enough to be meaningful, small enough that a stuck task becomes visible almost immediately.
new project-management planning task-breakdown
Q In project management what are your options as it pertains to handling risk
A TAME: Transfer the risk — shift it to someone better placed to carry it, for instance through insurance or a contract clause. Accept the risk — consciously decide to live with it, usually when the cost of acting exceeds the exposure. Mitigate the risk — take action to reduce its likelihood or its impact. Eliminate the risk — remove it entirely, often by changing the plan so the risky element no longer exists.
new project-management risk-management tame-framework
Q What three questions identify the full cast of stakeholders on a project?
A Who cares about it? Who can influence it? Who will be impacted by it?
new project-management stakeholder-management identification
Q When analyzing stakeholders, what three attributes should you assess for each one?
A Interest, influence, and disposition (positive / neutral / negative toward the project)
new project-management stakeholder-management analysis
Q In stakeholder management, what do the two axes of the 2x2 mapping matrix represent?
A Influence (or power) on one axis, level of interest on the other.
new project-management stakeholder-management frameworks
Q When should you address a stakeholder whose goals conflict with your project's goals?
A Before the conflict surfaces on its own — handle it proactively, early.
new project-management stakeholder-management conflict
Q In stakeholder communication planning, which group should receive the most frequent and tailored updates, and why?
A High-influence, high-interest stakeholders — they can make or break the project and care enough to engage, so they get priority attention to build and maintain momentum.
new project-management stakeholder-management communication
Q What is the purpose of a stakeholder communication plan?
A To deliberately decide who hears what information, and how often — based on stakeholder analysis.
new project-management stakeholder-management communication
Q Why should daily project status updates focus on *completed* tasks rather than percentage progress?
A To reinforce the done/not-done mindset — completion percentages mislead because the hard, unpredictable work often hides at the end and can't be gamed.
new project-management tracking status-updates
Q According to the standardization principle, at what threshold of repetition should a task become a standard operating procedure?
A Three or more times
new project-management standardization operating-rules