PMP Mindset / Hacks

Hello, as many of you know, AR / MR coined this ‘PMP Mindset’ that we can apply to most PMP exam questions and answer them correctly.

I believe these are the points that they cover:

PMP MINDSET PRINCIPLES / HACKS:

  1. Always discuss, investigate, review, analyze, assess, ask/consult before deciding on a solution. When the question asks what should the PM do first or next, remember this principle. Also, depending on the situation, sometimes you may need to talk to the team for more info.
  2. Never settle for delays or extra costs. However, extra costs precede delays
  3. Be a servant leader! (encourage, care, nurture, listen and never create friction in the team)
  4. Value is gold - always choose the most value driven option (look for keyword: value in the options)
  5. Root cause analysis and MVP (min viable product) or demo are your weapons (keywords to look for in the options are: root cause, mvp, demo)
  6. Any change will go through a change request process / integrated change control process / submit to Change Control Board CCB (for predictive). There is no change request process (for agile) - changes are prioritized in the product backlog
  7. Your team members are the experts, not you! Make every decision with them, PM cannot decide by themselves. Also, Stand Up Meetings in Agile /Scrum are only for discussing 3 qs (what did you work on yesterday?, what will you work on today?, any issues?)
  8. Admin tasks should be done by the PM
  9. The PM makes the decisions and handles the issues (no running to sponsors, management or HR). Note: The exam will mention project sponsor many times. ONLY go to the sponsor when there is a problem with the budget (example, money is running out) BUT going to the sponsor should be the last resort
  10. Everyone directly or indirectly involved is a stakeholder and must be added to the register (stakeholder register) and how they impact the project
  11. If a stakeholder is unhappy, review and implement the plan they are not happy about
  12. In predictive, changes go to CCB
  13. No matter if the project is completed or terminated, the closing phase must occur (predictive)
  14. In a predictive project, your plan is your map. Constantly refer back to it
  15. Predictive project keywords: change control board (CCB), change control process, perform integrated change control process
  16. Agile project keywords: sprint, iteration, scrum, daily standup, backlog, Kanban, product increment, product owner/manager
  17. When you or your team have no clue on what’s going on, a subject matter expert (SME) is what you need. Or, you can refer to past projects in the lessons learned register
  18. When transitioning from predictive to agile, introduce agile concepts slowly (pilot project, inception deck)
  19. Agile projects are self organizing - meaning teams are in charge however the PM can still step in to manage and resolve conflicts
  20. An agile project will always need consistent feedback from the customer
  21. Never immediately reject a request or an opportunity - especially from a client
  22. When the option mentions information not mentioned in the question, eliminate that option
  23. When question mentions that a similar project has been completed, choose the answer that allows you to refer back to that project (OPAs, lessons learned register etc.)
  24. Anytime an answer mentions only or any other word that eliminates all other possibilities, eliminate that option
  25. When the option mentions the PM to take a step back and assess the situation before deciding on an action, it is the correct option
  26. If the question mentions that there will be a potential schedule delay or affects the schedule / schedule change, always choose analyzing / looking at the critical path
  27. Never give your team member an extra task that will reduce their capacity to focus on their primary task. This includes grouping them with other members to train.
  28. If there are 4 bad answers, choose the best one; if there are 2 good answers, choose the one that should be done first
  29. In Agile: Project Owners are accountable to approve / reject changes and to reprioritize the backlog. The PM and team can add/remove items to the backlog only after discussing with the Project Owner. Also, Project Owners are the only ones that have the authority to cancel the sprint. They should be involved when any changes/issues occur.
  30. Review the problem before you inform stakeholders. If a task has already been reprioritized and there are still issues, you should communicate to the stakeholders. Also, if there’s a risk (not happened yet), you update the Risk Register. Don’t mixup an issue (already happened) with a risk.

Are there any other ones that we can add on to this list?

Those of you that got PMP certified, firstly, CONGRATS!! If you can share any other particular mindset hacks / points that helped you, it would be great :)

And those of us that are preparing and will be taking the test soon, let’s compile a comprehensive list to help each other out!