This is by far the most important communication test that you’ll need to evaluate Project Manager candidates.
It not only test their communication skills, but also their process skills, and their problem solving skills.
In the last video, I told you to grab a friend and do the peanut butter and jelly sandwich test yourself.
So how did you do?
Now, Let’s go over the WRONG way for a candidate to conduct this test.
Ok Mr Smith, what I want you to do is go to your kitchen cupboard and grab some bread.
Take out two pieces.
Then go to your fridge and grab some peanut butter. Then grab some jelly.
Next I need you to get a knife.
Now, lay the bread down and insert your knife into the peanut butter. Take out a glob of it and then spread it on the bread.
Next, do the same thing with the jelly.
Now place the two pieces of bread together and you’re done!!
So that is the wrong way to do this test. And if you don’t know why then you will absolutely want to pay attention to what went wrong.
First off, I didn’t ask the person on the phone is they had any bread.
I also didn’t ask if they had any peanut butter or jelly or if they even knew what peanut butter or jelly was.
I also didn’t ask them to get out a plate to place the bread on. I didn’t ask them what kind of peanut butter they might like (crunchy or smooth), I didn’t ask them what fruit they liked for the jelly. I also did ask them if had a clean knife or what kind of knife they should use for the peanut butter.
I didn’t ask them if they liked the sandwich cut in half.
Basically there were just a ton of assumptions.
So if you interview a project manager candidate and they do the test this way, then you know that you have the wrong person.
In the next video, I’m going to show you the PROPER WAY to do the Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich test so you’ll know exactly what to look for when interviewing Project Manager candidates.