At some point during a challenging project, you inevitably find out if your project manager actually cares – could be during a looming deadline, a malware attack, or just an intense phase of development.

If you’re working with an offshore team, the distance doesn’t make your team leader’s concern (or lack thereof) easier to fake.  You’ll know if she cares – it’s unmistakeable.

Leaders who don’t care hide behind contracts, jump too quickly to “that’s impossible”, or question (inappropriately) business need.

You can increase your chances of success immeasurably by finding out how much your project manager cares before you hit that first fire drill.

One way to figure this out: create an intense deadline early, before the project is anywhere near its critical phase.  In most cases, you’ll learn something about the character of your team.