What is a Program Manager?
The program manager’s job is to take a high-level view of the entire program, and strategically guide others to ensure they are all working effectively toward the program’s objective. Program managers apply the big picture lens and helps all those working on a project to make better decisions.
Duties of an effective program manager include:
- • Daily program management throughout the program lifecycle
- • Define the program governance
- • Plan the overall program and monitor the progress
- • Monitor the program’s budget
- • Manage risks and issues and take corrective measurements
- • Coordinate the project(s) and their interdependencies
- • Manage and utilize resources across projects
- • Inform and advise stakeholders
- • Align deliverables to the program’s outcome
- • Maintain the main program documents
- • Manage Owner Expectations
- • Improve the entire cross-functional team’s communication and coordination
- • Safeguard the quality of the project plan and it’s deliverables
- • High level Monitoring of the goals, risks, available resources, and budgetary limits of the project
- • Makes the downstream work of everyone involved in a project run more smoothly and efficiently
The Program Manager: a Strategically Invaluable Role
A Program Manager has a unique vantage point and insight to guide programs in the most strategically advantageous way. They can provide long-term value for the vision and direction of any project. Any organization juggling more than a single project at a time will benefit from a program manager.
What are Traits of Good Program Management?
· Consensus Building-Create alignment across multiple teams or even projects to ensure everyone is marching in the same direction and aware of their role in the grand scheme of things.
· Risk Assessment-As program managers must spot, track, and triage risks as they arise, escalating when required without continually sounding the alarm and ratcheting up the drama. Spotting and getting ahead of issues rather than simply reacting to them after the fact is a key differentiator for great program managers.
· Attention to Detail-Program management constantly interprets project progress and ties it back to budgets, deadlines, and strategic objectives. They’re also typically on the hook for ensuring everything is well-documented, whether they do it themselves or delegate it to others.
· Great Communications-There are three distinct types of communication: status reporting, direction setting, and problem-solving:
o Status reporting requires considerable written, verbal, and organizational communication capabilities. They must deliver comprehensive yet efficient status updates to a broad audience in multiple formats with the appropriate level of detail for each individual.
o Direction setting is required to inform and shape the scope and schedule of individual projects (and project managers) that roll up under their programs. Objectives and deadlines must be clear, and program managers must be willing to ask hard, probing questions to determine how projects are truly progressing.
o Problem-solving comes into play continually for program managers. When obstacles, challenges, and resistance arise (which happens quite often over the life of a project), they must be willing to dive into the details and create action plans to ensure the program isn’t put in jeopardy.
What is the most difficult task of a Program Manager?
Program managers must demonstrate their authority regarding projects related to their program. Very few people are responsible for key deliverables that report to them. They must establish themselves as both senior leaders and the day-to-day representative for the executive sponsor of the initiative.
Conclusion
Program management prioritizes strategic thinking over purely tactical response, which is not always an easy transition for project managers to make. Program managers provide long-term value for the vision and direction of the project; they help others more concerned with short-term plans, sprints, and deadlines while remaining mindful of the direction of the Owner. Programs serve as the connective glue that enables complex initiatives and transitions to be successful, particularly over long periods, and demand competent oversight from its managers.