Believe it or not, there is still some ambiguity around the role of a project or program manager, even in industries flooded with PMs!
What then, does one say when asked "What will the Program Manager do?" The short of it: Create and maintain project plan, report status and execute.
The length of it is much more fun in my opinion:
Determining Scope
What is the scope of the project? What does it entail and what will it include? a lot of this information can be based on available resources, relevant information, executive asks, and needs. Some questions could include what am I trying to influence with this project? Am I trying to execute something from prototype to production release? Am I passed the research phase? What kind of influence will my project have if it is in or prior to the research phase?
Asking these questions beforehand will be very important in determining the scope of my project and will be critical during the planning phase.
Creating Forecasts
How much do I anticipate my project will cost? What percentage of each team member's time? Will there be overhead costs? Additional cost for research?
Having and categorizing costs for my project will be crucial in proposing my project to the necessary executives and ensuring I have the financial backing I need for my project from start to finish without any surprises.
Not sure what the forecast will look like? Look at previous projects that have had similar outcomes or scopes and start with that.
Building and Maintaining a Schedule
There are some excellent tools that are both functional, easy to use, and easy to present at the drop of a hat in the case that executives want to know the status of the project.
There are also web-based scheduling tools available that are easy to share with teammates. These tools make it easy to maintain and adjust schedules based on dependencies.
Following up and Chasing Deliverables
This is the single most important day-to-day effort of a good PM. No duty is too small and no task is overlooked! The PM must be diligent about maintaining excellent relationships and helping team members to meet their deliverables. The key of a good leader is to ensure your teammates have everything they need to fill their tasks and it is up to the PM to ensure the resources are connected effectively.
Building and Maintaining Relationships
I briefly mentioned this in my previous section. This is crucial in leading efforts as a PM. In the standard managerial hierarchy, it is well received to manage up. As a PM, however, the devil is in the details and relationships must be maintained everywhere in order to ensure a successful project. The PM may have the backing of the executives at times but escalations hurt relationships. It is almost a catch-22. We lead the effort, but with no managerial power to do so.
Having a good, helpful attitude and approach will help to maintain relationships. Respect teammates and their expertise. Ask them for advice. Include them in the brainstorming phase. Continuously ask for feedback. Reach out and learn each person's relationship language so that you know how to approach that person. Acknowledge team efforts and ask for incentives from management whenever possible to recognize efforts.
Removing Obstacles
This goes along with chasing deliverables. Often times a team or member may be at a stuck point, not because they forget, but because there is some kind of obstacle stopping them from filling their task. What is it? What can you do? Who needs to be pulled in? Will this be a reoccurring event? If so perhaps a process improvement needs to be implemented to prevent obstacles like this from happening again in the future.
Intuitive process improvement methods can be used and for larger projects, Six Sigma methods such as DMAIC and SIPOC are good tools for systematic, statistical-based improvements.
Collaborating with Teams
Often times in a Program Management role, it will not just be one team, but a medley of cross-functional teams across the company that will need to be pulled in for a portion of the whole of a project. In this case, understanding the team is important. Being included in team meetings, getting to know different cultures, and speaking their language are essential. The PM can be a jack of all trades but is a subject matter expert in the project or program. Recognizing what each team is teaching you and bringing to the table is important while balancing the expertise in the program will be essential in successfully managing the project in an effective way.
By combining these efforts, a Program or Project manager has everything he or she needs to manage and attain the appropriate resources while managing both up and down and ensuring everyone has everything they need for the program. Being a good leader often is determined by how well one can serve the effort.
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