What are the additional/new skills required to step up from a project manager to a program manager role?
As the profession of Project Management continues to evolve and mature the distinction between Project and Program Management is receiving more focus, attention and debate.
The PMI and AIPM have formalised the distinction in their communities by creating separate Project and Program Management credentials with program management focused on the competency to oversee multiple, related projects and their resources to achieve strategic business goals.
But when the rubber hits the road is this distinction by aggregation enough?
Management by Context
The practitioner in Quay believes that the major difference between Program and Project Management is less about how many project managers are reporting to a program manager and the dependencies and resources and more about the lens by which the Manager looks at the work being performed i.e. management by context.
The project manager will have defined scope, schedule, budget, work products, and outcomes – best practice sees these clearly articulated and agreed to by the appropriate governance. The project manager will drive the process groups for each phase of the project such as initiation, planning, executing, monitoring, controlling and closing usually following some structured approach or methodology.
The program manager however has a different focus. A program manager is less about the PM101s and more about the return on investment and strategic alignment of the work being performed within their programs.
Holistic Perspective, Engagement and Alignment
The program manager becomes a de facto business unit overseeing the execution of significant change to realise strategy. The program manager thereby assumes a senior manager role in the organisation and accordingly must be equipped to understand the business holistically, engage and lead meaningful conversations with other leaders across the organisation and balance the competing demands of project managers (or stream leads) within their programs as well as the interests of the organisation as a whole (which at times will conflict).
Of course a solid knowledge of the PM101s and application of fit for purpose assurance measures across the project managers is a part of the program managers remit which can often be executed by a program management office rather than the program manager directly.
Managing the Competing Demands of Projects Within Programs
Another key success factor for a program manager is the ability to apply reasoned judgment and particularly regarding the timing of when decisions need to be made or problems solved.
It is a reality that what is in the best interests of a project may not always be in the best interests of the program at large and the ability to balance these competing demands whilst keeping your teams enthused and focused on their project outcomes requires careful judgment, communication and sensitivity.
View Program Managers Through a Different Lens
To summarise the lens of project management is specific, structured and managed through process whereas the lens of program management is contextual, less structured and management through executive leadership.
So when selecting your program manager make sure you look carefully at their EQ and ensure you have selected an executive leader capable of addressing the challenges that lie ahead.
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