If Vito Corleone, the “Godfather” of the infamous Godfather movies, had been interested in obtaining a PgMP Certification, I am sure he would be regarded as one the “best program managers” in the “business”.
Over his long career as a leader in the Corleone Crime Family, he had the skills that a Program Manager should possess.
Although it may seem a stretch, you can’t deny that a great Program Manager gets things done. You need to learn skills and become proficient in them if you want success in all aspects of your life. The path to becoming a great program manager is no different.
This guide will help you determine which skills to use and when they should be used to help current and future Program Managers. Grab your notepad, this guide will show you how to become ‘The Best Program manager’. Let us know if you see any parallels between these skills and Vito Corleone’s management of his crime family.
1. Understanding People
Resource Management
Program Managers oversee the ongoing projects within an organization. A project is managed by a group of people. It takes a lot of strategic juggling to manage a group of Project managers and effective communication to keep them all on the same page.
It is essential to have good resource management skills. This includes the ability to manage people and work. It is essential to know the right mix of people that can do the job on time. This skill can be acquired even if it means temporarily assigning people or taking them off.
Dealing with Politics
Each project will have its own set of stakeholders. It can be difficult to manage the expectations of senior employees within their organizations. You won’t succeed if you have an acquiescent attitude, but it will help you to know when to compromise. Office politics, in its simplest form, is about differences between people at work. These can be differences in opinions, conflicts or interests, and sometimes manifest as office politics. It all boils down to human communication and relationships.
Know Your Audience
Although it may seem obvious to communicate effectively with stakeholders, you’d be surprised at how many problems can arise from key members not being informed about certain decisions or poor communication practices. Understanding the communication styles and how they work is a great way to ensure your message is heard clearly.
Building Talent
There is work you can do alone in an organization. We want that to be the case most of the time. However, if people are not included in the work process and if they don’t allow them to grow as people, make mistakes, and take responsibility for them, it will negatively impact the performance of the entire team. It’s hard enough to grow as an individual, but a great Program Manager recognizes that and makes sure that everyone succeeds in achieving the goals they have set for themselves and their team.
Projects may be completed in a year, but programs can go on for years.
Program managers must be vigilant about their staff and especially against burnout. You can’t work tirelessly and with perfect dedication forever, so make sure your staff has enough downtime. This should include a reduced amount of noise at work, fewer deliverables, and adequate time away for vacations.
2. Psychology of Self
Decision Making
The Program Manager is responsible for making decisions in a program management role. It is a skill to be confident enough in yourself and the resources you have in order to take decisive actions when necessary. It is crucial to know when to act quickly and when not delay when a problem occurs.
It is difficult to balance the tension between too much and too little information in the job description. Making decisions when there is a conflict of interest or point of view is another obstacle.
A great Program Manager understands that the right decision is not a fictive concept. Take all factors into consideration and trust them to guide you through a variety of options and finally make a decision.
Situational Thinking
You’ll be dealing with a lot of time-sensitive and tricky problems every day. It will help your team and the many projects that you are involved in if you can take a step back and modify the way you approach a problem. This will help you gain a new perspective and allow you to know which type of thinking is best for the situation.
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