Program managers are experts at negotiating complexity and driving success. Let's explore what program managers do and why this crucial role is so exciting.
In business, both tactical and strategic planning are equally important. While working on short-term goals leads to actual results, it does not guarantee stability and success in the future – to achieve that, there must be a vision that outlines the company’s ambitions and explains how the actions employees take today contribute to something bigger.
This is why in a larger organization where teams are involved in different projects, it's important to keep all stakeholders aligned and focused on a common purpose.
This is the job of a program manager – a specialist who develops a strategy and oversees the whole work process, ensuring collaboration and team cohesion.
Read on to learn the responsibilities of a program manager, necessary skills needed, the education requirements, and how this role differs from project management. And who knows - maybe it'll sound like the ideal next step for your career.
A program manager is a specialist who is in charge of coordinating several projects at the same time, as well as the employees involved in them. By “program,” we mean either multiple interdependent projects (like starting a business from scratch or creating a new product) or an ongoing, long-term project (like continuously improving customer service or any grant-funded program).
The role of a program manager involves performing all 4 management functions – planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Roughly speaking, this means that as with any other managers, program managers:
However, a characteristic feature of program managers is the strategic value of their role.
They work in a broader context, developing a vision and building a strategy of how to make that vision a reality. Their task is to synchronize the efforts company-wide: they manage teams across the whole organization, aligning all the projects so that they all share the same ultimate goal.
Naturally, such a job requires exceptional communication skills, the ability to organize a huge number of employees, and lots of resilience and patience.
A program manager is a link that unites all the project teams by managing multiple projects. A list of responsibilities includes the following:
Project and program management are not the same things.
While project and program managers share some of the responsibilities, these are two different jobs that should not be confused. People in both of these roles are expected to make plans, delegate tasks, and ensure a smooth work process – however, each of them does it differently.
Project managers are responsible for a particular project, focusing on providing deliverables (products or services.) They work on a single project, restrained by a specified deadline and resources. This means the goals they strive to achieve are short-term, and they work on a tactical level, caring for the content rather than the context.
In contrast, program managers are in charge of multiple projects at the same time, which they coordinate to achieve a broader, long-term business goal. In other words, their role is strategic, as they focus not on a specific deliverable but rather on organizational growth. They can also oversee a program that unfolds for years.
In terms of hierarchy, a project manager typically reports to a program manager. Program managers are often former project managers.
However, for their collaboration to be more effective, program and project managers should be close partners, supporting each other and exchanging insights.
To reach their goals successfully, program managers need to have a set of certain skills that would help them coordinate the work of multiple stakeholders.
Since they are involved in strategic company development, program managers should not be just managers who make sure work is done well and on time – they need to be leaders. They need to inspire and motivate a large number of stakeholders throughout their work.
So let’s see what management and leadership skills are needed to make a great program manager:
In addition to this, we should also say that a program manager’s job is high-pressure and fast-paced. A person who would like to work in this role must be resilient and good at time management – the job would require lots of communication, decisiveness, and quick reactions. This might be draining for some people.
There are different ways of becoming a program manager – through education, training, and experience. Of course, the most perfect method is a combination of the three, which would give you a competitive advantage.
Let's shortly discuss each of the methods.
Online courses and certifications will provide you with the knowledge necessary to start a new career. You could consider the following options:
This is the most practical method that consists in gradually building your expertise and gaining knowledge:
The job of a program manager would be a great fit for natural-born leaders, not scared of responsibility and ready to respond to everyday challenges.
Overseeing all work processes from a bird’s eye view is demanding but rewarding – because if you succeed, you will create long-term value for your company.
