Zen of PM - Speaking with a ClearPerspective and a Clear Voice

Speaking with a Clear Perspective and a Clear Voice

As designstransform into implementation, even the best plans and designs need to berefined. If left unattended, small design changes can result in big threats tothe core value proposition you and your team set out to deliver. Programmanagers are vigilant advocates for the customer and value propositionthroughout every stage in the project, including execution. The reality ofsoftware development is that compromises must be made, features cut, and bugspunted. To make the right compromises, however, program managers provide aclear perspective and a clear voice that keeps reframing the problem (or moreaccurately, reasserting the original frame).

As aproject nears its end, things often become complicated and intense. Teams comeunder pressure to cut features, punt bugs, crises arise, and features may notlive up to expectations. In most cases, when you’ve framed the problemcorrectly, you should be able to use this framework to prioritize tradeoffs andmake endgame decisions. In some cases, however, the context that informed yourinitial framing may have shifted and you may have to go back and reframe theproblem, recreate a solution, or even abandon the effort altogether. Thestrongest program managers know “when the patient cannot be saved” and they donot allow emotions or personal interests to cloud an objective perspective.

Theprogram management perspective is also critical in assessing whether or not aproduct is ready to ship. Will it deliver enough customer value to win in themarketplace? Is the user experience right for customers? Will it delight ordisappoint? Will it exceed, meet, or fall short of the marketing promise?Having spent many hours with customers, marketing, usability, and with theproduct itself, program managers are in an ideal position to guide the endgameand ensure that the team works not only toward delivering on time, but towardsdelivering the right product.

Myths ofProgram Management

Program managementhas something of a reputation around Microsoft. Depending on who you talk to,this reputation ranges from hero to houseboy, but there are a few common mythsabout the role of the program manager that we think it’s time to eliminate.

1.      Myth:The program manager’s job is to take notes and schedule meetings:  Program managers often take notes andschedule meetings, but not because everyone else’s time is more valuable, butbecause they realize the value in documenting decisions and building consensus.They also use these activities to help set an agenda, focus decisions, and ensurethat the outcome is clearly captured. Having a record of what decisions weremade, and why, is an essential part of the solution process from a programmanagement perspective and good engineering in aggregate. Often, you’ll seeleaders in other disciplines playing these roles because they recognize thevalue. Note taking and scheduling meetings are not skills unique to programmanagement.

2.      Myth:The program manager is primarily an evangelist: Program managers are generally good public speakers and can communicatewell with a variety of audiences. That said, the primary role of programmanagement is as part of the product development team, not as an internal orexternal marketing resource. The fact that program managers tend to be strongcommunicators does not mean that program managers should spend most of theirtime explaining the plan of record to customers or other groups at Microsoft.Nor does it mean that every speaking engagement should be assigned to a programmanager. Overloading the program management role with presentations takes awaytime from their higher priority roles designing software, regularly engagingwith feature teams to advocate for the customer and preserve the valueproposition. Speaking engagements can be valuable for program managers, as wellas people in other roles … as long as this doesn’t become the focus of therole.

3.      Myth:“PM” stands for “project manager”:  Therole of program management is fundamentally about shaping software, not justmanaging the processes by which software is shaped. While there may be ajustification to have full time project managers for some projects, this isgenerally just a small part of the program manager role. Even if programmanagers do end up playing this role full time for some period of time, theCareer Stage Profiles for Program Management require a broader skill set forlong term success. A good program manager must be able to challenge developersand testers and suggest alternative courses of action and this can be done effectivelyonly when the program manager has a deep understanding of the project andknowledge of the technologies and approaches being used in the solution. Aprogram manager who can only comment on the number of outstanding tasks, whothey are assigned to, and whether they are ahead of or behind schedule, failsto provide insight into the most important state of a project — whether theproduct is on track to deliver on the value proposition and meet customerneeds. Furthermore, project management skills are not unique to programmanagement and can often be shared by other disciplines. Who better to drivethe schedule than the developers who are delivering the code? Who better tomanage the release process than testers who are acutely aware of the current stateof the product?

4.       Myth:Program managers should get coffee for developers:  A program manager who gets coffee or lunchfor a developer in the final hour of fixing the last gnarly bug before releaseis simply being a good teammate. This does not mean that program managers existonly to serve developers (literally or figuratively). Program managers exist,along with their counterparts in development and testing, to serve thecustomer. The best product teams view the roles of program management, developmentand testing as all having vital and necessary roles in the production of greatsoftware.

5.      Myth: The program manager is “in charge”:  You are a single member of ateam – a coequal team member. While it is true that the best programmanagers adopt an ownership mentality in driving to deliver features, it isalso true that the best teams are comprised of team members that all adopt anownership mentality for producing the right product. You will be mostsuccessful when you encourage all team members to feel like owners. Think ofyour development and testing partners as your business partners in a smallbusiness – all of you are owners and all of you make critical contributions tothe success of the team. High performing teams naturally divide into differingroles based on personality strengths and preferences. However, no one grants“in charge” status to program managers or anyone else. (There are severalvariants of this myth. Some examples include “Program managers areresponsible for strategy,” “Program managers write specification documents inisolation,” and “Only program managers talk with customers.” They are allwrong.)

PersonalityTraits of Successful Program Managers

How can youdetermine if you are a “natural” program manager — someone with the innateskills, aptitudes, and personality traits that exemplify the ‘zen’ of programmanagement? If you spend time with successful program managers, you will findthat some trends emerge. We’ve picked five naturaltendencies and behaviors, illustrated by short sound-bites, that we believeare common among successful program managers at every level (and in many casesmanifested themselves long before the individual became a program manager).

While we are notattempting to illustrate the full set of skills and abilities mapped by theCareer Stage Profiles (CSPs) for Program Management, it should be easy to seethe link between these personality traits and the progression of the CSPs. Doesthis mean that all program managers have similar personalities? No. Are programmanagers born or are they a product of their environment (trained)? The shortanswer is “both.” A significant portion of the skills in the program managementCSPs can be learned. The personality traits and natural tendencies discussedbelow, however, appear to be factors in whether or not individuals progressfrom “good enough” program managers to “great” program managers.

1.      “Do we really have a plan?”  Even in themidst of action, great program managers will step back and consider whetherthey (and their friends and colleagues) are really operating on a solid plan.If you are thinking about a career in program management, you should becomfortable challenging the plan of record, initiating action, and leading thedevelopment of a plan. In fact, program managers are often uncomfortable untiltheir team (or outside work, their friend or family member) has a crispcoherent set of achievable and believable goals against which to execute.

2.      “If I were designing that <insert random everyday object>, I would…”  Great program managers areinstinctive designers who crave creativity, design, and problem solving as partof their daily lives. As compulsive problem solvers, they often find themselvesin situations like examining the climate controls in a friend’s new car andquestioning whether they adequately serve their purpose, and then coming upwith potential enhancements for the next generation of the car.

3.      “Here’sa great movie we should go see.”  Great program managers are often naturalleaders even outside the workplace. You know those moments when a large groupis making a decision about something as simple as picking a movie? There is no“right” answer, so building consensus can be tough. The natural program manageris likely to at least float a proposal or facilitate consensus to get the groupmoving. If you’re considering a future in program management, you should not beafraid of leading a discussion, taking charge of a meeting, or driving a teamto consensus, even if you are not the best qualified to make a decision on yourown. Rather than becoming paralyzed by a lack of direction, great programmanagers are energized and challenged by ambiguity and driven to move thingsforward.

4.      “Letme tell you a story…”  Great program managers are comfortable and oftenpassionate communicators, with the patience to explain the whole story. Theytend to use analogies and stories to communicate, whether talking aboutpolitics, hobbies, or products. They are the people who send out detailed, butconcise, directions when inviting someone to their house. This tendency towardinspiring and guiding communication often translates into energetic andmotivating rallying cries capable of inspiring a team towards a commondirection or initiative. If you take pleasure in making sense out of complexityand confusion, you may be a natural program manager.

5.      “Here’swhat I think (though I may be wrong).”  Great program managers are naturalcollaborators who listen to ideas, facilitate discussion, and collect alternatedata or differing point of views. They tend to not to be afraid of dissent(giving or receiving) and are willing to take risks by putting their own ideasout there for feedback. These people will even try things where failure is avery real possibility because they intuitively know that even if they fail,they’ll learn something valuable from doing so. If you meet a great andwell-established program manager, ask if they’ve ever failed spectacularly. Youwill likely be met with a good story and lessons learned. If you are inclinedto explain away failed projects or pursuits or if you’re confident that you’venever failed, you might think twice about pursuing a program managementprofession.

So, while there is no one type of person that makes a successfulprogram manager, there are some common “symptoms” that suggest a tendencytoward the discipline. If you see yourself in the descriptions above, you justmay have the potential to become a great program manager!

PMPersonality Traits & Attributes

Problem Solving and Ownership

·         Desires and loves the challenge of strategic, tactical, macro and micro problems to deliver solutions based on a developed value proposition

·         Ability to collect data, analyze information, and compile summary results into a solution set for decision making

·         Skilled at combining coding skills, architectural design and customer requirements into a balanced value proposition

·         Can develop a vision, goals and priorities from raw information

·         Interest and acumen in financial results and return on investment analysis

·         Aptitude in contract and business negotiation

·         Very capable in time management techniques and prioritization

·         Accomplished at project multi-tasking and context switching as new problems present themselves or dynamics change

Communication

·         Is not conflicted or challenged in maintaining confidentiality of information or sensitive data

·         Thrives on the challenge of developing presentations and delivery to small and large audiences

·         Enjoys and competent at developing content and materials for internal and external audiences

·         Skilled at vertical and horizontal communications across disciplines, organizations and management layers

·         Understands and appreciates executive maturity and poise in all situations

·         Understands and adjust styles and modes of communication to best fit target audience and desired results

 

Leadership

·         Thrives on driving solutions and successful conclusions to ambiguous situations and problems

·         Comfortable in driving teams and results across organizations, teams and disciplines

·         Willing and able to “take charge” of a situation, meeting or problem without explicit or assigned authority

·         Enjoys coordinating and managing information to drive a successful project result or conclusion

·         At ease in being measured by schedule driven results

·         Not afraid to take risks or accept big challenges without fear of career impact

 

Customers and Partners

·         Accepts role and responsibility of representing partners and customers needs and requirements

·         Enjoys challenge of separating needs from wants; able to distill requirements from customer requests

·         Able to exemplify and communicate customer and partner empathy

·         Desire to study users, customers and partners to collect data for requirements analysis

·         Proficient in developing a value proposition for all stakeholders in a project

 

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