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Professional Development Director
Ha Nguyen
What differentiates the best program managers from the best project managers
I have recently read an interesting article from the Corporate Executive Board (CEB) PMO Leadership Council about what differentiates the best program managers from the best project managers. CEB’s preliminary research shows some of the key areas where the best program managers
differ from the best project managers:
1.
They Possess Business Knowledge at the Organizational Level: They see their work in the larger organizational context, are able to connect projects to broader organizational goals and grasp the key performance
indicators of business partners.
2.
They Play to Team Strengths: Assigning the right people to the right tasks in day-to-day project operations is
a hallmark of the best program managers in addition to creating a motivating environment and clearly communicating objectives
3.
They Are Savvy Project Advocates: Strong stakeholder partnership is a characteristic shared by effective project and program managers. The ability to effectively communicate and interact with senior leaders, drive
consensus among parties, and build trust with stakeholders is critical to achieving business outcomes. The
best program managers are savvy project advocates that can effectively navigate organizational politics to
secure necessary project resources.
4.
They Don’t See Process at Static: A threshold level of process knowledge is necessary for all project management professionals, In addition the best program managers demonstrate a desire and ability to continuously
improve established processes, not just execute them.
5.
They Use Judgment to Effectively Tailor Methodology: The best project and program managers deploy their
judgment in a myriad of ways (e.g., escalation timing, tailoring communications), but it is effective tailoring
of methodology to suit project needs where the best program managers stand out. They don’t see methodology as a one-size-fits-all approach, but rather as a customizable tool to facilitate their work.
This is in line with a key theme at the PMI Australian Conference this year – paradigm shift in program and project
management skills. Leadership, strategic and business management skills are skills required in the next generation
of Program and Project managers and not just technical skills. A Program or project manager is no longer ‘just a
project manager’ but a Business Consultant, Trusted Advisor and Change Agent.
Meetup is the world's largest network of local groups. And, PMI Sydney Chapter is now on Meetup! Visit:
http://www.meetup.com/Sydney-Project-Managers/ to check out the details
and to register. See you there
P AGE
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