Program managers as train conductors
When I describe program management to someone, I use the train as a metaphor. (Note: I’m thinking here of the sleek and speedy TGV that whisks you into Paris, not the Caltrain that creeps into San Francisco.) And program managers are the train conductors.
When someone approaches us and says, “I need a program manager,” I ask, “What’s the problem you’re trying to solve?” Or “Where are you trying to get to?” I ask if any commitments have been made, if a plan is in place, who’s involved, and what’s the driving factor. (For example: getting a feature out as quickly as possible, or making sure the product meets the needs of the customer?) To use the train metaphor: If you’re going from San Francisco to New York, are you more concerned with how fast the passengers arrive at their destination or what stops they make along the way?
We’ll work on a plan that includes many things, such as requirements, timeline, resourcing, roles & responsibilities, and success measures. Again, to use my metaphor: I need to know what the route is, what the schedule looks like, how many passengers and staff will be on board at what stops, and who’s responsible for tickets, lodging, meals, repairs, etc. Passenger surveys will be used to measure success.
Once we start moving, communication is such a big part of what program managers do. Formal communication takes place when we run a program meeting, which is where we align on the next several milestones, make decisions to enable forward progress, communicate plans (such as pricing plans or launch plans) that have cross-functional ramifications, and resolve issues. Status reporting is another type of formal communication, where we communicate program status via email. Informal communication can also be equally if not more important than formal communication. Dropping by someone’s desk, hanging out near the team, having coffee with key team members or stakeholders to build those relationships — these are the times when we learn what’s really going on with a program.
The program manager is focused on cross-functional coordination. They bring in the various team members at the right time. Some team members such as engineering might be along for the whole ride. But other teams such as the legal department may not need to get on the train until later in the program, when marketing plans are in place. It’s important that the program manager can count on each participant to do their job. They won’t get into their business unless there’s a problem. They’ll ensure that the food supplier will be at the station in the right place at the right time but they don’t get involved in what the menu looks like. They just need to know the supplier has things under control.
A key skill we look for in program managers is the ability to be proactive, to know what the next few milestones or train stops are, and to understand and mitigate risk. If the train is traveling through the Rocky Mountains in November, a good program manager will call the track maintenance team ahead of time to ensure the branches overhanging the tracks are cut down before the train comes barreling through. They’ve run this sort of program before and know that if a branch or tree were to fall and block the tracks, it could slow down the train or, worse yet, bring it to a screeching halt. They know their stakeholders and who they can count on to deliver, and who or what has been problematic in the past.
If the train slows down, they’ll mitigate the risk and get the train rolling again. Good, proactive program managers are always mitigating risk. They’re always thinking about what could possibly go wrong and putting things in place to ensure they don’t.
Program managers work objectively. The teams and people working on a program often have diverse opinions, and it’s the program managers who are facilitating the conversation without taking sides, driving to a decision that ensures the program’s goals are being met. Objectivity builds trust. When there is trust, team members or stakeholders will alert the program manager to a risk (ideally before it becomes an issue) and they know that program manager will solve it in an objective way — not taking sides, but instead with the best interests of the program in mind.
Finally, a good train conductor is always checking in on progress and making sure the goals for the trip will be met. Program managers use retrospectives — certainly at the end of a program, but often at the completion of key phases of the program, or legs of the trip — so they can stop what’s not working, keep doing what is, and make improvements along the way. A well-run program will ensure passengers are happy and come back for more so that the business runs as effectively as possible. All aboard!
