Explaining and Socializing the Role of the DPM
“Everybody, this is your new DPM. DPM, this is…everybody!”
In my last piece, I wrote about when a design team reaches the tipping point in its need and readiness to hire its first Design Program Manager.
Once you’ve hired this person — but, importantly, before they start — set them up for success by socializing their role with others in your team or organization. The first few weeks of a new job set the tone for the rest of a team member’s time at your company, so it always pays off to invest time up front to think about how that experience should feel.
Paving the way
If this is your team’s first DPM or if it’s a departure from roles you’ve hired for in the past, talking up the role across teams and leadership will make a big difference in getting someone confidently settled. “We’ve been expecting you!” is a much better greeting for someone new than “What’s a DPM?”
Put together a few quick slides or a tight document that answers the questions “What will they do? What won’t they do? Why now?” Circulate it widely. Take time, too, to let people know about your new DPM team member before their first day. Explain why you’re excited about them specifically and share some personal background on them. This bit of extra effort in the beginning can go a long way toward making your DPM’s debut successful.
Share and share again
Socializing the role of the DPM is not a “one and done” effort. Instead, it should be viewed as an ongoing conversation with stakeholders that happens regularly. I recommend that you take time to step back and frame your team’s work for your partners and stakeholders every quarter, every half, and every year.
It’s sometimes hard to find the time to think about how you work, who your role serves, and how your company or team benefits from your work specifically. It’s easy to push off updates and presentations in favor of taking on more urgent work. But getting into a disciplined rhythm of sharing in a predictable cadence will help this feel less overwhelming.
Once a quarter, share a succinct deck (key word: succinct) that explores the impact your team has had as well as lessons learned. This process boosts the team’s profile and strengthens your relationships. Make it easy for folks to champion your work by sharing a few highlights. Take the opportunity to reflect on what you’d like to do better next quarter. (I’ve found that articulating my role brings it into tight focus for myself too.)
Once a half, I encourage my team to have what I call “All About Me” meetings. Teams that work with DPMs generally have visibility into only a small fraction of the work going on, so in these meetings, DPMs briefly review the work they are doing, the successes they are having, and the projects they feel most invested in. These meetings also create space for them to request feedback and find out about new projects that might match their strengths or interests. Such meetings help track project status, of course, but they also give DPMs a chance to have a meta-conversation about trends they see, concerns they have, and areas they feel could use stakeholder support. Not to mention, it leaves a breadcrumb trail of their great work when it comes time for evaluations or promotions.
Once a year, I encourage my team to have a retrospective that also includes future planning. They can map out goals, metrics, and improvements or opportunities. This is another chance to explain and socialize the role of the DPM to partners and stakeholders, and it puts the team in a better position to ask for more help, support, or headcount.
Explaining the role of the DPM to others is part and parcel of the work we do, so expect to have this conversation multiple times. This should not be treated as a judgment of our abilities or impact. Over the past five years, I have continually invested time with partners and new hiring managers explaining “What is a DPM? How can DPMs help?”
By getting into a habit of socializing what you’re up to and why, you’ll always be prepared to answer these questions — and you’ll be building allies who can help you answer them as well.
