From globalization to smart devices to social media, the business world has changed radically in the past decade. For strategic initiatives to succeed in this shifting environment, organizations must renew emphasis on the tenets of program management, which provides the focus, structure and discipline necessary to achieve desired outcomes.
True program management—and ultimately, program success—can be achieved by adhering to these 10 steps:
1 Accurately describe the problem.
Many times, there is a lack of up-front rigor in properly defining or validating the business problem, and the program charter addresses the wrong problem. A program manager zeroes in on the exact problem from the outset by developing the program charter and involving key stakeholders.
2 Articulate the program vision and goals.
In the early stages of a program life cycle, an effective program manager draws out and repeatedly communicates expected results of the program. The program manager must direct and drive the team to ensure the plans deliver against the goals.
3 Define program success and key performance indicators to gauge success.
During program initiation, it's important to determine key performance indicators and the definition of program success. Similar to business executives keeping a close quarterly tab on top-line and bottom-line performance, a program manager needs to track and report progress of the initiative through the agreed-upon performance indicators.
4 Develop and implement a governance model.
A common but avoidable mistake is limiting program-level governance to an afterthought. Early on, program managers must work closely with executive sponsors to develop and implement a governance model that spells out processes for decision-making, strategic change control and “go/no” phase gates for progression through the program life cycle.
5 Secure cross-functional executive sponsorship.
Program managers typically confront cross-functional issues, constraints, risks and barriers. Consequently, they must obtain direction and timely decisions from executives who have a stake in the outcome.
6 Invest in planning.
Given the long life cycle of many programs, the itch to commence execution too early and without adequate planning is high. Program managers must resist the temptation to short-change the planning process.
7 Drive strong partnership and stakeholder engagement.
Programs are most successful when program managers collaborate proactively with stakeholders. All stakeholders must be identified and an engagement strategy crafted for each stakeholder at the time of program initiation.
8 Provide leadership across all levels.
Given organizational matrices, work complexities and corporate politics, program managers must deftly guide issues and manage risks through multiple organizational levels and across functions to ensure the desired program outcomes are realized at each phase of the program.
9 Monitor aggressively and have contingencies.
Program managers must develop and implement rigorous processes to track progress. Like an automobile that fails if routine oil changes are ignored, ongoing and timely corrective action is critical to avoid major setbacks. Program managers must think ahead and have a “What's our plan B?” mindset.
10 Create and implement an operations transition plan.
Through well-designed transition plans, program managers prepare all operations and support functions to handle the new product or service being delivered by the program. Additionally, they develop knowledge transfer and training plans to ensure top-tier customer support even after the program team is dissolved.
Effective program management is critical to achieving successful outcomes. For companies seeking a competitive edge, rigorous program management can be the “secret sauce” to accomplishing strategic initiatives and gaining market leadership. PM