Top Program Manager Skills of Successful Program Managers

Introduction

As we grow in our careers, we become more aware of the position and our best skills. With a strong hold on your skills and position, you may land in a new role within the team or elsewhere in the organization. Often, a program manager or project manager role could be the next stage in your career.

In this article by Sprintzeal, you will learn about program manager's skills, roles, and responsibilities. The main focus of the article is to introduce the skills of a program manager and help them stand out on a resume.

Role of Program Manager

A program manager's role is basically to oversee the accomplishment of bigger organizational goals. They act as a bridge between various projects rather than handling them directly.

To track and manage related projects, organizations require program managers. The demand for program managers is in all types of sectors—public sectors, healthcare, technology companies, consultancies, and e-commerce.

The title of a program manager may depend on the job role and the organization. Some companies keep fairly descriptive titles like "technical program manager," "program manager—Operations Excellence," and "policy program manager. On the other hand, titles may be simply "program manager" or "global program manager."

However, this role usually reports to the executive level, C-suite employees, heads of departments, and higher-level managers/administrators in an organization.

The programme managers do the following to achieve and accomplish the company goals:

Strategic leaders- as a program manager, your role demands setting up high-level plans and initiatives and providing guidance to project managers.

Analysts- for the success of the project, a program manager works on identifying metrics, tracking them, and analysing them regularly.

Coordinators- enabling cross-communication between different teams and keeping C-suite leaders informed of a program’s progress

Top 9 Program Manager Skills

As we have already discussed the role and responsibilities of programme managers, let us now look at a list of all the soft skills and technical skills that programme managers require to do their job well.

Communication skills

"Sharp, clear, and effective, and reading, writing, and speaking skills are incredibly important."

The most required workplace skill for a program manager is sharp communication skills. As program managers' work demands clear and effective communication with project team managers.

A project manager must be dependable, consistent, and straightforward in order to effectively communicate complicated ideas to team members of all levels. A programme manager must be fluent in the concepts and terminology used in various businesses in order to focus on specialised tasks and individual projects.

Program manager skills include communication in a variety of forms, such as verbally through speeches, presentations, and meetings; in writing via memos, emails, and letters; and via phone calls or web-video conferences.

Management skills

"Capability to handle resources, timelines, and control processes in the business."

As you've already figured out, a program manager's job is all about management. Stakeholder management, resource management, time management, and management of human resources are all essential program management skills.

The role of program manager demands that they be excellent negotiators and mediators, deliver and adhere to realistic and precise time schedules, and supervise the execution of interconnected, complicated projects while maintaining an eye on overall company goals.

It's essential for project managers to be organized. Maintaining discipline to stay on top of communications and duties is necessary when coordinating timelines, meetings, and activities with other teams, contractors, or even other businesses.

Critical thinking skills

"The ability to analyze, implement, and evaluate a matter to form a judgment."

To analyse processes, incorporate project manager feedback, answer stakeholder concerns, and adjust organisation policies to create more efficient and profitable systems, critical thinking plays a major role.

Program managers must face issues early and directly in order to correct course and successfully convey a revised business case or project plan based on new developments and available information.

Leadership skills

"Initiates and inspire the team to work and achieve a common goal".

Every successful project relies on teamwork, so it’s important for program managers to put effective leadership techniques into practice to inspire their team as they work towards common objectives.

In order to get successful projects from concept to conclusion, project managers must guide project team members in both inspirational and practical ways.

Decision-making skills

"The ability to make quick, wise, and valuable decisions and choose the best course of action."

A wise and conclusive decision-making process is an important aspect of strong leadership and a significant element of the program manager’s role.

To produce valuable outcomes, program managers must possess a thorough understanding of business logistics, battle-proven techniques, and a sense of responsibility and accountability in constantly changing conditions.

Interpersonal skills

"Specific social skills to interact, communicate, and collaborate with the team and management effectively."

Program managers perform as a link between project teams and upper management. They coordinate with stakeholders, supervise team member negotiations, and handle the interdependencies of a variety of initiatives within a program.

Building strong teams with a shared vision and goal requires communicating with each group with knowledge, ease, and insight.

Risk management

"Identifying, evaluating, and preventing against project challenges"

There are some or other potential risks associated with projects. As a project manager, it is critical to identify all of the unexpected events that can derail the project, how to avoid those circumstances, and what action should be taken if that event occurs.

Also, in case something unexpected occurs, the program manager should know how to adjust resources. Maintaining a focus on potential risks and how to mitigate them can ensure a smoother project delivery.

Organizational skills

"The ability to stay focused, maximize efficiency, and maintain a structure for the work."

To control a complete program and its entire timeline, program managers must be highly organized.

This organisational skill of a program manager includes overseeing the operations of teams of employees and executives as well as the delivery of tangible goods and services like materials and supplies.

Large programs and groups of projects require careful early planning, milestone monitoring, progress control, and risk management, all while keeping a focus on time management and budget.

Technical skills

"Basic knowledge of the process, technology, copy, design, and coding to manage more efficiently"

Program manager technical skills include a wide array of technical knowledge and experience. The technical skill set for a program manager includes experience in Agile, waterfall, and lean methodologies.

Because they are familiar with project management tools, they can communicate with experts and development teams in terms of both technical knowledge and language.

Master skills of Program Manager

The position of programme manager necessitates strong leadership from natural leaders. The scope of the role is highly analytical and detail-oriented to make a project successful.

To fulfill the role and responsibilities of a good program manager, advanced training and experience are of great help.

If you are looking forward to upskilling, enroll in the PMP Certification Training Course and get closer to your dream job role.

Takeaway

As we move forward in our careers, our roles and responsibilities change. To excel in your career, skills play a vital role. The article serves as a good introduction to program managers' skills, which will be helpful in carrying out your duties at work more accurately and efficiently.

As a beginner or professional, to accelerate your career, check out the courses offered by Sprintzeal or chat with our course expert for better guidance.

Read more blogs to cover

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Project Management Interview Questions and Answers for Managers

Frequently Asked Question

1.What is the role of Program manager?

A program manager's role is to handle multiple projects at once. They compete with many other project managers and oversee the overall growth of the project. The job of a program manager is to strategize, coordinate, and manage a group of related projects.

2.How to Become a Program Manager?

To become program manager, a bachelor’s degree and experience in project management are the prime requirements.

For program managers, 2-3 years of project management experience is sufficient. Upskill yourself by taking a course, and then begin applying for the role of program manager.

3.What skills does a program manager need?

Program manager skills are:

-Sharp communication skills

-Leadership skills

-Strategic planning

-Controlling program

-Monitoring

4.What's the Difference Between a Program Manager and a Project Manager?

The role of the Program manager is to oversee projects, on the other hand, project managers lead individual projects.

5.Which skill is most important for a program manager?

As a program manager, there are many skills that are required to carry out the role efficiently. Out of all, the ability to lead is the most important skill, which helps program managers handle all aspects of projects like execution, monitoring, and control.