The What, How and When of Program Management

Advertisement [Contact Us](mailto:contactus@projectmanagement.com) [About Us]( [Update Profile]( February 7, 2018 As our new month-long theme begins, we give you the 411 on program management, ask if you need a PMO and help you become a better program manager. Plus, more best practices in BRM, help with change requests and three results of poor communication. The Knowledge Shelf connects you with organizational culture, while our blogs help you understand the power of influence—and combat unclear requirements. Readers ask for advice with mentoring and general data protection regulation projects in our forums, and it's time to sign up for [PMXPO 2018](! Advertisement [Linking the IT PMO to the Business]( Download the recently updated whitepaper, “Linking the IT PMO to the Business” to learn the reason behind misperceptions within your organization and begin to change the view of the PMO with a prescriptive approach. [Download Now >>]( "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well." - Pierre de Coubertin []PM HEADLINES [On Program Management: Knowing What to Do...and How and When to Do It (Part 1)]( There are a number of leadership and organizational competencies that must be in place to enable an organization to adopt and institutionalize adaptability, or what some would call “organizational agility.” But simply internalizing these concepts is not getting the job done, and understanding the approach isn’t sufficient. Beyond knowing what to do, we also need to know how and when to do it. [Do You Need a Program Management Office?]( Program management offices can serve a useful purpose, or they can be extremely disruptive. When is the right time to implement one for your programs? [Program Management Without Authority: How to Be a Successful Type 2 PM]( Program managers leading programs or projects where they yield no authority over resources, schedule or scope can be a challenge in any situation. Yet this is a situation many PMs face on a daily basis. Read more about how there are two types of program managers... [Best Practices in BRM (Part 4): Communicate a Powerful Benefits Message]( This is the fourth of six articles on best practices in benefits realization management and its integration into project governance. Here we address communicating a powerful benefits message. This helps teams understand what they’re really working toward so they’re more engaged and focused; necessitates a clear, aligned set of priorities, underlining when that’s not the case; and allows for a bird’s-eye view of priorities across the organization’s project portfolio. [Register for PMXPO 2018!]( Register Now for PMXPO 2018 and join us Thursday, March 22nd! ProjectManagement.com is excited to bring you the 11th edition of its free annual virtual conference and exhibition, headlined by our keynote presentation from Joel H. Cohen, Emmy-winning writer and producer of The Simpsons! "You, and you alone, are the person who should take the measure of your own success...I do not try to be better than anyone else. I only try to be better than myself." - Dan Jansen [Change Management Failure: 3 Key Issues Caused by Poor Communication]( Many things can derail a project, but nothing is as effective at it as poor communication. Here are three key issues caused by a lack of communication... [The Difference Between Account Managers & Project Managers]( It’s not uncommon that organizations with a wide spectrum of service offerings and functional roles have blurred lines between the distinction of account and project management. The reality is that the two roles are quite different—and require different skill sets and focuses. [Ranking and Prioritization of Change Requests]( In the real business world, there are several techniques used by organizations to process change requests that impact a stable environment. This article will share a perspective on utilizing the weighted average technique to rank and prioritize a change request. []KNOWLEDGE SHELF [How to Connect With Organizational Culture and Enhance Meaningfulness]( Connecting with organizational culture to enhance productivity is paramount in project management; it helps to not only improve performance, but also adds meaningfulness. How can organizations align their values with talent management to inspire team members and create a high-performing culture? The mission of [Knowledge Shelf]( is to help project professionals advance our practice by sharing their experiences and viewpoints. It is comprised of practitioners from a wide range of fields, covering both popular and niche topics. From lessons learned and case studies to opinion pieces and articles, this platform gives a voice to peers new to our online community, and allows for longer form contributions. For more information on how to submit your own article, please see our [Editorial Guidelines](. []THE PM POLL Is there a question you've been itching to ask? [Create a poll]( today to get some PM help from your peers! [Q: As a project manager involved in team hiring, which soft skill is the most hard to find during interviews?]( - Communication - Decision making - Self-motivation - Leadership - Creativity & problem solving - Collaboration & team work - Other (please specify) TRAINING SPOTLIGHT MBA in Project Management - Existing PMP certification holders granted 18 credit hours (6 courses) towards the completion of the MBA. [Learn More]( [Search for your solution on our Training Finder]( []BLOG IT Voices on Project Management by Conrado Morlan When Conrado started working for a leading global logistics company, he had to wait about three months to get his first regional program assigned. It includes the deployment of a new centralized billing system across 50 countries and territories. Read more about [Influencing for Results](. Project Discovery by Anish Abraham As project managers, we know that one of the greatest challenge in managing projects is dealing with the unknown. What do you think is best in these situations? Anish helps us in [Dealing with Unclear Requirements](. Game Theory in Management by Michael Hatfield The “insight” that program management is simply a collection of like projects in a governable portfolio is about as profound as asserting that a person ought to tie their shoelaces in order to run. It’s also positively ubiquitous, which means it’s an irresistible target for a curmudgeon like Michael, who asks: [How Hard Can It Be?]( Project Management View from Rail Transit Programs and Projects by Henry Hattenrath Project communications have evolved with technology at breakneck pace. But in the process, business communications have been degraded with social media. As a result, there is a need to reinforce the basic format and content of business communications. Read some [Good Practices for Project Emails and Letters](. Easy in Theory, Difficult in Practice by Kiron Bondale Project managers are often asked to perform miracles, so they can be forgiven for occasionally wishing for magical powers to be able to bend or break the laws of the universe. [Which super power do you wish you possessed as a PM?]( The Critical Path by Marjorie Anderson Frequent visitors of ProjectManagement.com’s “Knowledge & Tools” tab may notice something new in the bottom left corner of the tab’s links. That something is [PM Port](, a reference to show you what is being said about project management on websites and publications around the world. Marjorie shares more in her [latest entry](! []Q & A Did you know that help is just a click away? Our discussion forums give you access to the ProjectManagement.com community: more than 500,000 experienced minds and growing! Ask your question today or stop by to help out other members in need of advice, including these recent and ongoing discussions on... [Favorite Quote?]( "State your favorite quote and why." [GDPR Projects]( "Is anyone else on here managing GDPR projects? (General Data Protection Regulations) I'd love to connect with some other project managers going through the same challenges!" ["Reality" Shows Ruining PM?]( "What can we do to reduce the negative impact of reality shows on new generations, and how do we preserve the values of systematic project management? Unfortunately, this kind of programs is promoting the following statement: 'Every handyman is a project manager.'" [PM Mentoring]( "Have you ever had a project management (or other career-related) mentor? If so, I would like to hear about your experience. How did you find your mentor or become a mentor to someone else? What were the benefits of the mentor-mentee relationship? Did you experience any challenges? Overall, did the experience help you achieve your career goals?" [Toxic Conversion]( "Have you had situations with toxic team members (e.g., unnecessarily aggressive, actively rebellious, constantly making conflicts personal) where you have turned the member around to be a productive member of the team?" "If I have given my all and still do not win, I haven't lost. Others might remember winning or losing; I remember the journey." - Apolo Anton Ohno []PREMIUM PICKS Did you know that we have an extensive library of PDU-earning webinars? Here's just one of the latest valuable offerings you can check out... [A Risk-Based Management Approach to Third-Party Data Security, Risk and Compliance]( The presentation describes process guidelines and framework for the enterprises’ board of directors and senior management teams to consider when providing oversight, examination and risk management of third-party business relationships in the areas of information technology, systems and cyber security. As always, your feedback and suggestions are welcome. How can we make your experience better? Is there something you haven't been able to find? Something you want to see that we don't have yet? [Let us know](mailto:cameron@projectmanagement.com). We'll handle it. If you do not wish to receive ProjectManagement.com's PM Insider Newsletter, you can [unsubscribe here]( or send an email to unsubscribe-pminsider@reply.projectmanagement.com and let us know. We will exclude you from future mailings. 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