What are the emerging trends and challenges in program management that you need to be aware of and adapt to?

Another challenge is around actual understanding of what Agile actually is. With a plethora of perceptions floating around, it’s essential there be a clear, concise and unambiguous definition/expression of what Agile means for your programme. Expressed in the form of ‘Agile will allow us to …….. by being able to …….’ is a real game changer rather than allow different perceptions to proliferate in different people’s minds. It’s a slightly different way of doing something, and we ask know what change does to the status quo…..

After all, does the hybrid agile method exist? I think so. And I base my opinion on the current context where business and technology need to converge in communication in favor of delivering added value. There are two known methods: a) waterfall and b) agile. In the waterfall method, the restriction of test and failure scenarios shaped this method. On the other hand, the agile method in the era of the internet combines very well with the ease of changing the direction of a product and testing alternatives as far away as a deployment pipeline. And how does hybrid apply? Mainly to meet the business's anxiety, personified by sponsors, in visualizing a prior plan of "what" and "when" deliveries will be made.

One of the emerging trend in my experience is distributed decision making to expedite the outcome. Organizations can reduce centralized approval culture and empower the teams to take "fail fast" approach. Rapid decision-making encourages innovation and continuous improvement within a program. This way Program managers can quickly adopt new methodologies, technologies, or best practices that enhance program efficiency and effectiveness

In my experience agile takes just as much time as any other met id if stakeholder requirements and expectations continue to change.

I’m all for documentation but then again not the overkill. Do only that much that helps you understand the problem better. Agile never said no to documentation. But in my humble PM exposure and experience, I’ve seen people talk shop and mention agile in one breathe. Be it our trad waterfall, Agile, Prince2, hybrid or whatever approach you take, you need to make room for 1. Intellectual conflict of ideas, approaches & solutions 2. Develop an appetite for listening to the severity of risks posed & their mitigation plan 3. Be open to understand that understanding the scope is not a 1-meeting/1-workshop affair. It evolves over time. Leadership needs to understand and give the teams the freedom to think innovatively and show the benefits.

Digital transformation is a continuous process that needs to adapt to innovation and changing customer behavior. Data and analytics provide measurements that verify decisions. Program managers need to develop a deep understanding of the business environment and the expectations of the customers. It is critical to prepare for expanding scopes and embrace being an Educator as a part of the role by focusing on the goal of digital transformation, the user experience, and its strategy to leverage technology to serve customers better, improve employees' productivity, and generate valuable business outcomes.

As a program manager, I've witnessed the profound influence of digital transformation in today's landscape. It's a pivotal trend where technology elevates processes, services, and customer interactions. My role is central in spearheading these transformative endeavors, poised to reshape our business's performance and competitive edge. However, it's not a journey devoid of challenges. Complexity, uncertainty, and resistance to change often loom large. To navigate these, my arsenal must include robust technical acumen, business acuity, and adept change management skills. These attributes are the compass guiding the success of our digital transformation programs, ensuring they navigate the turbulent waters of progress effectively.

Digital transformation can revolutionize a complete program by leveraging technology to enhance processes, improve efficiency, and drive innovation. Additionally, integrating data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) enables better insights and predictive modeling, allowing program managers to make data-driven decisions and identify optimization opportunities. Digital transformation can also enhance customer experiences through the implementation of personalized portals, mobile applications, or self-service platforms. By embracing digital transformation, a complete program can benefit from improved agility ultimately leading to better outcomes and a competitive edge in the market.

Digital transformation is a significant trend in program management, enabling organizations to improve processes, products, services, and customer experiences. Program managers play a crucial role in leading these initiatives, but must navigate complexity, uncertainty, and resistance to change. Strong technical, business, and change management skills are essential for success in digital transformation programs.

In my experience, digital transformation is technology-led. What's wrong with that? Well, nothing in itself but being too technology led does mean that the people aspects of the change can be neglected. In this situation, a digital transformation has the potential to become a solution seeking a problem or worse a changed system with no users. Change and people management are key skills needed by programme managers as they seek to deliver successful digital transformations.

No, social responsibility is a totally different subject matter than Program Management. Similarly, UN sustainable development goals are a totally different subject matter than Program Management. Attempts by activists to hijack proper Program Management simply reduce the credibility and effectiveness of Program Management.

True, social responsibility and sustainable development goals are different subjects, but effective Program Management should be performed in context. Programs do not exist in isolation, so other considerations deserve some weight. And some professional codes of ethics require professionals to consider the effects of their decisions and actions on individuals and society.

A third trend in program management is the growing emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility. Program managers need to consider environmental, social, and ethical factors in decision making and execution. They must balance the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit and be aware of stakeholder expectations. Tools like the UN Sustainable Development Goals can guide planning and evaluation.

Managing Programs has become increasingly complex through inclusion of additional dimensions. Any holistic view of a program topic leads to now have CSR, GRC and Sustainability topics within the different facets of the projects included in the program.

La réflexion sur la relation entre écosystème et activités économiques prend une ampleur croissante. Les modèles de développement économique compatible avec un équilibre écologique sont fortement malmenés par une offre abondante et un consumérisme extravagant. L'apparition récente de dérèglement globaux climatiques tendent à générer des conséquences sur nos modes de vie (désagrégation de la couche d'ozone, les pluies acides, la désertification, l'effet de serre, la déforestation etc.). Ces nouveaux défis liés au changement climatique ont suscité une prise de conscience au niveau planétaire en matière d'environnement et de responsabilité personnelle et interpersonnelle, créant ainsi un nouveau paradigme durable et sociétal.

In my experience, I find that the team should atleast work out of office once or twice a week. This definitely increases the team bonding. Based on the team's decision they can come to office each Tues/Wed or both days and work from office. Also it will be great if we can match these days with supporting teams like dev ops/prod ops. That way we can meet colleagues in the wider org. I think networking is equally important. So hybrid teams, in my opinion will have better understanding; bonding and opportunities.

While remote work may have become very popular during and after Covid, there are many of us that have had global teams and have created great working relationships while not being in the same office. Today that's made even easier with the new video technologies that allow you to easily have meetings, engage and manage programs virtually.

Nearshore/offshore teams can offer cultural diversity among a companies workforce, among other benefits. From personal experience I've seen more efficient talent from offshore than that of the local talent pool. I believe in a more connected world, we will see nearshore staffing as become a valuable asset for businesses. The beauty behind this theory is the specializations linked to demographics.

It is definitely a challenge but there are upsides as well. One thing that comes up for me is that program managers need to be aware of time zone bias. It is easy to sideline the few that are far away. It easy to schedule meetings in times that are not convenient for the teammates in different timezones. It isn’t easy but you should at least show that you are being considerate. Even if it is sending them a note, asking if they can make the time work…that goes a long way.

I think this is a bit dated. At this point, in my experience, the challenge is managing the return to the office. My clients (DoD) have all but stopped work from home and expect 100% work in DoD spaces. The challenge comes in worker expectations. Child care for sick kids or when school is out is no longer work from home, it's back to taking PTO. Commute times, including back up at gates, are back and not billable. The only mitigation for this is transparency - communicating expectations.

Most programs span over multiple years. So you can expect huge amount of data, that metrics need to be analyzed, categorized, so that it aid in the decision making in the same program later. With all the projects in the program are aiming at delivering the benefits at program level, the lesson learnt and the info captured have higher relevance. The AI helps a lot in crunching data, generating meaningful metrics fast and helps manager make good decision. Again, junk in and junk out. Manager has to carefully design the overall system to collect right data, generate right information, and available to the decision makers at the right time in the right format in the right way. With so many RIGHTs, it is often difficult establish.

Artificial intelligence is a great tool when referring to producing and analyzing large sets of data. However, it is important to recognize that the technology is no where close to being capable of leading a program. When inputting data and allowing this technology to produce results, consider AI an acceptable option. Anything past that should be left to the humans.

Program management is evolving with key trends: • AI and Machine Learning: Revolutionizing decision-making. • Agility: Enhancing adaptability in dynamic environments. • Remote Work: Demanding new collaboration strategies. • Sustainability: Prioritizing environmental and social responsibility. Challenges include: • Technological Adaptation: Keeping pace with rapid tech changes. • Agile vs. Governance: Balancing flexibility with compliance. • Distributed Teams: Ensuring effective communication. Success hinges on adapting to these trends and overcoming challenges, essential for thriving in today's dynamic program management landscape. "Like" if you concur.

Product Management Vs Program Management While the industry is shifting towards Product Management it is still important to find the overlapping areas of knowledge between these two. Many of the responsibilities as a Program Manager will be also there for a Product Manager. The focus on sustaining the benefits will be crucial to unlock the potential benefits that a product could deliver. Setting s thoughtful roadmap and establishing a clear vision yet keeping it adaptable will ensure the success of the product. Bonus points: feel comfortable with uncertainty and change.

By making the most of AI and data analytics, program managers can unleash a wave of transformational change. The effective utilization of these tools can help them elevate their program planning, execution, monitoring, and evaluation to new heights. Moreover, it can empower them to enhance program performance, quality, and risk management in ways that were previously unimaginable.