Introduction
The article, Ten Core Competencies of Program Managers: An Empirical Study, explores the competent and practicing programs for managers to ensure that the core competencies are integrated for successful outcomes. Through empirical literature review, the article highlights different past research findings related to core competencies that determine the level of project or program success. The literature review confirms that core competencies are mandatory predictors of program performance, irrespective of the field of project management. Through a primary interview methodology involving fourteen program managers drawn from diverse sectors, the article performs correlation analysis for ten competency clusters. The article summarizes the findings of the primary research as confirming similarities in the traits of a good program or project manager.
Among the notable core competencies highlighted in the article are leadership and teamwork, planning and organization, communication, ethics and ethical values, internal and external stakeholder management, political understanding, knowledge management, financial management, risk management, and project and process management. The results indicated that these core competencies are independent of each other and cannot be separated in implementation. Specifically, the article relates the success of a project or program to the ability to internalize and institutionalize these core competencies since they define the leadership and implementation process. Since organizations operate in a dynamic environment, the article concludes that an effective project or program management is determined by the level of soft skills put in place to manage the process. This means that the core competencies can be categorized into ability, technical, and soft-skill related.
In summary, the ten competencies are classified as invariable soft skills that are impractical to measure or observe but have quantifiable impacts on a project or program success. The article defines soft skills as determinants of efficient operation within a program team. Therefore, having enough knowledge is a prerequisite for making smart and strong decisions that can be subjected to scientific tests. Although none of the respondents had internalized all the core competencies, the article concluded that mentorship and training are instrumental towards bridging any existing gap.
Five Things Learned
Balancing Vision and Program Objectives
The first thing I have learned is that the ability to be visionary in aligning program goals is a prerequisite for effective outcomes. This is because the strategic objectives of any organization should be aligned with the desires or content of a program. Therefore, an effective program manager should be able to effectively balance the goals of a program in the short and long-term objectives for the sustainability of the expected and actual outcome.
Significance of the Soft Skills
I have learned that soft skills are the primary determinants of a program’s success, irrespective of the implementation environment. Actually, soft skills contribute more than 90% of a program’s success since these core competencies define the personnel preparedness, decision-making process, program leadership, and risk assessment at the planning and implementation stages. Moreover, the ability or inability to internalize the soft skills among the program team determines the outcome. This means that a program team with the right mix of soft skills is more likely to succeed in implementing an efficient and sound project than a team with an unbalanced set of soft skills. For instance, a program manager should be able to have the skills for making a strong decision that is sensitive to potential risks associated with variables or the project. At the same time, the manager should have effective leadership skills to track the progress of each deliverable. In addition, it is imperative for the program officer to be a team player to win the trust of other team members and avoid interpersonal conflicts during planning and implementation.
The difficulty of perfecting all the Soft Skills
I discovered that it is very difficult for an individual to fully internalize the soft skills referred to as core competencies of a successful program. It is almost impossible for a program manager to excel in all the soft skills since they require continuous learning ability to adapt to different program environments. This means that teamwork may be instrumental in fusing different sets of soft skills among the program team to balance any deficiency. In order to address the shortcoming of not having one or more soft skills, a program manager should enroll in a mentorship or training program as part of continuous learning.
Ethics and Effective Program or Project
I have discovered that an effective project or program has a unique ethical value since they determine inter-and intrapersonal interaction among the implementation team. This means that a project cannot be successful when the ethical values are not balanced to the communication, commitment, and program culture. In program implementation, the ethical principles govern integrity and responsibility allocated to every party involved.
Significance of Stakeholder Inclusion
I have learned that stakeholder inclusion is a prerequisite for program acceptance. For a project to appeal to all stakeholders, the planning and implementation team should be able to balance the interests and level of involvement of stakeholders. In the ideal, an effective program integrates the desires of the internal and external stakeholders.