When a Program Manager (PM) kicks off a program, they must keep one item top of mind that is most significant to the success of the program and the customer’s mission: the people who make up the program. A PM must work within the confines of the bid and award, pointing to the SOW to ensure the staff is technically sufficient, capable, and adaptable to the dynamics of the program and to any nuances that are discovered. It is important to remember that the staff must be focused on the goals of the program’s mission while understanding they represent the company and its efficiency and effectiveness in performing against cost and schedule. The PM must know it is not a two-sided coin to pick from, but rather how to merge the two to ensure the dual success that is expected from both a mission perspective and a company perspective. Driving success as a company should be to ensure the success of the customer; that is where the people come in. The PM, with a successful mission-focused mindset, will help drive the dual success model. Understanding that the staff they lead will ensure success through good leadership, provided as an example of focusing on the customer and the mission first.

A leader should focus on the staff’s productivity through their commitment to the mission and company, their needs and willingness to speak up, and the knowledge that speaking up is rewarded. Focus on improvement with positivity, acknowledgment with recognition, and always do the job of management with respect and admiration for the staff. A PM doesn’t drive success as a bus driver, but as a point in a flock, like birds in the spring ensuring the destination is reached with grace, beauty, and every now and then a little acrobatics that catch the attention of all to see what is important: the outcome!