TPM Role Discussion

Sanjay Subbarao

Directional leadership is a style of leadership in which the leader provides clear direction and guidance to their team. This style of leadership can be effective in certain situations, such as when the team is facing a new challenge or when the leader has a lot of experience in the area that the team is working on. However, there are also some things that directional leaders should avoid doing.  

Some things that directional leaders can do to be more effective:  

    Set clear goals and expectations. Directional leaders should set clear goals and expectations for their team. This will help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same thing.  
    Provide clear direction and guidance. Directional leaders should provide clear direction and guidance to their team. This will help them to stay on track and avoid getting sidetracked.  
    Be supportive and encouraging. Directional leaders should be supportive and encouraging of their team members. This will help to create a positive and productive work environment.  
    Be flexible and adaptable. Directional leaders should be flexible and adaptable. This will help them to lead their team through change and uncertainty.  
    Be a role model. Directional leaders should be role models for their team members. This means setting a good example and demonstrating the behaviors that you want to see from your team.  

By doing these things, directional leaders can be more effective in leading their teams.  

Some things that directional leaders should avoid doing:  

    Micromanaging. Micromanaging is when a leader closely monitors and controls the work of their team members. This can be counterproductive, as it can stifle creativity and innovation. Instead, directional leaders should give their team members the freedom to make decisions and take risks.  
    Being too directive. Directional leaders should provide clear direction, but they should also be open to feedback from their team members. If a leader is too directive, their team members may feel like they are not being heard or valued. Instead, directional leaders should create an environment where their team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas and feedback.  
    Not being supportive. Directional leaders should be supportive of their team members. This means providing them with the resources and training they need to succeed, as well as being there to offer encouragement and support when they need it. If a leader is not supportive, their team members may feel like they are not valued or appreciated.  
    Not being flexible. Directional leaders should be flexible. This means being willing to adapt their plans as needed, as well as being open to new ideas and suggestions. If a leader is not flexible, they may find it difficult to lead their team through change.  

By avoiding these things, directional leaders can be more effective in leading their teams.



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Directional Leadership


The 10-5-2 skill is a method for teaching children with autism how to follow instructions. It breaks down complex tasks into small steps, and it uses a system of rewards to help children stay motivated.

The 10-5-2 skill is named after the three steps involved in the process:

    10-second wait. After giving the child an instruction, wait 10 seconds before giving them any help. This gives the child a chance to try to follow the instruction on their own.  
    5-second prompt. If the child does not follow the instruction after 10 seconds, give them a 5-second prompt. This could be a verbal prompt, such as "Can you please put your shoes on?" or a physical prompt, such as gently guiding the child's hand to their shoe.  
    2-second consequence. If the child still does not follow the instruction after the 5-second prompt, give them a 2-second consequence. This could be a time-out, a loss of a privilege, or a verbal reprimand.  

It is important to use the 10-5-2 skill consistently. If you are inconsistent, the child will not learn that they need to follow instructions. It is also important to use positive reinforcement when the child does follow instructions. This will help to keep them motivated and make them more likely to follow instructions in the future.  

Here are some tips for using the 10-5-2 skill effectively:  

    Be clear and concise when giving instructions. Children with autism may have difficulty understanding complex instructions. Make sure your instructions are clear and concise, and that you use simple language.  
    Use visual aids. Visual aids can be helpful for children with autism. For example, you could use pictures or objects to help them understand what you are asking them to do.  
    Be patient. It may take time for children with autism to learn to follow instructions. Be patient and consistent, and they will eventually learn.  
    Don't give up. It is important to not give up on children with autism. With time and patience, they can learn to follow instructions.  

The 10-5-2 method in business is a way to improve your productivity by breaking down tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks. It's based on the idea that it's easier to focus on a task for a shorter period of time, and then take a break, than it is to try to work on a task for a long period of time without any breaks.  

The 10-5-2 method works like this:  

    Work for 10 minutes. Focus on one task for 10 minutes without any distractions.  
    Take a 5-minute break. Get up and move around, or do something else that will help you to clear your head.  
    Repeat steps 1 and 2 for 2 sets. After working for 20 minutes, take a longer break of 15-20 minutes.  
    After the break, you can either start another cycle of 10-5-2, or you can take a longer break.  

The 10-5-2 method is a great way to improve your productivity and focus. It's also a great way to avoid burnout. If you're feeling overwhelmed by a task, try breaking it down into smaller chunks and using the 10-5-2 method. You'll be surprised at how much more productive you can be.  

Here are some tips for using the 10-5-2 method effectively:  

    Choose the right tasks. The 10-5-2 method is best for tasks that are relatively short and straightforward. Avoid using the 10-5-2 method for tasks that are complex or time-consuming.  
    Set a timer. It's helpful to set a timer so that you don't have to keep track of the time yourself. This will help you to stay focused and avoid getting sidetracked.  
    Find a quiet place to work. If you can, find a quiet place where you won't be interrupted. This will help you to focus on your task and avoid distractions.  
    Take breaks. It's important to take breaks during the 10-5-2 method. This will help you to stay refreshed and avoid burnout.  
    Be patient. It may take some time to get used to the 10-5-2 method. Don't get discouraged if you don't see results immediately. Just keep at it, and you'll eventually start to see a difference in your productivity.  


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10-5-2 Skill

ESG program management is the process of planning, implementing, and evaluating programs that address environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. ESG programs can be used to improve a company's environmental performance, social impact, or governance practices.  

There are a number of steps involved in ESG program management. The first step is to identify the ESG issues that are most important to the company. Once the issues have been identified, the next step is to develop goals and objectives for the program. The goals and objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.  

The next step is to develop a plan for implementing the program. The plan should include a timeline, budget, and list of resources that will be needed. The plan should also identify the stakeholders who will be affected by the program and how they will be involved.  

Once the plan has been developed, the next step is to implement the program. This involves putting the plan into action and monitoring its progress. The program should be evaluated regularly to ensure that it is meeting its goals and objectives.  

ESG program management is an important part of corporate social responsibility. By implementing ESG programs, companies can improve their environmental performance, social impact, and governance practices. This can lead to a number of benefits, including increased profits, improved reputation, and reduced risk.  

Here are some tips for managing ESG programs effectively:  

    Set clear goals and objectives. What do you want to achieve with your ESG program? Make sure your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.  
    Involve stakeholders. Who will be affected by your ESG program? Make sure you involve them in the planning and implementation process.  
    Measure your progress. How will you know if your ESG program is successful? Develop metrics to track your progress and make sure you are meeting your goals.  
    Communicate effectively. Keep your stakeholders informed about your ESG program and its progress.  
    Be flexible. Things don't always go according to plan. Be prepared to adapt your program as needed.  
    Celebrate successes. When your ESG program achieves its goals, take the time to celebrate your success. This will help to keep your team motivated and engaged.  


These are just a few of the unexpected ways AI has driven innovation and improved products or services. As AI continues to develop, it will likely be used to create even more innovative products and services in the future.  

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ESG Program Management


A List of Tips

1. Establish clear goals and objectives: Before beginning any project, it is important to have a clear understanding of the goals and objectives of the project. This will help the team stay focused and motivated throughout the process.  

2. Create a timeline: Establishing a timeline for the project will help the team stay on track and ensure that deadlines are met.  

3. Assign roles and responsibilities: Assigning roles and responsibilities to each team member will help ensure that everyone is aware of their tasks and that the project is completed in a timely manner.  

4. Utilize agile methodology: Agile methodology is a great way to ensure that the project is completed efficiently and effectively. Utilizing this methodology will help the team stay organized and on track.  

5. Communicate regularly: Regular communication between team members is essential for a successful product launch. This will help ensure that everyone is on the same page and that any issues are addressed quickly.  

6. Utilize feedback: Gathering feedback from stakeholders and customers is a great way to ensure that the product meets their needs and expectations.  

7. Test and iterate: Testing and iterating on the product is essential for a successful launch. This will help the team identify any issues and make necessary changes before the launch.  

8. Monitor progress: Monitoring progress throughout the project will help the team stay on track and ensure that the project is completed on time.  

9. Celebrate successes: Celebrating successes along the way will help keep the team motivated and focused on the end goal.  

10. Have a plan for post-launch: Having a plan for post-launch is essential for a successful product launch. This will help the team ensure that the product is successful and that any issues are addressed quickly.  

11. Empower your team: One of the best ways to lead an efficient, agile team is to empower them to make decisions. Give your team the authority to make decisions within their area of responsibility. This will help them to be more productive and responsive to change.  

12. Encourage collaboration: Agile teams are all about collaboration. Encourage your team to work together and share ideas. This will help to create a more innovative and productive team.  

13. Be flexible: Things don't always go according to plan. Be prepared to adapt your plans as needed. This will help your team to stay on track and avoid any surprises.  

14. Learn from mistakes: Everyone makes mistakes. Don't dwell on them. Instead, learn from them and use them to improve your team's performance.  

15. Be patient: It takes time to build an efficient, agile team. Don't expect to see results overnight. Be patient and continue to work hard.  

16. Have fun: Leading an agile team can be a lot of fun. Enjoy the process and celebrate your team's successes.  

17. Don't be afraid to ask for help: If you need help, don't be afraid to ask for it. There are many resources available to help you lead an efficient, agile team.  

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TPM Product Launch


Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the world, and it is having a significant impact on businesses and consumers. AI is being used to improve products and services in a variety of unexpected ways, including:  

    Improving customer service: AI is being used to improve customer service by providing 24/7 support, resolving issues more quickly, and providing more personalized experiences. For example, AI chatbots can answer customer questions, resolve issues, and even make sales.  
    Personalizing products and services: AI is being used to personalize products and services to the individual user. For example, Netflix uses AI to recommend movies and TV shows to users based on their viewing history.  
    Making products and services more efficient: AI is being used to make products and services more efficient. For example, Amazon uses AI to automate its warehouses, which allows it to ship products more quickly and at a lower cost.  
    Creating new products and services: AI is being used to create new products and services that were not possible before. For example, self-driving cars are being developed using AI.  
    
AI also has been a major driver of innovation in recent years, and its impact on products and services has been far-reaching. From healthcare to transportation, AI has been used to improve existing products and services, as well as create entirely new ones.  

1. Automated Driving: AI has been used to create self-driving cars, which are now being tested in some cities. These cars use AI to detect obstacles and navigate roads safely. This has improved transportation by reducing the risk of accidents and making it easier for people to get around.  

2. Smart Home Devices: AI has been used to create smart home devices that can automate tasks such as turning on lights, adjusting the thermostat, and more. This has improved home automation by making it easier to control devices and save energy.  

3. Healthcare: AI has been used to create systems that can diagnose diseases and recommend treatments. This has improved healthcare by providing more accurate diagnoses and reducing the time it takes to get a diagnosis.  

4. Online Shopping: AI has been used to create systems that can recommend products to customers based on their past purchases and browsing history. This has improved online shopping by making it easier to find the products customers are looking for.  

These are just a few of the unexpected ways AI has driven innovation and improved products or services. As AI continues to develop, it will likely be used to create even more innovative products and services in the future.  

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AI Impact on Products and Services


The Number 1 tip for effectively managing and overcoming self-doubt as a leader is to recognize that everyone experiences self-doubt. It is a normal human emotion that everyone experiences from time to time. It is important to remember that self-doubt does not mean that you are not capable of being a good leader. In fact, some of the most successful leaders in the world have experienced self-doubt at some point in their careers.

Here are some tips for managing and overcoming self-doubt as a leader:

    Acknowledge your self-doubt. The first step to overcoming self-doubt is to acknowledge that you are experiencing it. Once you have acknowledged your self-doubt, you can start to work on managing it.  
    Challenge your negative thoughts. When you start to have negative thoughts about yourself or your abilities, challenge them. Ask yourself if there is any evidence to support your negative thoughts. If there is not, then try to replace your negative thoughts with more positive ones.  
    Focus on your strengths. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. When you are feeling self-doubt, focus on your strengths. Remind yourself of all the things that you are good at and all the things that you have accomplished.  
    Set realistic goals. When you set unrealistic goals, it is easy to feel discouraged and self-doubting. Instead, set realistic goals that you know you can achieve. When you achieve your goals, it will boost your confidence and help you to overcome self-doubt.  
    Seek support from others. Talking to someone you trust about your self-doubt can be helpful. A friend, family member, or therapist can offer you support and advice.  
    Remember that you are not alone. Everyone experiences self-doubt at some point in their lives. It is important to remember that you are not alone and that there are people who can help you to overcome it.  

Things to keep in mind

    Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Once you know what you're good at and where you need to improve, you can start to develop a plan to address your weaknesses.  
    Set realistic goals. Don't set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals. Start with small, achievable goals and work your way up to bigger ones.  
    Take breaks. It's important to take breaks when you need them. Don't try to be a superhero and do everything yourself.Delegate tasks to your team and take some time for yourself to relax and recharge.  
    Celebrate your successes. When you achieve a goal, take some time to celebrate your success. This will help you to stay motivated and build your confidence.  
    Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you're struggling, don't be afraid to ask for help from your team, mentors, or other leaders. There's no shame in admitting that you need help.  

Self-doubt is a normal part of being a leader. Everyone feels it from time to time. The important thing is to not let it hold you back. By following these tips, you can learn to manage and overcome self-doubt so that you can be the best leader you can be.  


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Acknowledging and Recognizing your humanity

Leadership as a TPM



Performing a cost-benefit analysis

A cost-benefit analysis is the process of adding up the expected value of a project—the benefits—and comparing them to the dollar costs. Let's discuss the benefits of conducting a cost-benefit analysis, guiding questions to help you and your stakeholders conduct one, and how to calculate return on investment (ROI).
The benefits of a cost-benefit analysis

A cost-benefit analysis can minimize risks and maximize gains for projects and organizations. It can help you communicate clearly with stakeholders and executives and keep your project on track. Because this type of analysis uses objective data, it can help reduce biases and keep stakeholder self-interest from influencing decisions. 

Comparing a project’s benefits to its costs can help you make a strong business case to stakeholders and leadership and ensure your organization pursues the most profitable or useful projects. Organizations use cost-benefit analyses to reduce waste and invest their resources responsibly.
Guiding questions for a cost-benefit analysis

When you’re pursuing a project, the benefits should outweigh the costs. It’s important for you and your stakeholders to consider questions like the ones that follow early on, while you prepare the proposal.

To determine the benefits of a project, you might ask:

    What value will this project create? 

    How much money could this project save our organization? 

    How much money will it bring in from existing customers?

    How much time will it save? 

    How will it improve the customer experience?

And to determine the costs of a project, consider questions such as:

    How much time will people have to spend on this project?

    What are the one-time costs?

    Are there any ongoing costs?

    What about long-term costs? 

You might also consider questions about intangible benefits. These are gains that are not quantifiable, such as:

    Customer satisfaction. Will the project increase customer retention, causing them to spend more on the company’s products or services? 

    Employee satisfaction. Is the project likely to improve employee morale, reducing turnover? 

    Employee productivity. Will the project reduce employee’s overtime hours, saving the company money?

    Brand perception. Is the project likely to improve the company’s brand perception and recognition, attracting more customers or providing a competitive advantage?

You can also flip these questions to consider intangible costs. These are costs that are not quantifiable. For example, might the project put customer retention, employee satisfaction, or brand perception at risk?

When assigning values to tangible or intangible costs and benefits, you can reference similar past projects, conduct industry research, or consult with experts.
Calculating costs and benefits

The process of calculating costs and benefits is also called calculating return on investment, or ROI. There are many ways to determine a project’s ROI, but the easiest way is to compare the upfront and ongoing costs to its benefits over time.

One common ROI formula is:  

(G-C)/C = ROI  

In this formula, G represents the financial gains you expect from the project, and C represents the upfront and ongoing costs of your investment in the project.

For example, imagine your project costs $6,000 up front plus $25 per month for 12 months. This equals $300 per year, but you estimate that the project will bring in $10,000 in revenue over the course of that year. Using the formula above, you calculate the ROI as: ($10,000 - $6,300) ÷ $6,300 = 0.58 = 58%

The ROI comes to 0.58, or 58%. You consider this to be a strong ROI, so you decide to pursue the project.
Key takeaway

Performing a cost-benefit analysis can help you and your stakeholders determine if it makes sense to take on a new project by evaluating if its benefits outweigh its costs. When conducting cost-benefit analyses for your prospective projects, you can use the guiding questions and ROI formula provided in this reading as a reference. 

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Cost Benefit Analysis

 
[Project Management Glossary Part 1](https://docs.google.com/document/d/100bNgK8Ly_30OjVzjRPkxBNle-zF92YtclgXCg_doGU/template/preview)  
[Project Management Glossary Part 2](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NnRFDj6zKTWb4ZnCWlMt2lXh7wZoF9uj9RnJKP56s3A/template/preview)  
[Project Management Glossary Part 3](https://docs.google.com/document/d/101xnQbFiwhFMBgq5C72yXeJy8I21u_YMHxqrNKDEpRM/template/preview)  
[Project Management Glossary Part 4](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1694KcfCmGsjHo3IfC7dmXBhekbcs6ZKDOWXB3p1JCs8/template/preview)  

[Project Timeline](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dVpGMH7Xkp9ZlO4K-5Khwh_bn0w7_lMfW-C6KmCMuYk/edit#gid=)  
[Gantt Chart Template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10Lop5gquDYcQNHSIw-12coKVe3dK98eWBiwkHqvSknI/edit#gid=0)  


With Project management software, you will be able to explain the uses and functionality of the project with tools at hand. Here are some examples to get started:

    [Asana and Asana Guide](https://asana.com/guide) 

    [Basecamp](https://basecamp.com/) 

    [Trello](https://trello.com/en-US) 

    [Jira](https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira) 

    [ClickUp](https://www.clickup.com/) 

    [Monday.com](https://monday.com/) 

    [Microsoft Project](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/project/project-management-software) 
    
    [Project Libre (open source)](https://www.projectlibre.com/) 

    [Smartsheet](https://www.smartsheet.com/) 



    
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Project Management FAQs

 
 
 Quality management concepts

 Quality is when the outlined requirements for the deliverable are fulfilled and meet or exceed the needs and expectations of customers.

In this reading, we’ll review the four main concepts of quality management we discussed in the previous video: quality standards, quality planning, quality assurance, and quality control.

    Quality standards provide requirements, specifications, or guidelines that can be used to ensure that products, processes, or services are fit for achieving the desired outcome. These standards must be met in order for the product, process, or service to be considered successful by the organization and the customer. You will set quality standards with your team and your customer at the beginning of your project. Well-defined standards lead to less rework and schedule delays throughout your project.

    Quality planning involves the actions of you or your team to establish and conduct a process for identifying and determining exactly which standards of quality are relevant to the project as a whole and how to satisfy them. During this process, you'll plan the procedures to achieve the quality standards for your project.

    Quality assurance, or QA, is a review process that evaluates whether the project is moving toward delivering a high-quality service or product. It includes regular audits to confirm that everything is going to plan and that the necessary procedures are being followed. Quality assurance helps you make sure that you and your customers are getting the exact product you contracted for.											

    Quality control, or QC, involves monitoring project results and delivery to determine if they are meeting desired results. It includes the techniques that are used to ensure quality standards are maintained when a problem is identified. Quality control is a subset of quality assurance activities. While QA seeks to prevent defects before they occur, QC aims to identify defects after they have happened and also entails taking corrective action to resolve these issues.

Additional reading

To learn more about these concepts, check out these articles: 

    [What Are Quality Standards?](https://asq.org/quality-resources/learn-about-standards)

    [What Is a Quality Plan?](https://asq.org/quality-resources/quality-plans)

    [Quality Assurance & Quality Control](https://asq.org/quality-resources/quality-assurance-vs-control)
    
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Quality Management


Case study: Using risk management tools

Risk management-the process of identifying, evaluating, and addressing potential risks and issues that could impact a project—is a core part of a project manager's role. You also learned about techniques to identify potential risks and address their effects, including creating risk registers and building mitigation plans. In the following case study, we will imagine how a project manager might utilize these tools.
The project: Paw Snacks Puppy Treats

Paw Snacks is an online retailer of tasty and nutritious pet treats. Over the course of three years, the business has grown from a small startup to a 350-person organization. Paw Snacks wants to expand its offerings even further by adding a new line of treats for puppies. 
Image of Paw Snacks dog treat  

The issue

Six weeks before the new product line is scheduled to debut, Naja, the project manager leading the launch, receives a frantic phone call from a manager at the commercial bakery hired to produce the treats. The bakery manager informs Naja that the bone-shaped cookie cutters required to shape the treats have not yet arrived. Naja knows that baking needs to start the following day in order to stay on schedule for the launch. 

Naja thanks the bakery manager for the warning and asks her teammate, Abe, to call the cookie cutter manufacturer to check on the status of their order. Abe learns that the order is delayed due to a product shortage and that the cookie cutters are now expected to arrive at the bakery two days after the original expected delivery date.

Naja recognizes that this delay threatens her team’s ability to launch their product on time. Even worse, her team doesn’t have the option to push the launch date, since the Paw Snacks marketing team has already purchased nonrefundable advertising placements for the day of the launch. Luckily, Naja and her team are already prepared for an issue like this one.  

Planning for risks ahead of time

Months earlier, long before the team started work on the project, Naja and her team brainstormed potential risks that could impact the project. They created a risk register, a table or chart that contains a list of risks and is often paired with a probability and impact matrix. During the process, the team determined that a delay in the cookie cutter order had a medium probability of occurring and would result in a high impact on the project. Naja added the risk to the risk register and assigned Abe to create a mitigation plan, which outlines steps to decrease the chances of a risk occurring or decrease the impact of a risk if it does occur. This plan would indicate how the team would handle an issue if it were to materialize. The mitigation plan was then approved by the project sponsor and other stakeholders.  

Managing the issue

Now that the cookie cutter issue has occurred, Naja and Abe consult the mitigation plan for this particular risk. In this case, Abe identified two options for handling the risk: The first option is to work with the bakery to slightly decrease the number of treats produced in order to make up for the two days they have lost due to the cookie cutter delay. The second option is to place an order with a second bakery to help speed up the pace of production. Naja and Abe discuss the two plans and settle on option one to avoid the work of bringing in a second bakery.

Before moving ahead with the plan, Naja and Abe meet to brainstorm potential risks associated with the new plan. Together, they determine that a smaller order of dog treats will likely have a minor—but manageable—impact on the organization’s projected growth for 2021. They determine that the best course of action is to accept the risk to avoid delaying the project further. To ensure that the project stakeholders are aware of and comfortable with this change, Naja requests a meeting with her project sponsor to communicate the plan, outline the minor risk to projected growth, and recommend accepting the risk. The sponsor agrees and approves Naja’s new plan.

Naja tasks Abe with communicating the adjusted plan to the bakery manager. Though baking begins two days behind schedule, Naja’s new plan helps ensure that the team is prepared to launch the new line on time. 

Pro tip: While the term mitigation plan is used more often in project management, you may also hear the term contingency plan. These terms are often used interchangeably, but there are some key differences. A mitigation plan is a planned risk response strategy. If a project manager is able to identify the potential known risks that impact any of the key project parameters (schedule, cost, or scope), they should make a plan to mitigate those risks early in the project. A contingency plan, on the other hand, is mostly related to funds the project manager keeps aside (outside of the planned project budget ) to support any of these known risk response plans if they go beyond the planned amount or to manage any unforeseen risks during execution.  

Key takeaway

In this case study, early risk management planning enabled Naja to act quickly when an issue presented itself at a pivotal time during the project execution phase. 

By consulting an existing mitigation plan and weighing two options for moving forward, Naja and Abe were able to make an informed decision about the best path forward. Naja also communicated the growth-related risks associated with the plan to the project sponsor in a timely fashion.

As you manage projects of your own, issues will come up again and again. When you do the heavy lifting of risk management planning before starting work on the project, you will be better equipped to respond to problems quickly.

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Risk Management


Program management interview preparation

For program management interviews, we recommend starting with our program management primer. Also, take a look at the following, which outlines how companies think about program management.

Here is a summary of the [video](https://youtu.be/GASWAxyOawQ):

    Communication and influence. Make sure you communicate in a structured way and use data to anchor your arguments whenever possible.  
    Navigating ambiguity. Show you use program requirement documents and roadmaps to align stakeholders and move forward despite ambiguity.  
    Stakeholder management. Show you are proactive about managing stakeholders by constantly making sure everyone is aligned and trying to anticipate issues before they arise.  
    Technical partnership. Make it clear you're comfortable diving into technical details when your team needs you to.  
    Strategic insight and creativity. Show you never lose sight of the product's users and that you find creative ways of solving their problem.  
    Execution. Explain how you measure the success of your programs and proactively solve issues before they become bottlenecks.  

This will give you an opportunity to refresh your memory on all key aspects of project management including: scope, schedule, resources, cost, quality, communication, risk, stakeholders, etc.

In addition, if you're interviewing for a TPM role in software development, you should make sure you're on top of common concepts used in Agile project management. A great resource here is Atlassian's Agile project management guide. In particular, we recommend brushing up on the difference between Kanban and Scrum, and the common structures used in Agile projects (e.g. epics, stories, themes, etc.).

Similarly, if you're applying for a hardware TPM role then you'll want to be on top of the different engineering validation stages (EVT, DVT, PVT).

Once you've refreshed your memory on project management best practices you should go through the list of program management questions we've listed in the previous section and draft answers for those.  

Technical interview preparation

As a reminder, you can expect three types of questions in technical interviews: system design, technical explanation and coding questions.

For system design questions, we recommend studying the following video as a starting point.

Here is a summary of the [video](https://youtu.be/Gg318hR5JY0):

    Communication. Make sure you ask clarifying questions, gather requirements and communicate out loud in a structured way.  
    Designing to scale. Get to a first design in less than 20mins, and then dive into how to make it scalable, reliable and efficient enough so that it can be used at "planet scale".  
    Concrete and quantitative solutions. Be familiar with common design patterns (e.g. sharding data) and ready to estimate the cost generated by the system you designed (e.g. read from disk / memory).  
    Trade-offs and compromises. Proactively call out the trade-offs and compromises you've made in your design. Iterate the design if necessary.  

In addition to studying the video above, we recommend studying our system design interview prep guide. The guide covers a step-by-step method for answering system design questions, and provides several example questions with solutions. 

Alternatively, if you’re looking to save time and access everything you need in one place, we recommend taking The System Design Strong Hire Course. The course includes detailed lessons on system design fundamentals and how to answer system design interview questions, plus mock interview videos with FAANG ex-interviewers and more than 100 practice questions.

For technical explanation and coding questions, we recommend learning the step-by-step method we've developed. To practice, you can use that method to craft answers to the technical questions listed in the previous section.  

Leadership interview preparation

For leadership interviews, we recommend starting with our leadership and people management primers, followed by the this , which outlines how companies think about leadership. Notice that some elements overlap with the Program Manager and Technical interview.
Here is a summary of the [video](https://youtu.be/Gg318hR5JY0). 

    Communication and leadership style. Show you are comfortable with "emergent leadership". Explain how you're leaning on different people at different times in the lifecycle of a program.  
    Navigating complexity and ambiguity. Make it clear you're good at keeping all your stakeholders up to date. And that you can protect your team's time when necessary.  
    Working with teams. Show that you've got empathy for other people's opinions. And that you can create alignment without generating frustration.  
    Vision. Be ready to articulate the mission of the program you're currently working on, to explain who your users are and how you're solving their problem.  
    Delivering results. Show that you deliver results by running a clear process with goals and metrics to measure progress. In addition, make it clear you're leaving room to adapt and be creative.  
    
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TPM Role Understanding


Strategic Activities

    Road-mapping – Creation and sign-off of 6-monthly/Quarterly roadmaps of programs/projects planned for the year
    Best Practices – Establishment of learnings, best practices, standardized frameworks and tools across programs and projects
    Processes – Design of repeatable & predictable processes for initiation, tracking, governance, review and delivery of programs and projects
    Change Agent - Transformation of traditional process and tools to agile processes and tools to ensure timely and high-quality delivery of programs/projects based on iterative, feedback-loop based development paradigms
    Automation - Automation of product development and deployment using modern DevSecOps processes and toolchains
    Kaizen - Institution of a culture of continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making

Operational Activities

    Release management – the process of planning, scheduling, managing a software build through different stages and environments all the way from ideation to release
    Planning – Preparation of the detailed program/project plan along with the Product Manager
    Communication – Establishment of communication modes and cadences with various stakeholders, conducting planned and ad-hoc meetings with various stakeholders to ensure project milestones are on track and to communicate latest status to them, and sharing of meeting minutes and regular updates with various stakeholders
    Stakeholder management – Identification of stakeholders and their roles, keeping them updated on the progress of the project, addressing their concerns, seeking and implementing their feedback
    Risk management – Identification of risks and detailing of a mitigation plan to ensure that the project stays on track, or is brought back on track in the event of delays or blockers
    Conflict management – Identifying destructive conflicts and resolving them using various conflict resolution approaches such as compromising, smoothing, confronting and forcing
    Escalation – Tactfully raising issues and blockers to the right stakeholders at the right time to remove roadblocks with a view to ensuring that the project/program is put back on track
    Data and Metrics – Definition of various key metrics related to process, product and customer that need to be tracked to communicated to stakeholders, analyzing data using Excel, SQL, JQL, and creating reports, charts and dashboards
    
 Deliverables

    Plan – A document that details the WHY (business justification), WHAT (scope, technical resources, risks, risk mitigation plan), WHO (stakeholders & human resources), and WHEN (timeline) for a program or project.
    Tracker – A detailed work break-down of the project into a backlog of requirements for the entire project, and prioritized backlogs for every iteration, typically maintained in tools like Jira and Confluence. This should include dashboards, visualizations and reports to track key metrics (project metrics, customer metrics and product metrics)
    Communication artefacts – Preparation of documents/presentations/spreadsheets to keep the team apprised of project progress, blockers, risks and mitigations. 

Stakeholders

    Product – The Product Manager is the key member of who sets the vision for the product and is accountable for the success, adoption and evolution of the product. The TPM must work closely with the Product Manager on backlogs, prioritization, sprint planning, release planning, launch and post-launch activities.
    Engineering – Members of the engineering team who are responsible for the architecture, development, testing, deployment and release of the product. The TPM must work closely with the Engineering team on estimation, sprint planning, release planning, testing and release.
    Leadership – Stakeholders from the leadership and management team who are executive sponsors for the program/project. The TPM must keep the leadership team updated on the progress of projects/programs, risks and mitigation plans, and seek sponsorship and support as and when required.
    Business – Cross-functional stakeholders from peer teams that have inputs into or are impacted by the outcomes of the program/project, like UI/UX Design, Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, Operations, Legal, and Alpha & Beta Customers. The TPM must keep business teams updated on the progress of projects/programs, risks, mitigation plans, support required, launch preparedness, training plan for business teams, and planning and execution of post-launch activities.

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Breaking down various activities of a TPM.

TPM Activities


What To Expect In A Technical Program Manager Interview?

Having “outgrown” working the more technical aspects of a job, program-management candidates are ready to take on broader responsibilities. In short, they need just enough technical knowledge to understand how to make sound judgments regarding project estimates, resources, and risks, but they shouldn’t get so far into the weeds of technology that they’re mistaken for engineers or developers.

Job expectations often depend on the seniority of the role itself and the size of the department or organization. Still, there are basic questions common to TPM candidates, regardless. These might include:

    “Can you walk me through the process of designing an e-commerce platform?”
    “Can you describe a time when you made a decision that affected the architecture of the system?”
    “Share your best experience with regard to problem-solving. What was your involvement?”
    “How will you define milestones and communicate them to all stakeholders?”
    “How will you identify risk, and how will you mitigate it? What are the different ways of identifying risks?”
    “What would you do if a specific project is failing or if it won’t meet the deadlines?”
    “How would you update 10,000+ servers in a real-world scenario without impacting the end customers?”
    “What are the important elements of each project phase?”
    “How will you kick off a new project?”


Example program management questions asked in TPM interviews

1. General / End-to-end questions

    Tell me about a time you had to manage a technical program from end-to-end  
    How would you manage hypothetical project XYZ (e.g. replace discs in a data center)?  
    What methodology do you use in your projects and programs?  
    What makes a successful program manager?  

2. Prioritization

    How do you prioritize your work?  
    How do you make decisions?  
    How do you deliver programs on a tight timeline and with limited resources?  
    How do you prioritize and allocate resources when your team is too small?  

3. Delivery

    What is a critical path in project management?  
    How do you make sure you deliver quality outcomes in your projects?  
    Describe and whiteboard a continuous deployment system. And a continuous build system.  
    Compare the agile and waterfall methodologies.  
    Imagine you find a critical bug in software the day before the release date. How do you handle the situation?  

4. Kickoff / Sunset

    What's your process to kickoff programs?  
    What's your process to sunset programs?  
    You're joining a project with no timeline and which didn't have a kickoff. What do you do?  

5. Planning

    How do you handle additional requirements in the middle of a project?  
    How do you build a forecasting tool / document?  
    How do you forecast a project with no history?  

6. Risk

    How do you manage risks on projects?  
    Tell me about a time you had to manage a significant risk on one of your programs?  

7. Vendors

    How do you choose to build in house vs. to use a third party solution?  
    What's your process to work with vendors on your projects / programs?  



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TPM Questions


Project status reports

Learning to identify and compare various types of tracking methods. This reading will cover project status reports and how you can use them to track and communicate common project elements in a snapshot.
Key components of a project status report

A project status report gives an overview of all of the project’s common elements and summarizes them in a snapshot. It is an efficient communication tool to convey the latest status in one place for the team and stakeholders.

Most status reports contain the following components

    Project name: The project name should be specific to the purpose of the project so that the overall goal of the project can be understood at-a-glance. 

    Date: You will create project status reports many times during the course of a project’s implementation phase. Reports can be created weekly or monthly—it all depends on the stakeholders’ needs and pace of the project. Adding the date to each status report acts as a reference point for your audience and also creates a history log of the project’s status over time. 

    Summary: The summary condenses the project’s goals, schedule, highlights, and lowlights in one central place for easy stakeholder visibility. Usually, the summary section will be followed by, or grouped with, the timeline summary and the overall project status.

    Status: As you can imagine, status is a crucial piece. The status of the project illustrates your actual progress versus your planned progress. In project management, a common way to depict this is through RAG (red, amber, green), or Red-Yellow-Green, status reporting. RAG follows a traffic light pattern to indicate progress and status. Red indicates that there are issues that need resolution and that the project may be delayed or go significantly over budget. Amber/Yellow means that there are potential issues with schedule or budget, but that the issues can likely be resolved with corrective actions. And green means the schedule and budget are doing fine and that the project is on track. You can use RAG to indicate the overall project status, as well as milestone status. Every project team and stakeholder may have a slightly different perspective on what the colors mean and how urgent it is to escalate issues when they see an amber/yellow or red status, so it’s important to make sure everyone understands what the different color statuses mean for your project.

    Milestones and tasks: A summary of the project’s major milestones thus far and current tasks helps the team and stakeholders easily visualize the progress of those elements. In a project plan, you will typically depict the tasks and milestones as ‘not started,’ ‘in progress’ or ‘completed’ at an item-by-item level. But, in the project status report, it is common to summarize these items into two categories to better communicate the status. You’ll use key accomplishments to detail what has happened, and upcoming to detail what big milestones you will accomplish next.

    Issues: The issues include your project's current roadblocks and potential risks. Status reports are an important opportunity to set expectations with your stakeholders. If your project status is red or amber, you can flag what is preventing you from being where you planned to be. You can also use this opportunity to state your plan to get the project back to green, and ask for any resources or help you may need to do so. You will learn more about communicating big risks and issues in the upcoming videos.

Project status report types 

With those key elements in mind, you can format your report in a variety of ways depending on your audience and what you need to communicate. 

If you need to share a status report with your team for a project that contains multiple layers of complexity, it may be best to format the report in a spreadsheet in order to keep track of all the moving parts. 

If you simply need to communicate updates to senior stakeholders, your status report may be best formatted as a slideshow, like the one below, containing only an overview of the most key points.
Example of a project status report snapshot with name, summary, status, issues, pending items and milestones and tasks  

Key takeaways

To recap, project status reports are a powerful tool to:

    Improve and simplify communication across the team.

    Keep everyone, including key stakeholders, informed.

    Request more resources and support (if needed).

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TPM Project Status Activities


What Do Technical Program Managers Do?  

Technical tasks:

    Lead technical design and architecture discussions across cross-functional teams
    Oversee requirements of software (design, architecture, and testing) and hardware (system design, hardware selection, etc.) assets
    Manage through Agile methodologies
    Decipher technical needs of other departments within the organization

Soft-skills work:

    Act as a communications liaison between technical and non-technical colleagues
    Develop and maintain productive internal relationships
    Facilitate cross-collaboration and understanding between IT and other departments
    Generate targeted reports for different internal and/or external audiences
    Stay current on the latest news, information, and trends about program management and the organization’s industry

Business responsibilities:

    Organize and track jobs, clarify project scopes, proactively manage risks, manage project escalations, ruthlessly prioritize tasks, and problem-solve
    Meet specific business objectives
    Support roadmap-planning process
    Develop strategies and implement tactics to follow through on those strategies
    Solve complex business problems within allocated time and budget
    Represent company management to technical teams, and vice-versa
    Influence others across the company to remain focused on desired outcomes without direct authority

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