Program Management

re: Program Management

Tejas Patel — Tue, 10 Feb 2004 11:15:00 GMT

[quote]but one way to describe PMs is that they not only "pick up and run with the ball, they go find the ball". That really defines the difference between "knowing what to do and doing it", and "not knowing what to do, but using your own wits to decide what to do, then doing it". [/quote]

I learnt another important lesson today, thanks Chris.

What is a Program Manager

Adam's Mindspace — Tue, 10 Feb 2004 14:19:00 GMT

What is a Program Manager?

Adam's Mindspace — Tue, 10 Feb 2004 14:19:00 GMT

re: Program Management

Oliver Thylmann — Thu, 12 Feb 2004 08:25:00 GMT

Thanks for the post. This is exactly how it is and this is exactly what makes it so worth while for people that like both worlds. Thanks.

Chris Pratley Explains Program Management

autoCode( my_dotnet_baby ); — Thu, 12 Feb 2004 18:06:00 GMT

Chris Pratley Explains Program Management

autoCode( my_dotnet_baby ); — Thu, 12 Feb 2004 18:07:00 GMT

Chris Pratley Explains Program Management

Was I a Program Manager?

rev.one technologies — Thu, 26 Feb 2004 23:46:00 GMT

Was I a Program Manager?

rev.one technologies — Thu, 26 Feb 2004 23:49:00 GMT

One way to describe PMs...

Musing On Technology — Wed, 03 Mar 2004 11:07:00 GMT

...is that they not only "pick up and run with the ball, they go find the ball". Excuse the extra focus on PMs, but stumbled on an interesting note about how PMs came to be at MS by Chris Prately....

re: Program Management

Enlightened — Fri, 23 Apr 2004 14:07:00 GMT

ah, I think you just flipped the switch in my head. My last job was quite difficult to me because I was dubbed the "technical lead". But I ended up doing very little code and more driving the product forward. Things like making sure the localization people were happy, making sure the installs were coming along and had the knowledge they needed, answering mkting questions - I didn't always know the details but knew who to ask.

I felt simultaneously powerless and empowered. Powerless because of the flood of questions/decisions to make with so little technical details at my fingertips. Empowered because I could help steer the product and get other teams and my team members moving and enthused.

Good writeup. Thanks!

re: Program Management

Ray Schraff — Tue, 27 Apr 2004 20:40:00 GMT

Great piece.

My non-MS viewpoint on PMs:

1. Once they find the ball, PMs don't pick up every ball themselves....
but they own the task of making sure that every ball is picked up and carried to the correct endzone by SOMEBODY.

2. PMs translate: technology ==> English
3. PMs translate: English ==> technology

re: Program Management

Hind — Thu, 24 Jun 2004 00:20:00 GMT

I'm reciently assigned as a graduate Programs Manager in an oline college. My pervious two years experience were not in educational feild.

Accully, I'm facing deficulties and need any input about describing the expected role of the program manager in the On-line institutes specialy when the role become more administrative than academic.

Program Manager - Who, what, where?

Doug Seven — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 09:48:00 GMT

Program Manager - Who, what, where?

re: Program Management

paul — Sun, 01 Aug 2004 11:53:00 GMT

Marketing is the WHAT? To many people today think Marketing is just about "selling", but it should be about creating NEW products that WILL sell.

re: Program Management

Greg — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 20:01:07 GMT

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the info - great post! I've been trying to get a good feel for what a PM does at Microsoft - this has been one of the most useful posts I've found that explains it.

-Greg

Do you have to be a computer science major to work on Microsoft products? NO you don't.

Steven Sinofsky's Microsoft TechTalk — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 00:55:19 GMT

A potential intern sent me the following question:

While my major is computer related, I'm afraid...

re: Program Management

Tina — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 00:48:58 GMT

Well, this is certainly helpful. I am being asked to sell myself as a Program Manager to my organization. The company is very small, so I think this is like leading