As program management often touches on elements of finance and IT development, a fair question would be if you need maths or coding skills to be a program manager.
Program management does not necessarily require coding or mathematics. A good grasp of mathematics is important; program management can effectively be done without including any advanced maths or coding at all.
In the rest of this article, I’ll discuss what program management entails, what requirements you need to cover for it, and the differences between managers of this type, among other things.
Program Management: Math or Coding?
A program manager manages operations within an organization and has authority over different projects. However, there are many variables involved in selecting what precisely the job would entail.
So, to imply that program management does not require mathematics or coding would be wrong.
Program management can use mathematical operations and coding for projects that require special attention. This, however, does not have to be the case. Program management has massive subjectivity. After all, there are multiple ways of solving a problem rather than a single linear one.
Now, most projects involve mathematical operations when complying with different tasks. So, program management does apply mathematics in the compilation of projects. But, this shouldn’t be confused with complex mathematical equations needing to be solved in order to get the job done.
On the other hand, if we talk about coding – you’ll have to give computer instructions for performing specific tasks required by programmers or developers. There is a common misconception that all program management functions must involve coding and that managers must be aware of coding procedures and how to code.
Although it’s true that program management involves coding, this doesn’t mean that you need to learn how to code. Think of it like this, you don’t need to know how to create a car piece-by-piece in order to run a car manufacturing plant.
The same logic applies in both cases, whether we’re talking about math or coding. Although both of these are essential areas of program management, you don’t need to be a maestro in either to be an effective program manager.
Let’s take Microsoft for reference. According to Brian Pulliam, the former PM at Microsoft, “You can be a successful PM and do zero coding.” You’ll need to understand how systems created under your supervision work, make them better, and ensure they’re working optimally. All of this can be done entirely without an inch of coding or math.
What Does Program Management Require?
Program management is the ability to evaluate and assign different projects in an organization to achieve the goals set out by the organization.
It relates to managing a single program that has multiple projects working under it, assigning and evaluating different projects without directly managing these projects – kind of like delegating!
A program manager’s job is to run operations within an organization involving different projects. This means inspecting that the procedures are working according to the objectives laid out by the company.
Program managers’ skills include planning a strategy, assigning duties and responsibilities, planning out goals and objectives, and managing people. This, however, is a very boiled-down explanation.
Program managers have to ensure that they learn and understand multiple things like, for example, data modeling and organizational behavior. In order to ensure smooth workflow, understanding the behavior of a specific work environment and how to optimize efficiency is much more critical for program management as compared to math and coding.
Program Management vs. Project Management
A project manager is an individual working for a company that focuses on a single project at once. To make it simple, a project manager would mainly create layouts, oversee, and delegate single or multiple projects of an organization. There is, however, much more to the job than just this.
Although the nature and duties of these two jobs may be similar, a program manager is not recommended to be a project manager.
Is Program Management Difficult?
Program management is a rewarding job, but with it comes many challenges. Therefore, a lot of people opt out of choosing it as a profession because of the difficulty it entails with it. So before choosing program management as a career choice, investigate the opportunities and problems it brings.
Although this can be said about any complicated profession, it holds especially true for program management.
In any organization, the unexpected can happen at any time. It is the job of a manager to ensure smooth workflow of his managing environment while taking into account unprecedented factors. Although it’s true that sometimes catastrophes cannot be avoided, however, a plethora of problems can be prevented.
As such, timely prediction of potential issues and rectifying them is essential to be a good program manager. Good managers would employ data modeling strategies to do this. The overall point is that you’ll have to expect things no one does by thinking outside the box.
Additionally, you’ll always have to look to transform your business to the next level in program management. One of the parts of being a top-notch program manager is to comprehend and execute operations on behalf of your organization that increases its value.
Reaching the objectives set out for you is an integral part of program management. You can’t expect to be good at the job if you don’t give it your all and push yourself to accomplish your organizational goals.
Other Considerations
Program management has tons of variables involved. One needs to oversee the projects engaged in their operations. Losing control would mean that not only one project will suffer, but the whole program will ultimately collapse on its head.
Furthermore, one of the most important jobs of a program manager is to train and manage your team. It is imperative for a program manager to conduct workshops, assess his employees’ abilities, and find the most efficient methods of reaching organizational goals.
All of this ties into the argument of leading multiple projects smoothly – which, again, is a core objective of a program manager.
Every single one of the things I’ve mentioned above is critical to good program management. The thing to note here is that none of these require you to have advanced experience in math or coding to achieve.
Focusing on all of these, it becomes apparent rather quickly that needing a complex understanding of either of these fields to perform the tasks of daily program management is nothing but an exaggeration!
Final Thoughts
Program managers use both mathematics and coding in their duties and roles in an organization. It is believed that coding knowledge will help the organization in the management of projects and will provide critical insights into the web development part of the projects.
However, the ability to be mandatory as a job description is not the truth. In fact, neither coding nor math is essential to be a successful program manager. A program manager is one of the essential roles in an organization, and performing the role efficiently is not as linear as just being good in a specific field.
Do Program Managers Need Coding Skills Like Project Managers?
While project managers focus on overseeing specific tasks and timelines, program managers take a broader approach by managing multiple related projects. While both roles can benefit from coding skills, the need may vary based on the specific requirements of the program vs project management.
