What are the most effective team structures for program management?

?? Optimize your team formation! I'd underscore the significance of tailoring your team structure to both the complexity and demands of your program. Consider the Matrix structure, balancing dual reporting lines to marry functional expertise with program directives. The Dedicated structure offers unwavering attention to program tasks, while the Hybrid approach fuses available and program-specific clusters. For adaptive and iterative delivery, the Agile structure, based on cross-functional squads, is paramount. Aligning the proper structure to program nuances not only elevates efficiency but also refines the delivery process.

Yes. Most programs have matrix structure. In one of my programs, I had 4 teams that are spread across multiple geographies, with each project manager reporting to the director of that site. Often, I had to work with the site directors and project managers to get approval for additional hiring, infra management and funding for any specific tools. This often gets into conflict and needed a good collaboration from my side. The matrix structure also helped me in not having the additional responsibilities of skill development, people management etc... A clear RACI matrix towards program objectives was set among the project managers, which helped in managing the situation

One thing I found helpful in having dedicated structure is the control over the teams. That really drives the team and no ambiguity over reporting to multiple managers. This also have a good customer focus, with all of the team are dedicatd full time to the program and not diverting into other work, which often was happending when resources are workign in a matrix structure

Usually any program will have a hybrid structure. The program team (in my case, program quality manager, procurement manager, PMO) reports to me directly, whereas the project managers are assigned from the funtional managers. Project manager gets the work assigned to by me, and in collaboration with the functional managers, project manager work. Managing large programs with this kind of a structure is difficult and often had to manage the clashes stemming out of lack of clarity when it come to minor and detailed work.

By definition, program manager manage multiple related projects. So, in an ideal situation, program manager do not have the project resources reporting to them. The projects could be agile, hybrid or waterfall or any other types. So, in my view, this model is not relevant at the program level. But more relevant at the project level

That is called enumeration of possible structures. Best structure is the most appropriate for certain culture, goals, entity… structure should be compatible at first to have place. Later, stuff can be optimized through and within the proposed structure. I am often asked what the best leadership style. The question posed by the article has the same flavor. Well yes, servant leadership is a trend, has nice features, impacts and results but sometimes a more “autocratic” style has to be adopted depending on the team, results aimed to get…

The most common structure in Product companies has a program manager , who is an individual contributor. An influeuncer, who drives programs and strategic objectives through stakeholder engagement. This is done through process authority rather the people authority.