Photo by Christian Revival Network
Here’s a brief set of success patterns for program managers and project managers that I’ve shared with a few colleagues.  These are the patterns I see that make a difference in getting results.
10 Success Patterns

Empathic listening.
Rapport before influence
Character trumps emotion trumps logic
Match their style
Ask WIIFY
Distinguish between responsibility and authority
Turn chickens into pigs
Adapt, adjust, or avoid situations
Know the system.
Analyze it over time.

Success Patterns ExplainedHere’s the essence of each:

Empathic listening.  Listen until the other person “feels” they’ve been heard.  Once they feel heard, they’re more …

Photo by Christian Sisson
What’s your map for your career growth?  Do you follow a plan for structured improvement or do you simply move project to project hoping to gain the right skills?   If you think of capability as a function of knowledge and experience, then you can create a map of knowledge areas and a set of experiences that you can use as milestones or checkpoints in your development path.  In Professional Software Development: Shorter Schedules, Higher Quality Products, More Successful Projects, Enhanced Careers …

Photo by Ryan Smith Photography
If you want to grow your software skills, what’s the path?  The software industry at large does not have the same level of support for career progression as other careers such as lawyers, doctors or accountants.  In Professional Software Development: Shorter Schedules, Higher Quality Products, More Successful Projects, Enhanced Careers , Steve McConnell writes about the absence of career progression for software workers.
Our Software Industry Lacks Structured Improvement
McConnell writes that the software industry at large does not have the same structured improvement that some other professions …

Photo by aloshbennett
What are the benefits of having a Professional Development Ladder?   A professional development ladder can provide benefits for professional development, team capability, promotion criteria, hiring criteria, and skills management.  Obviously, your mileage will vary and it largely depends on the quality of the ladder and the people and process helping you through the ladder.  In Professional Software Development: Shorter Schedules, Higher Quality Products, More Successful Projects, Enhanced Careers , Steve McConnell shares the benefits of having used a Professional Development Ladder at Construx for more than …

How do you help experienced professionals transition into ladder levels at your company?  one of the challenges I’ve seen at Microsoft is helping an experienced professional succeed as a new hire. The new hire brings their extensive experience, but they may be missing knowledge or experiences expected for that level at Microsoft. How do you help the new kid in school succeed, while they’re facing culture shock, having to learn how things work, and building a network  from scratch?  In Professional Software Development: Shorter Schedules, Higher Quality Products, More Successful …