Biggest Challenges Faced by a Program Manager at Meta
Josh's biggest challenge as a Program Manager at Meta is "influencing without authority," a stark contrast to the direct leadership experience in the military. This requires navigating the ambiguous nature of tech work and skillfully gaining "buy-in from people around" to achieve project goals despite competing priorities.
Project Management, Influence and Persuasion, Ambiguity and Decision-Making, Cross-functional Collaboration, Leadership and Teamwork
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Josh Dalva
Program Manager
Meta
Boston University, 2015
UCLA Anderson, MBA
International Relations & Affairs
Technology
Operations and Project Management
Greek Life Member, Veteran
Video Highlights
1. Influence without authority: Program managers in tech often need to collaborate with various teams and individuals, requiring strong influencing skills to achieve project goals without direct managerial control.
2. Navigating ambiguity: The fast-paced tech environment presents ambiguity, demanding adaptability and the ability to make decisions and secure buy-in from others even without complete clarity.
3. Contrast with traditional management: Josh highlights the difference between managing people directly (as in his military experience) and influencing cross-functional teams in a tech company, emphasizing the need for different skillsets.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
As a program manager in a fast-paced tech organization, you need the ability to influence without authority. This means you aren't in charge of people, but you have critical dependencies on many different individuals to do your job.
Getting alignment is challenging because everyone you work with has their own priorities and initiatives. You must be skilled at influencing, making decisions, and gaining buy-in from others without being able to simply dictate terms.
This is a stark contrast to the military, where as an officer, I had 20 to 30 people working under me. I set the cadence and established the work that needed to be done and how it would get done.
In tech, it's much more ambiguous. You have to navigate that ambiguity while still getting people to contribute to your efforts.