Biggest Challenges Faced by a Design Program Manager at a Big Tech Company
Marin's biggest challenge as a Design Program Manager is balancing "putting out fires" and resolving unexpected issues with the need to confidently direct others and advocate for their team's needs. This requires navigating a fine line between assertively communicating timelines and expectations while maintaining respectful working relationships, a skill Marin finds particularly important given their personality and desire to avoid "burn[ing] a bunch of bridges".
Project Management, Communication, Problem-Solving, Leadership, Overcoming Challenges
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
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Traits
Marin Dennis
Design Program Manager
Fortune 10 Technology Company
Santa Clara university 2012
California college of the arts MBA in design strategy
Communications
Technology
Creative
Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. The role involves a lot of problem-solving and critical thinking, especially when dealing with unexpected issues. This aspect can be challenging but also rewarding.
2. The position requires the ability to confidently communicate with people at all levels, including giving direction and advocating for resources. This involves finding a balance between assertiveness and maintaining positive working relationships.
3. Building confidence to tell others what to do while maintaining respectful communication is a key skill to develop in this role. It's about finding the right way to communicate the 'why' behind requests and directions to build cooperation and collaboration
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
I think I've touched on this a bit when discussing the day-to-day responsibilities, like putting out fires. There are a couple of things I'd say about being a Design Operations or Design Program Manager.
One is the idea of putting out fires and dealing with a lot of BS when things go wrong. It can be challenging when it falls on you to resolve issues.
However, these often become the most interesting things to do at work. They involve a lot of critical thinking and problem-solving because you have to come up with solutions quickly. So, while challenging, you can turn it into a positive if you're up for it.
The other thing that can be tricky, depending on your personality, is telling people what to do. I know for me, early in my career, being a bit more soft-spoken, this was difficult.
In this role, you have to be a little bit bossy sometimes. You need to ensure people are following timelines, schedules, and hitting milestones. You also have to communicate with senior executives about what you can and can't do, or ask for money or more time.
So, it's about finding your voice and confidence to be bold and ask for what you need, or tell people what they need to do. It's also about doing this in a polite and respectful way.
I always say, how can I tell someone to do something without making them hate me? Personally, I care about being liked at work. I don't want to burn bridges or ruin relationships by bossing people around, but that's also part of the job.
It's about finding that fine line: being someone who can direct people, but doing it communicatively and respectfully. Telling people the reason why they need to do something always helps.
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