Cross-team programs
On this page 9 topics
Overview
Topics
- Dependencies
- milestones
- accountability
- escalation
Learn first
4 h of practice (estimate)
Learning outcomes
- Structure a technical program across many teams into milestones with clear owners.
- Manage dependencies and the critical path across teams.
- Create accountability without being anyone's manager.
- Escalate early, with options, when a program is at risk.
Lessons
- 01Programs vs projects
- 02Milestones that show progress
- 03Dependencies and the critical path
- 04Accountability without authority
- 05Escalation done well
- 06Working with technical program managers
- 07Demo: a program review for the migration of 20 teams' pipelines
- 08Demo: escalating a blocked dependency with options
Lab and exercises
Lab
STF-013-LAB1 · Platform rollout program
Outcomes: 1–4 · Time: ~4 h
- Write the program charter for moving all teams to Platform 2.0 pipelines: outcome, scope, sponsor, success measures.
- Define milestones with owners and done-checks; build the dependency map and mark the critical path.
- Define the accountability routine (program review, status rules) and an escalation path.
- The assessor injects a slip (for example, a shared service delayed by six weeks); respond.
- Write the escalation note and the update to teams.
Acceptance: response protects the critical path and is communicated within one cycle.
Exercises (case-based; six exercises)
| ID | Outcome | Task |
|---|---|---|
| STF-013-EX01 | 1 | Turn "migrate everyone to the new pipelines" into five milestones with owners and checks. |
| STF-013-EX02 | 1 | Decide which of three initiatives need a program and which a project, and say why. |
| STF-013-EX03 | 2 | Given eight tasks with dependencies, draw the dependency map and name the critical path. |
| STF-013-EX04 | 3 | A team lead repeatedly misses commitments. Plan how you create accountability without being their manager. |
| STF-013-EX05 | 4 | A shared service slips by six weeks. Write the escalation note with impact, options, and recommendation. |
| STF-013-EX06 | 4 | Review a Gantt chart last updated two months ago and propose a replacement that stays accurate. |
Show solutions
- EX01 M1 pilot team in production, M2 five teams, M3 ten teams with support model proven, M4 all teams, M5 legacy retired; each with a named owner and a check such as "deploys through the new pipeline for two weeks".
- EX02 Program: multi-team migration; project: a single team's service rewrite; judge by number of independent teams and cross-dependencies.
- EX03 Map the chains; the longest chain by duration is critical; list slack on the others and who protects the critical chain.
- EX04 Written commitments agreed with their manager, short regular review, early private conversation when a date is missed, and visible recognition when they deliver.
- EX05 Impact (12 teams, M3 later by six weeks), options (lend engineers, descope, move M3), recommendation, decision needed by Friday, other party warned first.
- EX06 Replace with a milestone board and dependency list reviewed each cycle, with RAG rules and a named owner who updates it.
Outcomes 2 and 3 are also covered by the lab slip response and accountability routine.
Workplace evidence: a cross-team program you led to completion.
Quiz
Outcomes: O1 milestones and owners · O2 dependencies and critical path · O3 accountability without authority · O4 escalation.
A self-check for you: nothing is graded, saved or sent anywhere. Choose an answer, then check it. You can try again as often as you like.
Practical part
Six case exercises STF-013-EX01 to EX06 plus the lab with the assessor-injected slip, assessed in a program review simulation. Pass: at least five of six exercises correct, quiz at least 8/10, and a response that protects the critical path and is communicated within one cycle.
Common mistakes
Gantt charts nobody updates; escalating late or as blame.
Assessment
Program review simulation.
Workplace evidence
A cross-team program you led to completion.
Career relevance
Solution roadmaps and migration strategy (ARC-036, ARC-037).