The following daily 15-minute routine will make you a better program manager.

I call it the "3-5-7" routine because it breaks down into three distinct segments:

First 3 minutes: Rapid Risk Scan

• Check your risk register dashboard

• Review any new escalations from the past 24 hours

• Flag any yellows turning red

Next 5 minutes: Stakeholder Pulse

• Review key stakeholder communications

• Check critical milestone tracking

• Scan cross-team dependencies

• Note any required follow-ups

Final 7 minutes: Strategic Alignment

• Update your program one-pager

• Identify today's top 3 priorities

• Send any urgent stakeholder updates

• Schedule critical conversations needed

Reasons why this routine will make you a better program manager:

• Reason #1: It forces you to start each day focused on risks before they become issues. Most program managers react to problems; this routine helps you prevent them.

• Reason #2: It keeps stakeholder communication consistent and proactive. There is no more scrambling for status updates or missing critical dependencies.

• Reason #3: The one-pager update ensures you maintain a strategic view despite daily tactical demands. You'll stop getting lost in the weeds.

• Reason #4: By timeboxing these activities to 15 minutes, you're forced to focus on what truly matters. It prevents analysis paralysis.

• Reason #5: The routine's consistency builds trust with your teams and stakeholders. They know they can count on your regular updates and quick response to potential issues.

If you are interested in program management, I can't recommend this routine enough. It's helped me manage more concurrent programs twice the size I used to handle, with half the stress.

(And if you've tried it, do you agree? What other routines would you recommend for beginners?)