Everything we need to know about program management, we learned from punk rock

Defense AT&L, July-August, 2005 by Dan Ward, Chris Quaid

Punks may not be pretty and their lyrics may not be coherent to the casual listener, but they have integrity and a deep understanding of what the Air Force calls "service before self." Punk's ideological stand against the pursuit of illicit personal gain, either by hypocrisy or other ethical violations, is virtually identical to the Air Force's second Core Value. It is the mission that matters, whether that mission is music or missiles. It's about service, not about your own interests. So close your eyes, forget yourself, and feel the beat move you along.

Stickin' It

As the influential American existential philosopher Jack Black explained in the educational film School of Rock, rock and roll is about "stickin' it to The Man." That goes double for punk. In any large enterprise, one occasionally encounters The Man (or The Woman) who genuinely needs to have "it" stuck to them, for their own good and for that of the organization. That is not a prescription for rude or destructive behavior; rather, it is a recognition that good PMs have the courage and creativity to challenge/stick it to the status quo when it needs to be challenged/stuck. They are intellectually honest enough to question assumptions and do the right thing, no matter how unpopular or uncommon. We can pretend courage and creativity don't matter in a program office, research lab, or logistics depot--as if fighter pilots and infantry-men have a monopoly on requirements for these virtues--but listening to The Clash shows this clearly isn't the case.

Punk PMs refuse to be badly managed. Can you imagine a punk rocker being micromanaged ("Okay, now play that other chord twice, then growl into the microphone ...")? Not a bleeping chance. The truth is, micromanagement only occurs when the person being managed puts up with it, which punk PMs refuse to do. Punks are too darn good at what they do to tolerate being badly managed or micromanaged, so one way or another, they help their superiors figure out how to manage and lead them well.

Shiny, Happy Punkers

Some people think punk is angry music, and sometimes it is. But it can also be playful and funny (as in the Dead Milkmen's "Punk Rock Girl") without ceasing to be punk. However, the often-present anger is indeed an important component of the genre, and we contend a certain degree of "raging against the machine" is justified, appropriate, productive, and healthy. The important thing to recognize, however, is that anger is not the goal. Reality, honesty, authenticity, and independence are what matter. If it comes out sounding angry, so be it. And if it comes out funny, sad, ironic, or happy (as it often does), that's just fine too.

Aside from the risk of turning anger into a goal, another danger of being a punk PM is that you might slide into the role of rebel without a cause. Art for art's sake isn't art, and genuine punks aren't rebelling just because rebelling is fun (even though it is). Punk PMs ought not to develop a new weapon system just to develop a system, nor challenge the old system just for the challenge. It's fun to rock the house, rock the casbah, and rock the boat, but the rocking needs to be done with a purpose. It's not enough to simply stand against something. Punks and other rebels must have a cause to rally around and something positive to stand for. So before you pick up that guitar, stop bathing, and get something pierced, make sure you're more than just angry.