Pushing Control Down to Teams with a Consultative Approach (Part 1 of 2)

Joe Wynne is a versatile Project Manager experienced in delivering medium-scope projects in large organizations that improve workforce performance and business processes. He has a proven track record of delivering effective, technology-savvy solutions in a variety of industries and a unique combination of strengths in both process management and workforce management.

 

You can fill your day minding the minutia of your project for every team. The issues, the interaction problems, the intermediate deliverable schedules--there are plenty of details to take up every minute of every waking hour. Luckily you gave up your life years ago anyway.

But constant involvement won't get you any improvement in performance. No deadlines will be met faster. No quality will be improved. No creativity will be inspired. No budget dollars will be saved. There is no relationship between sweating every detail and success.

Your teams must take care of these details. To do this, you have to give them the authority to do so. Your message has to be loud and clear. And you cannot contradict the message later. Only then can then take up your true desirable consultative approach.

The Problem is…Your Problem?

You might not want to push control down. That doesn't mean you are a "control freak," but it may mean that your tendencies are in the wrong direction. How can you know?

• Do you find yourself contacting teams for detailed information or requesting exhaustive reports?
• Do you require approvals for minor tasks or expenditures?

If so, your tendencies may be keeping teams from reducing your workload.

On the other hand, you may want to push control down to teams, but suffer from a justifiable …

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