I'm a new project manager and am having trouble figuring out how to clearly communicate roles and responsibilities with a team member who is on multiple projects that I manage.
This person asks me constantly if I will be handling x or if they should handle x. As a team, we've developed RACIs for each project and this person agreed to the things they are responsible for. I keep referencing the RACIs while I answer the question (ex: "Well, according to the RACI, you're responsible for x so if you could go ahead take care of it, that would be great.") None of my other team members have trouble understanding their roles and responsibilities.
This is driving me bonkers! Any suggestions on how I might get through to this person? Saving Changes...
James DunnProject Manager| Acres EnterprisesKamloops, British Columbia, Canada
I'm a new PM myself, I would have thought a RACI chart would be sufficient.
Curious. Does it seem like the individual brings the questions to you in hopes of passing work to you? Or do they seem to honestly have trouble understanding the purpose of a RACI chart? Saving Changes...
RACIs can be confusing for some people. If they're having trouble reading the matrix, you might just have to extract the data and put it in a simple "their view" chart. Your specific responsibilities on this project are.....
They could be trying to avoid their responsibilities as James mentioned. It does happen frequently. If it's a matter of they need you to explain their specific RAA (responsibilities, accountability, and authority) with them, you might have to spell it out in more detail and focused on their role exclusively.
Have a one-on-one meeting with them to review, and be sure to ask them if they understand to gain their concurrence they now know. If it becomes a bigger problem you may need to have that discussion with their functional manager as well. Often when people are playing games, it's I *didn't* know (past tense) to cover for things they didn't do. Hopefully that's not the case. Saving Changes...
This newfangled project monitoring solution combines agile with global indicators. Every team member can be included in a Trello dashboard, to update the state of his respective tasks (you can assign a team member to a task through his user name, and he will be notified through his e-mail, so, he is secure of the tasks assigned to him). Then, the information is translated into a global indicators panel, that can be shared with management supervisors. To get more information about this solution, visit this site: https://www.facebook.com/Teleworking-Monitoring-107369664431280/. Also contact them at [email protected] Saving Changes...
Joseph RussellPartnership Project Manager| FNBOOmaha, Nebraska, United States
Great question! In my experience, people asking those types of questions either don't understand the depth of the responsibilities associated with their assigned tasks (mentioned by Mr. Novak) or they're not being challenged appropriately.
A review of their experience in those assigned tasks and deliberate development post-project could improve things. They could also be unsure of their own capabilities (impostor syndrome) and just looking for encouragement. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
In my personal experience when I have this type of situations people ask about work to do, not to responsabilities. Then, the best artifact to communicate it is the WBS Dictionary. Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Angie,
the good thing is that he asks you. He could just not understand what he should do and be quiet about it.
You are in charge of the project and you defined the RACI, for you it is clear apparently. Not for him. Or maybe others. Try to support and enable the team members to just do what you want them to do. Maybe you need additional communication beyond a RACI chart.
I imagine him having to work on different projects, and every PM assigning tasks and responsibilities to him may be in a different way. In any way, re-adjusting how a project is setup 2-3 times a day takes effort but is not effective, is waste. Think about clarity from his point of view. Sergio has a good point: make it easy for him and assign tasks or work packages to him.
We often see people acting and then have our own story interpreting that action, resulting in bad feelings (drives me nuts). The way out of it is to question our own story (perception) and then to just ask why someone acts like he or she did. A good book about this topic is Grenny et al. Crucial conversations.
Good luck, PM is people business.
Thomas Saving Changes...
Peter RapinSubject Matter Expect; Project Delivery| Independent ConsultantOntario, Canada
It is best if you assign team members deliverables or tasks and have them tell you how they are going to achieve those objectives. In a way it makes them responsible for determining the effort and method to get there.
Maybe its not so much that they don't understand the task or deliverable but don't know how to go about it. If so, you may want to consider some training in planning and decision making.
Another possibility is that your project is not their priority and they are providing excuses for their failure to perform. You need to explore that with him and/or his manager and find an alternative solution.
Lastly, maybe you have a underperforming team member who finds it easier to make excuses than perform the work. Get rid of them as these members poison the team.
Suggested course of action: 1) drill down to find the underlying problem, 2) identify suitable responses, and 3) take action. Remember that problems typically don't go away on their own. Saving Changes...
Jane MachyoProject management Practioner| Compassion International UgandaKampala, 102, Uganda
Angie, I also would consider having short term reviews with that kind of member on your team after the one on one meeting. You may require progress notes on how they are accomplishing the task and give feedback.
As part of your feedback they need to know your expectations of having to lead in their space.
If the member works well with teams, attach a team Ambassador to them as you assess the development of their abilities in working without constant consultation. Saving Changes...
Riad AlhammoudProject management| LanganAbu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Having one to one meeting will assist to understand the issue and you can take it from there. Saving Changes...
