Experientially most team members inherently “know” what needs to be done, by when and what the expected quality standards should be. Natural processes may result in a project leader emerging rather than being assigned.
Functioning effectively and efficiently without a designated project manager may seem unlikely. However, project management is intrinsic to the team, and the overall oversight might be undertaken by a departmental manager or product manager who is the ultimate beneficiary of the project change and outcome.
Early on in WiRD’s project management exploration, we noted that, if you are issued a task to complete, based on time and scope (quality output is pre-determined) you are doing project management. Such work is usually self-directed. This means that each team member is motivated to function effectively and efficiently without someone hovering over them to make sure they check all the requirements of a project off on time.
Being self-directed in your projects may be necessary for your business if your projects are not large enough to warrant a designated project manager.
This is one of the places where toolsets shine. Tools such as MS Tasks, Todoist, Wunderlist, or any to-do list software can be used to track, assign and monitor tasks so that the “doing” of project management happens. Essentially, making sure the project is managed correctly falls to the person with the most investment in project oversight.
In larger teams, this is a designated role: the project manager. In smaller teams this is often the person most invested in the outcome. In a one-person business or small team it is done by someone tracking tasks and keeping projects on track by whatever means works for them. In teams that regularly work together, there is often a natural cadence of project management and delivery.
This informal project management is visible in all fields, from contractors repairing municipal water pipes to teams working in a corporate department.
What is essential is that every team member must be invested in the management of the project being transparent and trackable. This is necessary for self-directed projects to be viable.
Being self-directed is much easier if you use the right toolsets. Project teams, both large and small, participate in some form of project management. Each team member makes an individual investment in the project’s outcomes, which strikes a balance between the admin burden of the tool and the management of the project.
If your team is small enough to need self-directed project management WiRD’s consultants are multi-talented enough to perform the role of project manager as well as another role on your team. Talk to us about efficient self-directed projects.