assigning work to others - any tips?

[LittleMissMaya]

I'm new in this role of Business Analyst/Project Manager. Also, it's a new position in the company. Any tips on managing people to a. acknowledge your request and b. meet their deadline? A couple of times I've assigned a couple of tasks to this one individual and he wasn't able to make a meeting. I asked him for his review ahead of time so we could incorporate his feedback at the meeting. Nothing. Then recently a few days ago, I sent him an email assigning another task with a deadline. He didn't even acknowledge the email. I've also assigned another task to an individual not on the project team. Again, nothing acknowledged.

It kind of pees me off but I suppose it's par for the course.

any tips or suggestions? I'm new in a new role so as much as it is my personality to get after people and drive it through to get the job done, I need to also be sensitive here and not be the bull in the china shop.

 

[johnherman]

When possible, the person(s) who will be doing the work should be involved in the estimation and planning of the work. When you meet with a project team member to get an estimate, ask them when they can have it completed. Or ask them if it can be completed by (your deadline). If they say no, then you can move onward: discuss priorities with their boss, assign to another person, adjust the schedule, etc.

When you ask people to a meeting, request that they reply whether they can or can't attend. If they can't, then you should reschedule IF you really need that person. Most Calendar tools allow you to see free space on other peoples' calendars. If the person is not maintaining their calendar, that's another issue (probably discuss with them, then their boss if no improvement). If a person accepts a meeting and then doesn't show, they owe you an excuse or explanation; that's just proper courtesy.

It appears your problem is one or more of the following:

- your work has a lower priority that other tasks. You would need to discuss the relative priorities of the tasks with the person, and the person setting the priorities.

- there is some confusion regarding your role and/or authority. During a project, the Project Charter charges the Proj Mgr to complete the project and defines the authority given to the PM

I would discuss this situation with your boss, then evaluate what steps are necessary to correct the current situation.

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The trouble with doing something right the first time is that nobody appreciates how difficult it was - Steven Wright

 

[BNPMike]

Email is great but it has the drawback you are encountering.

First try visiting them at their desk. Project Management is largely a perambulatory occupation. Useful if you want to keep fit.

If that's not possible, try the telephone.

A typical project has loads of these kinds of events. There are many strategies but essentially you need to establish your positional power and re-inforce it. A common method is to copy in ever more senior people as the delay progresses.

As a project manager you'll always have a spectrum of people varying from highly engaged to plain difficult.

Don't worry about it. It's just life.

 

[TPGp]

I agree that you need to establish and define your role so you don't overstep your boundaries.

Also keep in mind that you need the person you've assigned tasks to to acknowledge that because at the end of the day, if the work isn't done, your project won't be completed on time. You can hope to never be in such a situation, but it's always best to identify that as soon as possible.

 

[TPGp]

Email of course is most important when it comes to accountability. It allows you to have a record of all the attempts you have made.

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The Portal Group, LLC.

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