Stop Saying “I’ll Figure It Out”
Accountability Versus Responsibility
Everyone wants accountability, but nobody wants responsibility. That can make you feel super vulnerable!
If you’re a project manager, you know the pattern. You learn it with experience. A deadline is unrealistic. Priorities change halfway through the work, and then it continues to change. A key decision is sitting with leadership, and they won’t answer your emails. Then someone asks you for an update, and SOMEHOW the problem lands in your lap.
As project managers, our instinct may be to say, “I’ll figure it out.” And sometimes, that’s a good thing. We don’t need to run to leadership for every single decision. But if you say it every time someone else needs to make a decision, you can become responsible for choices you have no authority to make.
The Rescue Habit
A stakeholder says the date can’t move. The team says the work can’t be done by then. Your manager hasn’t decided what to cut.
So what does a good project manager do? You start chasing people. You look for ways to fit the work into the schedule, and you ask your team to squeeze in one more thing. You rewrite the plan and send out another update. Your intention is to keep the project moving.
When the project slips, people might ask why you didn’t manage it better. But you weren’t the one who set the deadline, controls the resources, or approves the trade-off.
That’s the frustrating part of being accountable for everything while having authority over very, VERY little.
Lead Without Taking Over
With experience, you learn how to bring structure to a messy situation. You don’t have to be combative…that’s NOT our role. But stop hiding the decision inside the work YOU do for everyone else (aka the leadership team).
So next time, instead of saying:
“I’ll figure it out.”
Try:
“We can keep the date if we reduce the scope, or keep the scope if we move the date. Which option do you want me to plan around?”
Now you’ve laid out the options and the impact, and the person with the authority has to decide what to do!
You’re still leading the project. YOU are the project manager. You’re making it easier to move forward.
Make the Missing Decision Visible
When a project is stuck, try these three easy steps:
State the issue. “The new request adds two weeks of work.”
Explain the impact. “Keeping the current launch date would mean removing these two features.”
Ask for the decision. “Should we remove those features or move the date?”
Don’t forget to record the decision and who made it. We aren’t trying to shift the blame to anyone. We’re making sure the team understands what was agreed upon so they can act on it.
You can be accountable for tracking the issue, explaining the trade-offs, and following up. That’s what good leaders do.
There’s A Cost
The more you try to rescue a project without communicating the trade-offs, the easier it becomes for everyone to assume you can keep rescuing it. You don’t want that!
So the next time you feel the words “I’ll figure it out” coming out of your mouth, STOP! Ask yourself: Am I solving a problem I own, or covering for a decision someone else needs to make?
You’re not refusing to help. You’re helping the project move forward with the right people involved.
Tune into the my latest episode titled “Are You the Company’s Punching Bag?” where we cover this topic more in depth. See you there!