Making It Happen: A Non-Technical Guide to Project Management

Chapter 9. The Team's Roles

I "thought you said design was the next step."

It was the evening after the board meeting, and I was back in what was quickly becoming my accustomed spot on the front porch of my in-laws' house.

"How do you expect to play a round of golf if you don't know what clubs you've got?" Martha snapped. She was in a bad mood today. "You can't go on to the next step until you know who is supposed to do what on your project team!"

"Wait a minute, Martha," I said. "I thought you told me that the golf clubs were like the planning tools that I was going to use."

"I also told you I don't like analogies. Forget about the golf clubs. But you can't go on to the next step until you know who does what!" She passed me the notepad on which she had written:

"That doesn't look like a lot of people, Martha," I said. "I think there will be a lot more than that on my pro—, I mean, assignment."

"If you would just let me explain, Willie! There are certain responsibilities that need to be fulfilled during every assignment, big or small. These responsibilities are easier to think about when we group similar ones together, and give each group a name. On a small assignment, the same person might play more than one role. And on a big assignment—"

"You might have many people filling one particular area of responsibility," I finished for her. "That makes more sense."

Martha continued ...