Too many teams rely on project managers as the central hub for every decision and communication. This might feel “organized” in the short term, but in reality, it creates a bottleneck and a single point of failure (SPOF)—a fragile system where everything slows (or stops) if one person isn’t available.

• A great PM doesn’t manage every message—they enable communication and decision-making at all levels. They focus on mid- and long-term success, identifying risks and opportunities, not micromanaging every interaction.

• If your team can’t function without a PM present, something is broken. High-performing teams must distribute responsibility, ensuring alignment without dependence.

• Stop the “Doers vs. Thinkers” mindset (a failure of Taylorism). Knowledge workers should contribute ideas, not just execute tasks.

Solutions:

• Build a culture of direct collaboration—cut out unnecessary middle steps.
• Ensure teams engage directly with stakeholders, reducing unnecessary gatekeeping.
• Encourage shared ownership so that knowledge and decision-making aren’t centralized.

If you were to disappear from your team for a week—would they still operate smoothly? If not, it’s time to rethink how work is structured.

What’s your experience with decentralizing project management?

See also

• Using Spikes to Minimize Uncertainty
• The Hidden Costs of Micromanagement: Impact on Managers, Teams and Projects
• The Misunderstood Pareto Principle: Why 80/20 Doesn't Always Apply
• How to Deal With a Worker Who Seems to be Underperforming
• Strategies for Overcoming Common Software Development Challenges - A management perspective