Delegated Projects using GTD

Jan Ernest

Registered
GTD explains well tasks that are delegated to other person, and these are turned to "Waiting For" items. But how about if we are delegating Projects to other persons? How do we handle them using GTD?
 

John Ismyname

Registered
Delegating a project is (theoretically) the same thing as delegating a singular task. With a project, the delegator becomes the project sponsor and the delegatee is the project manager. With GTD, there is a low threshold for something becoming a project because questioning "what is the next action ?" turns what is ostensibly a simple task into a project. For example, I hire a cleaning lady to come to my house. This is a project for her as she has her lists of tasks to do. It's also a project for me as I have multiple tasks to do (i.e., be sure her money is on the fridge door, be sure I have all the supplies she needs, be sure I have my "amorphous blobs" of "stuff" put away.) There are contingencies in this project. (She called me last week to tell me my vacuum cleaner started billowing smoke.)

On a bigger scale, I am having my hardwood floors refinished. I have delegated this out to a vendor who will project manage it. Just like with my cleaning lady, I can't just write a cheque/check and put it in @waiting-for. I was going to be out-of-town while this was being done but the vendor wants me to see the colour of a test spot to be sure that I like it. Thus, I am being assigned a task by the project manager, that I, as project sponsor, have delegated to!

My understanding of this is that in GTD, we can be a project sponsor and delegate the project management to someone else. However, there are often multiple tasks in being the project sponsor. Paradoxically, these tasks become a project by the GTD definition of project.
 

Geeko

GTD since 2017
In GTD it is pretty simple: anything you delegate to someone else goes on your “Waiting For” list, be it a next action, a project or even an item from your higher horizons. In addition this item can go to your tickler file so you keep up with the project status on a regular basis.

Cheers,
Tristan
 

TruthWK

Registered
David does mention that if you are someone that delegates many projects, it can be helpful to have a separate Delegated Projects list.

From a GTD perspective, it really doesn't matter how much other people have to do that you delegate to. Your action on it is just a follow up action from time to time.

If you are a project manager, you are gonna have that project on your Projects list because you may have one or more next actions to do yourself related to the project. The individual items for that project where other people have the next action(s) would go on your Waiting For list.
 

Thais Godhino

GTD Connect
I used to use a Waiting - Projects delegated list, but today I use only a Waiting list for everything that I'm waiting for.
 
Top