The Missing (I) in the TEAM: Why Project Managers Often Deliver Alone 

Introduction

Unity Above Self. Common, right? Yes! It is the right thing to do as a project manager. It enables collaboration and the delivery of sustainable projects through joint team efforts rather than in isolation. By doing so, project success or failure becomes a collective responsibility of the whole project team. But what really happens on the ground? When a project succeeds, the credit goes to the team, and when the project or part of it fails, the blame mostly falls on the project manager. This is the background of this topic: The Missing “I” in the TEAM. 

The idea of teamwork in projects often exists in theory, while the reality feels cosmetic. A project manager is expected to support delivery, not replace the team or do all the work. Unfortunately, the same project manager is frequently left to handle the project alone, move it forward, execute it well, and be the star who solves all the problems. This is how the “I” is softly launched in projects, consciously or unconsciously. 

At one point in the project, a project manager will be carrying the whole load on behalf of everyone else and still smile when giving credit to the TEAM. 

“Thank you, Team. The team has been excellent. The team went beyond.”

They will announce it, yet the project manager and the leadership know it is not the case. 

The Reasons Why a Project Manager Delivers Alone

Why would team members leave the project manager to deliver alone? Mostly and sadly, this is a system issue. It is not the project manager’s fault. When accountability and alignment are not built into the system, assumptions win. 

Major causes of the missing “I” in the TEAM include: 

Low Commitment to the Project

This happens when the project is not aligned with their priorities and KPIs. They do not give it much attention. 

Overly Competent Project Manager

Team members may step back from their roles when they feel they have a capable project manager who can handle it all. 

Lack of Skills 

Some members who do not have the necessary capacity may disengage instead of asking for help, leaving the PM to fill the gaps. 

Lack of Accountability 

When members know they will not be held accountable for low performance, they allow the Project Manager to carry the load while contributing minimal effort. 

Fear of Failure 

Some team members do not want to take ownership of decisions, so they let the Project Manager do the work to escape blame if things go wrong. 

Poor Recognition 

When team members know they will not receive meaningful recognition, they allow the Project Manager to carry the weight because they are not motivated. 

In organisations that lack a permanent Project Management Office, most project team members are brought in from different functions solely for the purpose of the project. As a result, the matrix nature of the project structure creates additional complications with ownership and alignment between project goals and day-to-day responsibilities. 

Why Project Managers Do Not Call Out Underperformance and Instead Carry the Load Alone

You would expect, therefore, that a project manager who notices the team has disengaged from the project and left the work to them would call this out from the onset. You are wrong! The majority do not do it. 

Is it their choice? No, it is not. 

They are adhering to the Unity Above Self narrative, which promotes putting the team first through shared success and collective ownership of failure. Despite the workload, project managers actively give the wrong credit to non-performers by attempting to: 

Avoid Conflicts 

By refusing to mention the names of non-performers and underperformers. 

Maintain Cohesion 

By not creating divisions between performers and non-performers, they intend to maintain healthy relationships and avoid losing people. 

Prevent Exposing Leadership Failures

Most of the time, the PM has no authority to reprimand team members, so they remain calm due to this system gap. 

Escape Dealing With People Issues

Team dynamics are complex, and the PM would rather motivate, inspire, and build morale instead of having difficult conversations. 

Hope for Improvement 

By indirectly crediting the wrong people and not documenting underperformance, the Project Manager hopes that members with integrity will correct their actions and improve their performance. 

Impacts of Project Managers Delivering Alone by Not Calling Out Underperformance

Normalising underperformance while crediting the whole team should not be encouraged. When you give credit to people who did not contribute as expected, it may protect team unity, but if people are not held accountable, unity becomes cosmetic. 

Unknowingly, this cover-up ends up causing high performers in the team, including the project manager, to: 

• Feel unseen, undervalued, demotivated, and frustrated  
• Withdraw and stop going beyond their project roles  
• Develop resentment towards underperforming members  
• Lose trust in leadership  
• Experience potential burnout  
• Contribute to poor team culture  
• Reduce the quality of delivery, which can lead to project errors  
• Consider leaving the organisation  

Conclusion 

We need to highlight the fundamental problem of the “I” in the TEAM. It exists, but it is highly ignored. 

No, the “I” does not mean one has an ego. It is an urgent call for integration and integrity. 

When you are leading a project where team members are not accountable, do not collaborate, and do not perform their roles, the project is at risk of failure. 

A distressed project manager will not deliver quality work. 

An overworked project manager will experience burnout. 

A discouraged project manager cannot lead effectively. 

A project manager who feels unsupported, undermined, and taken for granted will not be willing to lead future projects. 

Let us say NO to the “I” in the TEAM. 

Let TEAM remain as it is intended: Collective Responsibility. 

Happy Project Management!