🐒 Every Monkey Belongs to Someone—Stop Juggling Everyone Else’s Work!

Ever feel like you’re juggling tasks that aren’t even yours? In functional organizations, project managers often fall into the “monkey management” trap—taking on other people’s work and slowing down the whole project. 🐒

Here’s how to keep every monkey with its rightful owner and lead your team without burning out.

What Is Monkey Management?
Monkey management happens when a project manager takes responsibility for tasks that actually belong to someone else.

It often starts with good intentions:

Helping a team member finish something faster

Unblocking issues to keep the project moving

Supporting a colleague who seems stuck

But the effect is counterproductive:

Accountability shifts away from the actual task owner

The PM gets overloaded, juggling too many things

Project momentum slows down, as everyone becomes dependent on the PM

Think of it as carrying someone else’s “monkey” on your back—heavy, unnecessary, and distracting.

How to Avoid Taking on Other People’s Monkeys
Here are four strategies to stay effective without overstepping:

1. Clarify Accountability
   Every task must have a clear owner. Ambiguity leads to confusion, delays, and misplaced responsibility. Ask yourself: Who is ultimately responsible for this task?
2. Facilitate, Don’t Take Over
   Your role as a PM is to unblock issues and provide guidance, not solve the task for the team member. Help them find solutions without taking ownership.
3. Create Visibility Loops
   Track progress using dashboards, stand-ups, or reporting tools so you can monitor tasks without constant chasing. This keeps the project on track while reinforcing accountability.
4. Focus on Enabling Delivery
   Your goal is to enable the team to deliver, not juggle everyone else’s tasks. By empowering the right owners and keeping track of dependencies, you free yourself to focus on the bigger picture.

Why It Matters
In functional organizations, resisting the urge to take on others’ monkeys is critical. Projects succeed when every monkey stays with its rightful owner.

When PMs clarify accountability, facilitate rather than solve, and create visibility loops:

Teams stay responsible for their own work

Projects move faster and smoother

PMs avoid burnout

Everyone learns to take ownership

Takeaway
Stop juggling tasks that don’t belong to you. Keep your monkeys where they belong. By doing so, you lead smarter, not harder, and your projects—and your team—will thrive.

Does this resonate with you? Spread the word—like, share, or repost, and help other project managers escape the monkey trap! 🐒