🏃 How I Keep Projects Moving When Ownership Gets Messy
In big orgs, ownership lines blur fast.
• One team assumes another is on it.
• A doc doesn’t have a clear DRI (Directly Responsible Individual).
• A task sits in “someone should do this” limbo.
That’s where projects stall.
As a PM, my job is to turn fuzzy ownership into forward motion.
🔁 This Week’s Sync
1 Quick Insight from the Field:
Last week, a workflow update had three teams circling it.
Everyone agreed it mattered.
No one agreed who owned it.
Instead of escalating, I asked one question in the thread:
“Who’s the best DRI for this?”
Silence for 30 seconds. Then one partner replied:
“I can take it…if X team signs off.”
Within 10 minutes, the owner was set, sign-off secured, and work unblocked.
The shift came from surfacing the ambiguity directly.
🧰 1 Repeatable Framework or Tactic
The “DRI Check” (Use whenever ownership is unclear):
1/ Ask explicitly in the room
→ “Who’s the DRI for this piece?”
→ If no one volunteers, nominate someone
2/ Write it down
→ Add to the tracker, doc, or Slack thread
→ Don’t leave ownership verbal
3/ Confirm dependencies
→ Ask: “What do you need from others to succeed?”
→ Surfaces hidden blockers before they bite
Why it works:
Clear owners = clear motion.
Unclear owners = invisible work.
⚡ 1 Challenge to Make You a Sharper Operator
Pick one project where ownership feels fuzzy.
Run the DRI check today.
You’ll either surface the owner…or surface the real problem.
See you next Sunday,
— Brett
🚀 Want more tactics like this? Subscribe to The Weekly Sync—real-world execution advice for PMs, delivered every week.
No fluff. Just frameworks, systems, and lessons from inside Amazon.