One of the things that makes project management so interesting is that no one can ever say that they have all the answers. Project management approaches and strategies are constantly being evaluated, revised and improved, and successful project managers make it a priority to stay informed about the latest developments in their field.
In recent years, the world of project management has been the scene of a growing debate over two fundamentally different approaches to defining and assigning project tasks: the top-down approach vs. the bottom-up approach. Here, we’ll take a quick look at the benefits and limitations of each strategy.
Top-Down Project Management
The top-down approach is the more traditional of the two project management approaches. A top-down strategy calls for all key decisions to be made by the project manager or senior organizational leaders. When a project is managed from the top down, the work breakdown structure and project plan are usually completed by the project manager alone, after which team members are told which tasks they will be completing and when their tasks are due.
The Pros and Cons of a Top-Down Approach
Top-down project management remains very common, and it is well suited to projects in which there are few unfamiliar tasks and few unique challenges to be met. Its pros include:
- Straightforward planning phase because decision-making is centralized
- Expectations are unified while roles and responsibilities are clear
However, many organizations have begun to find that the top-down approach has its limitations in some modern projects. Possible cons include:
- Demoralizing and demotivating team culture in which members have little control over their responsibilities and methods
- Risk of surprises and issues down the road due to gaps in leaders’ expectations and team members’ capacities
The Bottom-Up Approach
Bottom-up project management is rapidly gaining popularity, especially in industries where projects tend to involve new challenges that require innovative solutions.
In the bottom-up model, project objectives are still determined by organizational leadership, but the team members who will be doing the work are asked to provide input as to how the project goals will be met. Task lists and project timelines are usually not completed until after the project team members have weighed in, which often results in more realistic schedules and fewer surprises down the road.
Pros and Cons of the Bottom-Up Approach
Companies using more bottom-up strategies for projects often find the following positive outcomes:
- Higher employee engagement, which can improve morale and accountability
- Lower risk of surprises and issues later on because employees’ capacities are considered at the outset
However, the bottom-up approach has its drawbacks, too, and isn’t a great fit for all projects or teams. For example, the initial project phases can take significantly longer, as project managers need to incorporate input from a large number of stakeholders into the project plan.
Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up: Choosing a Direction
Few organizations are likely to make a formal decision to adopt either the top-down or bottom-up approach for every project. Instead, more and more companies are looking for ways to incorporate certain elements of the bottom-up philosophy into their current project management practices. Even companies in industries where projects are typically repeatable and predictable can improve their employee morale by allowing team members to participate in the project planning process.
Organizations in rapidly-evolving industries like software and technology have even stronger incentives to move to bottom-up project management, in order to get maximum benefit from their employees’ expertise and creativity. In fact, many companies and teams are taking inspiration from Agile projects by making their decision-making processes more decentralized.
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People in charge of a business or a project team may see planning as entirely their responsibility. They draw up the plans, and the employees carry them out. This kind of "top-down" planning has advantages, but it's not perfect:
Sometimes the employees on the bottom can see what needs to be done better than their leaders.
Top-down management and top-down planning are more common than the bottom-up alternative. Many businesses, especially large ones, have a well-developed hierarchy in which power lies at the apex of the pyramid. In individual departments, branches and project teams, the top dog likewise holds full authority to run things in accordance with upper management's orders.
At The New York Times, for instance, the upper echelons of management exercised centralized control for years. Lower-ranked editors had the same authority over their specific projects, basing decisions on their own opinions, not that of their employees. Reporters and other staffers either went along with this top-down approach or left.
In bottom-up planning, team leaders use feedback and insight from the people under them to develop the plan. The view from the C suite may not show what's really happening on the company's front lines. Letting employees say what the plan really needs to address may meet more of the organization's needs.
One of the drawbacks to top-down management, as The New York Times learned, is that it leaves employees feeling like their opinions don't matter. Nobody listened to what reporters had to say about the projects they were assigned to. They didn't get a vote. After the Times introduced bottom-up planning to its projects, team members felt less like drones and more like collaborators.
Tapping your team's expertise in the work they do also helps the plan address problems realistically. For example, suppose you're planning a massive upgrade of the company's computer systems. If the IT team helps draw up the plan, they have the hands-on experience to spot problems: For example, you haven't allowed enough time for testing before deployment, or the software and hardware you want aren't quite right for the company.
Bottom-up management increases employee buy-in, but top-down planning has advantages too. You may be more clued into the company's big-picture goals than your team members. And top-down decision making is usually faster and more efficient because only one person needs to weigh in.
Another factor in choosing between bottom-up and top-down planning is that the plan isn't reality. It's a judgment call, and nobody's judgment is perfect every time.
Suppose you're drawing up your team's list of projects for the next six months. You know the big picture, the resources and funding available to the team. An experienced manager can put together a good estimate of how much can be done in that time period, given the limitations.
Your team, however, may have a better idea of how long tasks and projects actually take. They can put together a detailed timeline, though they may not have as good a grasp of available resources.
The quality of the top leadership can play a big role in determining whether top-down management is a triumph or a flop. A strong, dominant leader who clearly communicates clearly what she wants can make following the plan simple: Employees don't have to second-guess what the boss means or interpret confusing instructions. If the leader is smart enough to research the problem and find the right answers, that's even more effective.
A weak or arrogant team leader can issue the same orders without inspiring employees to follow him. If the leader doesn't do the research or exercises poor judgment, the top-down approach doesn't allow employees much room to alter the plan.
It's possible that collaborating to create a top-and-bottom approach will give you the best plan of action.