Project Issues; Ownership is Key

When assigning issues, risk responses, and work packages, there's one thing that a suprising number of people forget---to assign an individual owner. All too often, I see someone list a team, or worse yet--nobody! The fact is that if an individual owner isn't on the hook to be responsible, the burden of responsibility falls on the most nervous person--typically the project manager. Sometimes it falls on nobody and doesn't get done.

Here's a quote that says it all:

A courtyard common to all will be swept by none.
Chinese Proverb