Self-Management: Hype or Reality?
Everyone seemed to be moving towards a self-managing organization. And, as often happens in history, a trend seems to have become an inevitability. But now we’re back on earth, especially since André Brand, the CEO of Cordaan Thuiszorg, recently stepped away from the self-management principle. At the request of the employees, by the way.
Self-Managing Teams
Strictly speaking, the definition of a self-managing team (Wikipedia) is: “a relatively stable group of employees in an organization who are jointly responsible for the entire process by which products or services are produced and delivered to an internal or external customer.”
Where it speaks of ‘the entire process’, the term ‘autonomous teams’ often seems more appropriate, as it can then refer to a wider range of autonomy: from low to high autonomy. In fact, it always involves evolutionary organizational development, meaning that leaders and their organizations look at what the best (next) form could be. In America, the term ‘distributed leadership’ is currently used. This indicates very well that responsibility no longer lies in one place.
Pitfalls of Self-Managing Teams
- Fear and Uncertainty: The transition to a different way of working can cause fear and uncertainty among everyone. This phase is often characterized by anxiety and uncertainty. My experience is that it takes a lot of time, energy, and wisdom to set up and guide such a delicate process. This often causes more pain than the outside world realizes. Especially when large organizations, such as ING, implement such a reorganization.
- Not Every Employee is Suitable: for working in a self-managing team. I know employees of organizations who have decided to leave because they prefer clear direction. Or they leave because they do not want multiple (shared) management tasks alongside their substantive work.
- Burnout: Because self-management requires a great deal of responsibility from employees, burnout is on the horizon. Especially in the initial phase. Within the teams, it is important that employees have the right skills and experience, otherwise there is a risk of frustrations within the team. Negative atmosphere can arise during the phase of role changes and changes in responsibilities.
- Lack of Trust and Letting Go: Leaders may be hesitant to truly trust and let go, making it difficult for the new organization to get off the ground. If a team cannot really work autonomously, it will not work. What I also encounter is that self-management is an experiment, but that it is separate from the rest of the organization. Even then, the chance of success is small.
- Quality of Leadership: The transition to an autonomous or self-managing organization depends on the quality of leadership and careful preparation and implementation. It doesn’t happen automatically. It’s not a switch you flip from one day to the next. With the full agendas of today, there is also a danger that too little time will be spent on the transition, making the process sluggish. My experience is that not enough thought is often given to what it all entails.
The First Steps to Autonomous Teams
The steps towards more autonomous teams and fully self-managing teams are a process that needs to be carefully followed. It starts with the question, “Can I organize more autonomy in my organization and is my organization ready for it?” Depending on your type of organization and the stage it is in, you can investigate whether the concept of self-management fits and what its relevance is for your organization.
There is no fixed step-by-step plan, but thorough preparation, research, and discussions with references are essential. Dynamic and strategic agility begins at the top, so if you are the leader, you must believe in it. Otherwise, it won’t work.
Want to read more about the background of self-managing teams and find out what it takes to make it work? Order my book “My Best Team Ever! In 7 steps to Golden Leadership”. Or make an appointment to (freely) discover which steps you can take towards self-managing teams.
You can order the book HERE. It’s also available as an e-book.
