"If there is no manager there is no control over quality of delivery and who would make decisions anyway?!"
That's something I regularly get as a response when I talk about self-managed teams.
In fact, there already is no real control:
An (executive) manager in a hierarchical organisation can only make decisions based on poor information (2nd/3rd-hand info).
The upward reporting is something like the kid's play 'chinese whispers' ("stille Post" in 🇩🇪).
To be nimble and fast, you need to make decisions right where action & effect take place.
To this end teams need the authority to make decisions - and take full responsibility.
This makes for more control and better informed decisions as every employee now acts as an active nerve that can react swiftly.Â
True agility is based on trust. Not on some model & processes.
And ... there are many firms that proof it is …
That's something I regularly get as a response when I talk about self-managed teams.
In fact, there already is no real control:
An (executive) manager in a hierarchical organisation can only make decisions based on poor information (2nd/3rd-hand info).
The upward reporting is something like the kid's play 'chinese whispers' ("stille Post" in 🇩🇪).
To be nimble and fast, you need to make decisions right where action & effect take place.
To this end teams need the authority to make decisions - and take full responsibility.
This makes for more control and better informed decisions as every employee now acts as an active nerve that can react swiftly.Â
True agility is based on trust. Not on some model & processes.
And ... there are many firms that proof it is …
- possible to grow this way
- very successful and leads to higher employee engagement
- very profitable
