According to Paul Tesluk, self-managed teams do need their leaders but in a much different way than those teams that require their manager to be ever-present. In a self-managed team the leader is there to develop relationships, reinforce boundaries, ensure the team is aligned with the shared mission and provide the support necessary for the team to achieve their goal. (INSEADofficial, 2008) Leaders are not required to make the small decisions, but are better suited to coach, mentor and guide as the self-managed team works out the role and task assignments.
One of the major drawbacks to a self-managed team would be the limited amount of direct oversight available to the leader. With a self-managed team there is a great level of trust and an understanding that micromanagement will not be in place during the teamwork process. By not being involved in daily decisions, leaders are not immediately aware of the course the team is moving along toward the goal. That being said, it takes a great level of communication and a requirement of transparency among the team to provide a working relationship between the self-managed team and the external leader.
Would I like to work within such a team? Yes. Both as a leader and as a team member. Self-managed teams have a great level of opportunity to execute decisions that are above the standard pay grade. Yet, it provides the comfort of knowing there is an upper management individual who is there to provide a safety net in case the decisions are not well analyzed or thought through. It is almost like a leadership-in-training experience. Another plus to the self-managed work team is the shared roles that are necessary to achieve goals. Members are both workers and managers. By self-managing, there is a need to constantly self-police and ensure each members is keeping themselves aligned with the mission, vision and goals of the company.
Thankfully, I am developing the hands-off approach through child-rearing. My nature is to be ever present with my daughter. I constantly want to be right there in case she falls or available in the instance where she needs a hand. My husband is teaching me that as a parent I need to help her become independent and learn to self-manage. This is a big lesson I am learning. It takes a great deal of self-control to watch the falls, see the bumps and bruises and hear the cries. Yet, seeing the smile when she is able to balance herself without falling and reach new heights is a great thing. Now just to keep her from learning how to climb on top of the tables! We are learning together and it is great to continue to grow as a mom and as a leader.
Brown, D. R. (2011). An Experiential Approach to Organizational Development. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice-Hall.
INSEADofficial. (2008, September 22). Self-managing teams: Debunking the leadership paradox. Retrieved July 27, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBnR00qgGgM
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