INSEAD Reflection
A
self-managed team is an autonomous group whose members decide how to handle
their task, and where increased responsibility is placed on team members
(Brown, 2011). Self-management does not imply a leader is absent. It is
initially seen as a paradox (Insead, 2008) since a superficial view of the term
would not make sense but looking at it in depth allows us to understand that the
role of the leader is distinct and not absent.
To
start it is crucial to identify the three levels of management in a
self-managed team (Brown, 2011):
1.
Internal team leader: a member of the group
2.
External team leader: partially similar to the supervision role
in traditional organization
3.
Support team leader: partially similar to site manager (responsible
for general and broader aspects)
According
to Paul Tesluk, on his interview with Insead (2008) leaders in self-managed
team, through visionary and enthusiastic communication, help the team to
develop capabilities, to understand unique strengths, roles and responsibilities,
and to understand the goal. This leader is flexible about the means of the work
but specific about the ends (goal setting), not micromanaging but establishing
a quality work relationship in a team with high level of expertise, knowledge and
diversity (Instead, 2008; Brown, 2011).
The
major benefits of self-managed team, in my opinion, is the flexibility to work
which sparks creativity, along with specific goals/ends which sparks
accountability, consequently quality productivity, which explains what Brown (2011)
mentions regarding self-managed team being a technique of total quality
management. Considering the characteristics of self-managed teams listed by
Brown (2011, p. 350) I believe that closeness of the group, flatter management,
open communication, diversity and collaboration is what draw the potential this
type high performance team.
I
believe the drawback of self-managed team is not on its nature but on the
neglection of its foundation. If the characteristics of a self-managed team is
ignored, a team of this nature tends to fail, as the base/structure is not well
sustained. Obolensky (2014) explains this principle when covering the base of polyarchic
organizational leadership. An organization to be flatter requires a strong
foundation, otherwise it is led to “death”. Brown (2011, p. 351) touches base
on this aspect when he mentions the new organization structure required for the
success of a self-managed team.
I
believe as a facilitator/member I would like to work in such a team, if it is
structured and the characteristics are present, due to its flexibility and
trust nature. As a manager I am not so sure I would enjoy as I believe I lack
several traits to be successful on leading this type of team. The struggles I
would go through and the high possibility of failing could turn the joy into
stress, unless I first work on my weaknesses.
To
be an external manager of a self-managed work team I would need to develop my
communication skills (less detailed and more concise communication), my
micro-managing rooted behavior, my controlling leadership type (if I detect
mistake I correct and then talk to the employee, opposing what Tesluk mention
about allowing mistakes to happen) and especially my broader knowledge on all
aspects of a successful decision (considering my current organization).
Last,
I do not believe all organization or departments could support a
self-management team, unless high leadership embraces the potential and details
of this type of team. We rarely see companies as Google (Brown, 2011), with its
size, broadness and impact, succeeding in horizontal leadership. As the author
says, although it is an aspect that needs to embraced organization-wide, operationally
works more in departments or plants.
References
Brown, D. (2011). An experiential approach to organization development (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice
Hall.
Insead. (2008, September 22). Self-managing teams: debunking the leadership paradox.
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=133&v=GBnR00qgGgM
Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex Adaptive Leadership: Embracing
Paradox and Uncertainty (2nd edition). New York, NY: Routledge.
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