Mastering Self-Organizing Teams: Expert Guidance
Many leaders are used to controlling everything, trying to keep track of every move their people make. This approach works well for small teams (up to 10 people), but it doesn’t work for larger teams. A leader simply cannot physically cover all the tasks and issues.
The solution to this problem is to create self-organizing teams. In this article, we’ll explore what this is, how to form such a team, and the benefits it brings.
What is Self-Organization?
A self-organized team is a group of people who are able to work independently towards common goals without constant supervision from a manager.
Richard Hackman’s book «Leading Teams: Setting the Stage for Great Performances» outlines a power matrix that categorizes successful self-organizing teams into four levels based on their working conditions and responsibilities.
Manager-led teams. Leaders of such teams are responsible only for task execution, while managers control and manage work processes, set boundaries and define goals.
Self-managing teams. In organizing team members not only carry out tasks, but also monitor their progress and work processes. For example, they collect and analyze data, seek to identify growth points and develop.
Self-organizing teams. These teams influence their structure, for example by hiring or firing new people.
Self-managing teams. These teams have full responsibility for all four functions: task execution, process control and management, team formation and work direction.
Why Self-Organized Teams are Critical to Business Success
In today’s world, self-organization is becoming a key success factor for any business. Companies that successfully implement it reap several benefits:
Increase Efficiency
Organizing teams prioritize and focus on the most important tasks, resulting in more efficient use of time and resources. This minimizes procrastination and ensures that tasks are completed on time and without unnecessary stress.
Improve Teamwork
Self-organization promotes more effective collaboration as team members coordinate their actions, share information and solve problems together. This synergy produces results that are greater than the sum of individual efforts.
Stimulate Innovation
Self-organizing team work creates an atmosphere where people feel free to generate new ideas. People are not afraid to take risks and try new approaches, resulting in innovative products and services. If something doesn’t work, they can always analyze the mistakes and try again.
Increase Motivation
Organizing teams feel in control of their work, which increases motivation and commitment. They see the purpose of their work and understand how their contributions affect the overall results. This continuous pursuit of self-improvement benefits the employer, as employees set higher standards for themselves, raising their professional level and value to the organization.
In general, self-organization is an essential skill for anyone who wants to succeed in life and in their career. In business, it is the key to increased efficiency, teamwork, innovation and motivation.
Types of Self-Organization
Let’s break down the types of self-organized teams from Richard Hackman’s book.
Manager-led Teams
Structured — hierarchical, with clear roles and lines of authority.
| Role of the manager | Central role, task distribution, work control, decision-making. |
| Team responsibility | Organizing team members focus on completing tasks and reporting results. |
| Pros | — Clear structure and division of responsibilities.
— Effective with limited authority and need for control. — Suitable for novice teams requiring training and mentoring. |
| Cons | — Limited autonomy and opportunities for self-development.
— Risk of bureaucracy and low motivation. — Unsuitable for dynamic conditions requiring rapid adaptation. |
Self-managing Teams
Structured — less hierarchical, with tasks distributed among organizing team members.
| Role of the leader | Facilitates, guides and supports the team. |
| Team responsibility | Organizing team members not only complete tasks, but also monitor progress, solve problems and make suggestions. |
| Pros | — Increased autonomy, motivation and accountability.
— Ability to adapt quickly and make decisions. — Suitable for creative tasks and highly skilled teams. |
| Cons | — Takes time to develop self-organization skills.
— Unsuitable for teams with low trust and poor communication. — Risk of conflict when roles are unclear. |
Self-forming Teams
Structure — dynamic, with the ability to change the composition and structure of the team.
| Role of the leader | Minimally involved, the team determines its own composition and tasks. |
| Team responsibility | Team members are responsible for completing tasks, hiring, firing and assigning tasks. |
| Pros | — Maximum flexibility and adaptability to change.
— High commitment and accountability. — Suitable for teams working on complex, non-standard tasks. |
| Cons | — Requires a high degree of self-discipline, coordination and trust.
— Unsuitable for teams with conflicting goals or weak communication. — Risk of internal conflict and instability. |
Self-governing Teams
Structure — autonomous, with full responsibility for all aspects of work.
| Role of the manager | Practically absent, the team manages itself. |
| Team responsibility | Team members not only carry out tasks, but also define strategy, make decisions and allocate resources. |
| Pros | — Maximum autonomy and self-organization.
— Effective under conditions of uncertainty and high task complexity. — Suitable for experienced, highly skilled teams. |
| Cons | — Difficult to build and maintain such a team.
— Requires exceptional responsibility, coordination and leadership. — Unsuitable for teams with unclear goals or weak communication. |
These forms of self-organization are not mutually exclusive. A team can evolve by moving from one level to another. The level of self-organization should match the maturity of the team, the complexity of the task and the work context.
How to Create a Self-Organizing Team
If you want to create organizing teams, follow these steps:
Define the Team’s Goals and Tasks
Clearly articulate the goal that answers the question: «What should the team accomplish?». The goal should motivate team members to work and achieve. All team members need to understand what needs to be achieved.
Select Reliable People
Build a team with a variety of skills and experiences. This will enable the team to work more effectively. Ensure that team members are ready for self-organization: they should be reliable, independent, responsible and able to work in a team.
Create a Supportive Environment
Provide the team with the necessary resources: tools, information, budget and autonomy. Allow them to make decisions independently and to learn and improve from their mistakes.
Develop Self-Organization Skills
Train team members in time management, goal setting and problem-solving skills. Help them master self-organization methods such as Scrum or Kanban. Encourage team members to share their knowledge and experience.
Be Patient
Building an organizational team is a process that takes time. Don’t expect quick results: be prepared for difficulties along the way. Always support the team and believe in its success.
Characteristics of Self-Organizing Teams
What Makes a Self-Organising Team?
Self-organizing teams have certain characteristics. Let’s discuss them:
Responsibility. There is no traditional hierarchy in such teams. Responsibility for completing tasks is shared among team members. Each member contributes to the common cause.
Communication. Members share their ideas and suggestions freely. Feedback is essential to help the team learn from its mistakes and improve.
Learning. Self-organizing teams learn and develop continuously. They seek new ways of working and improve their skills and knowledge. A willingness to change and adapt to new conditions is a characteristic of such teams.
Advantages of Self-Organizing Teams
Here’s why organizing teams are better than traditional teams:
Team members share responsibility for achieving goals. Mutual help, cooperation and trust are fundamental principles of the work. This leads to stronger relationships between team members. For example, they are willing to share their knowledge and experience without competing for leadership.
The team’s success is a shared success. Team members feel responsible not only for their own work, but also for the team’s overall results. They are willing to help each other in difficult situations.
Self-organized teams are better aligned with organizational goals, than teams working in a traditional hierarchical structure. They set their own goals and objectives. Only in this way, they feel involved in achieving these goals. As a consequence, they are more motivated to get things done promptly and efficiently.
They are responsible for their work and for the result of the team as a whole. This increases employee motivation and engagement. Team members are more careful with resources and time.
These teams are not constrained by rigid rules and regulations. They have the freedom to think outside the box, try new ideas and experiment. This creates a favorable environment for generating innovative solutions.
In organizing teams, there is no need to go through a multi-level approval system. Decisions are made quickly, allowing the team to test ideas faster and implement those that work. The team isn’t afraid to make mistakes because they see them as part of the learning process.
What Challenges Should Self-Organizing Teams Be Prepared For?
Organizing teams have a degree of autonomy. However, certain challenges may arise both during the initial implementation phase and in the future.
Lack of Clear Structure and Hierarchy
In self-organizing teams, there is no rigid hierarchy and no clearly defined roles. This can lead to misunderstandings, disputes and conflicts between team members. It’s recommended to clearly define the team’s goals and distribute responsibilities among the members.
Need for Advanced Self-management and Communication Skills
Not everyone is naturally self-organizing and communicative, so developing these skills takes time and effort. The manager’s role in organizing teams is minimal — they shouldn’t be planning team members’ work and tracking task completion, as this should be done by employees independently. Effective teamwork requires team members to manage their time and clearly express their thoughts and suggestions.
Complexity of Decision-making
When organizing teams, there isn’t one leader who makes all the decisions. This can lead to delays and inefficiency. It’s necessary to develop a clear decision-making process that everyone can understand.
Continuous Learning and Development
To remain competitive, organizational teams need to continuously acquire new knowledge and skills. Not everyone is ready for constant learning: people need to attend courses and webinars outside of work to develop their skills and broaden their horizons. This requires individuals to switch between different contexts and focus quickly.
Key Characteristics of a Self-Organized Team
Autonomy
Self-organizing teams have the freedom and responsibility to manage their activities and make decisions related to their work. This includes determining how to achieve set goals and making effective decisions.
Competence
Since there is no leader in self-organizing teams, participants must have confidence in their project management skills and those of their colleagues in order to complete tasks successfully.
Mutual Support and Trust
Open and effective communication is essential for success. Participants should share information openly, discuss problems and ideas, and listen actively to each other. They need to understand that they are working together towards common goals and to draw on each other’s strengths and experience.
Adaptability
The team must be able to adapt to changing priorities and situations. Continuous experimentation and finding new ways of identifying and solving problems independently contribute to this. Ideally, self-organizing teams should analyze situations, make decisions and act without constant external guidance.
Responsibility
All members of a self-organizing team need a strong sense of responsibility and commitment to their work. In an environment where no one points out their mistakes, team members learn from their mistakes and absorb the lessons for achieving effective results.
How to Enable an Organizing Teams to Perform at Their Best
It’s not enough to simply bring a group of people together and let them the opportunity to self-organize. In the early stages, special structures, tools and resources are needed to set the team up for success.
Provide Training
Invest in regular training in both hard and soft skills to ensure competence and efficiency. Also improve communication and collaboration between team members. Training not only increases team efficiency, but also ensures continuous improvement.
Coaching and Mentoring
People who have not previously worked in organizing teams may initially need additional guidance and support. Consider using paired task execution techniques to strengthen relationships and mentoring. For example, programmers could work in pairs at a workstation, alternating the roles of ‘driver’ and ‘observer’. As a result, they see how their colleagues work, learn new techniques from each other, communicate, and solve problems together.
As team members get used to the self-organizing format, they learn to take initiative and collaborate with confidence. As a result, the role of the coach gradually becomes less important
