3 Assets of Self-Managed Team in Agile Environments

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The relationship between the employer and employee continues to evolve, with an emphasis on flexibility and autonomy emerging on both sides. The rise in remote working coincides with a greater focus on the concept of self-managed teams - and it makes sense. If a team is operating remotely, the need for team members who can work without supervision while still contributing effectively to a wider goal is critical.

An agile environment, by its nature, promotes flexibility, creativity and accommodates the needs and demands of the workforce. This aligns with the premise of self-managed teams and the two have become increasingly confused, at times resulting in drawbacks. Although the benefits on offer are tangible, there runs a risk that improper management can derail the experiment before it begins. Let’s break down why it’s still worth taking the plunge and promoting a self-organized structure in an agile environment.

What separates self-managed teams from typical working patterns?

The main functional difference between a traditional top-down team structure and a self-managed team comes down to autonomy and agility. A top-down team will be driven by a single individual, creating a bottleneck of information that is distributed as they see fit. Comparatively, a self-managed team will receive all the information and engage with it as they deem appropriate.

Both can be an appropriate way of working. The single source of truth and direct assignment of work from traditional project management methods ensures better visibility and accountability while reducing the risk of errors. Meanwhile, self-managed teams can engage and action tasks based on a broader picture at greater speed, while enabling workers to focus on areas where they excel can lead to faster turnarounds with better results, and the open communication platform allows for easier collaboration when challenges arise.

Putting this concept into practice, an internal web design project will have a number of tasks involved. Tasks could include designing the aesthetic, picking the domain name, populating pages with on-site content, coding the backend of the site, among others. A top-down structure would distribute tasks and largely silo them from each other, so the domain name could be the sole responsibility of one individual. A self-managed web development team would all have the opportunity to pitch in and help decide this, as well as other aspects such as the design of the site itself.

If you’re operating in an agile environment, it’s worth trying to incorporate self-managed working into your team structure.

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The asset: freedom for employees to thrive

According to Forbes, 83% of workers seek a hybrid working arrangement moving forward. This inherently means that workers will be operating remotely from one another more often than not.

Instead of being provided tasks directly, team members can communicate and decide how best to distribute the work and let each individual focus on their strengths. The added autonomy coupled with self-managed working patterns gives employees a new level of flexibility and freedom, which will routinely translate to increased output and productivity.

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The challenge

The main barrier to success here lies in the communication tools available for team members. Without accessible, unintrusive tools, it’s possible that some employees may feel closed off from the wider team. This can lead to frustration, difficulty completing tasks, and a drop in performance level. We recommend investing in cloud based collaboration software that will ensure your whole team is connected, regardless of where they are geographically.

An additional concern can come in the form of information overload. When there is such a breadth of information available, especially across multiple channels - instant messaging, email, in-person communication, and so forth - there is a real threat that employees or teams can become oversaturated and inevitably stall. Omnichannel communication systems are a necessity in the modern work environment, but be sure to take care to avoid overloading a team and to give them room to breathe.

The asset: more time delivering and less time managing

When a team is given the freedom to operate independently and self-manage, the time usually taken to monitor and maintain that group is removed. Fewer meetings about performance, less time individually discussing work and checking everything is running to schedule - all the hallmarks of a typical management structure are not necessary.

The key to ensuring this works is trust. If a team delivers the end result on time to a high standard, consider it a job well done and don’t sweat the details.

The challenge

There are two key challenges to be wary of here, both of which are serious - individuals slacking, and a lack of recognition for outstanding performances. While nobody is perfect and we all have bad days, it’s possible that some individuals in a self-managed structure will let their performance slip consistently, instead relying on a wider team to prop them up.

Given that the flat structure pits all as equals, teams may not feel they can raise concerns with an underperforming employee, leading to wider dissatisfaction in the team. Be sure to maintain some form of individual well-being checks, even if less frequent than typical structures, to ensure employees can pitch grievances and get support.

The other challenge lies in employee recognition. Good work should be expected but great work should be praised, though a self-managed structure runs the risk of missing when an individual excels. Keep a reward structure alive and promote an environment where employees can vouch for one another’s achievements. Read this guide on peer-to-peer recognition for ideas on how to incorporate this into your business.

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The asset: employee well-being and inclusivity

We all work differently, so instead of bending employees to fit the management style, celebrate their individuality and let them be their own boss. Self-starters who can ace a difficult technical project but struggle to think at 9 am should be allowed to start later and maximize their output. A team member who has a gift for networking with clients but can’t organize an Excel spreadsheet to save their life shouldn’t be bogged down in cells and formulas.

It’s a simple idea but surprisingly difficult for some management structures to grasp. Let employees be in control of their own domain and focus on the bigger picture for your business. As long as the work gets done, everyone is happy and the business moves in the right direction, consider the experiment a roaring success.