Teams can self-organize, and this requires empowerment, authorization, and trust from management.
Managers should not boss team members around or try to discuss everything they do. The best managers are like wizards in fantasy stories: They help heroes overcome tough challenges but they never do the work for themselves.
An empowered team will increase a manager’s status because his team will (ultimately) outperform others, which reflects positively on the manager.
In order to successfully delegate work to one’s team, there are three maturity levels and seven authority levels to consider.
Beyond everything a manager must remember that empowerment is an investment in the team and it takes time before seeing a return on that investment. In the meantime, the manager must work with top people in all departments, those who might not be accustomed to self-organising teams.
Read on for the other views of Martie:
Energize People, Align Constraints, Develop Competence, Grow Structure, Improve Everything
