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Self-Directed Team: Part IV – The tools

© Lincoln Bittner

Management's job is to properly set the stage for the success of the change initiative. In this case the change was from a managed team to a self-directed team. The tools that will be used by management to facilitate this transition will be communication, hiring, training, coaching, and scaleable management. In this article I will explore the first three of these tools, which are communication, hiring, and training.

Communication

Communication is a powerful tool. Done properly, you empower your staff. Done improperly, you create anxiety that can undermine any attempt at creating change. As the manager, you must make clear the purpose of the change, that you wish to involve everyone in the process of planning and implementation, and that they will remain a part of the team as long as they are willing to contribute to the success of the change.

You will get resistance from some members of the department during these meetings, and you must address them on the spot. Be careful about how you respond, and do not publicly discount any suggestion. Doing so will cause anxiety within the group and will cause the contributor to feel that they are not appreciated. Make it clear, however, that the change is going to take place and that any suggestions will be implemented as long as they are a means to achieve the goal of a self-directed team.

Hiring

Why such chaos? Why can't these people who perform so well with a manager around just continue doing what they do best on their own? The answer is that they were not hired to work independently. If you are going to be successful, you must have people who are capable of working with little or no direction.

Review the résumé's of your existing employees, and look for strengths that will allow them to contribute to the success of a self-directed team. Examples of strengths are; demonstrated creativity, leadership qualities that include no more than one year of supervision or management, experience working both alone and as part of a group where they were not the leader, and indications that they are able to find success in personal accomplishments. People who contribute their time to volunteer activities are self-motivated and will do well in a self-directed team.

To work without a manager the members of a self-directed team must be able to think for themselves, be self-assured, and have demonstrated that they work well in a team environment. The employees that you want to have on your self-directed team should demonstrate that they understand that no one person is as smart as they all are collectively.