Could a self-organising team be the secret formula to success?

Leaders are always searching for ways to improve teamwork for better productivity and engagement. After all, a strong team not only gets more done but has less turnover.?

?? Organisations that trust their employees increase their employee engagement by 76%

When a remote team lacks the ability to self-manage and make decisions independently, several behaviours and challenges may arise.

Dependency on Leadership

Team members may constantly seek guidance and approval from leaders for even routine decisions. There might be a delay in progress as team members wait for instructions rather than taking initiative.

Communication Bottlenecks

Communication may become centralised, leading to bottlenecks as all information flows through a few individuals or channels. Team members may feel left out of important discussions or updates, leading to a lack of clarity about the team's goals and priorities.

Lack of Ownership

Without autonomy, team members may not feel a sense of ownership over their work. Accountability for tasks may diminish, as there is less personal investment in the outcomes.

Inefficiency & Micromanagement

Micromanagement may become a common practice as leaders attempt to maintain control over every aspect of the team's activities. This can result in decreased efficiency and frustration among team members who feel their skills and expertise are undervalued.

Difficulty Adapting to Change

Non-autonomous teams may struggle to adapt to changes in the work environment or industry. The team may resist change due to a lack of experience in decision-making and problem-solving without explicit guidance.

Agile teams know how important it is for employees to take ownership of the product development process and work autonomously. Self-organising teams are a solution that reduces the reliance on leaders and advocates for collective accountability.

What is a Self-Organising Team?

Unlike traditional teams, self-organising teams do not wait for managers to assign any work to them. Instead, they identify all the work that needs to be done, prioritise tasks that are required, and manage the timelines on their own.?

They ‘pull’ tasks towards them rather than having tasks ‘pushed’ onto them.

At the same time, they also effectively communicate with other team members to identify tasks that have been picked up by others already and the ones that are remaining.?

Every member of a self-organising team sees the list of pending tasks as what is remaining for the entire team and not just for the individual.

Self-Organising Remote Teams

Remote teams hugely benefit from self-organising. Mutual trust is the foundation on which self-organising teams develop. Team members must feel safe expressing their opinions, sharing ideas and taking risks.?

Many frustrations faced by remote teams can be fixed by introducing self-organisation.

Communication & Collaboration

Remote teams often struggle with communication and collaboration due to the physical distance between team members.??

Self-organising teams tend to develop their own communication and collaboration processes. They are more likely to use tools and practices that best suit their needs, improving overall communication.

Autonomy & Trust

Remote work requires a level of trust in team members, as leaders can’t closely monitor their work. Trust issues can arise, leading to micromanagement and reduced autonomy for team members.

Self-organising teams are empowered to make decisions about how they work, which can boost morale and motivation. Team members take ownership of their work and are more accountable.

Self-organising teams reduces the likelihood of micro-management.

Coordination & Flexibility

Coordinating activities and ensuring everyone is on the same page can be challenging in remote teams. Without physical presence, it's more difficult to synchronise work efforts.

Self-organising teams can adapt to their specific working conditions and time zones. They can design workflows that suit remote work, reducing the challenges of coordination and synchronisation.

Agile HR Practices for Self-Organising Remote Teams

A shift to remote work means that your teams won’t have face-to-face interactions. As challenging as it may sound, implementing the agile methodology can help your remote teams overcome their frustrations and thrive.

Traditional HR focuses on a strict set of rules and standards that are often implemented in a strict hierarchical structure. Agile HR shifts the focus to a faster and simpler approach that prioritises feedback, collaboration and innovation.

Cross-Functional Teams

Form teams with diverse skill sets to ensure they can handle a wide range of tasks without depending too much on external help.

Empowerment

Encourage self-organisation by giving teams the autonomy to make decisions about their work processes and goals.

Continuous Feedback

Implement regular feedback mechanisms to assess team performance and make improvements. This includes retrospectives to reflect on what's working and what isn't.

Training & Development

Provide opportunities for team members to develop the skills they need to excel in a remote work environment. This might include training in communication, remote tools and time management.

Goal Alignment

Ensure that team goals align with the organisation's objectives. Teams should understand their purpose and how their work contributes to the larger mission.

Transparent Communication

Foster open and transparent communication within the team and with management. Use tools like Miro, Trello and Microsoft Planner to facilitate this.

Support Mental Wellbeing

Pay attention to the mental health of remote team members by providing resources for stress management, work-life balance and social interaction.

Regular Check-Ins

Implement regular one-on-one and team check-ins to maintain a sense of connection and accountability among team members.

Implementing Remote Working

Implementing a remote working model requires time, planning, review, training and investment – but it pays off.

But you should bear in mind that you are redesigning one of the most basic levels of the company: how we work.

Agile HR frameworks and mindsets are well-suited for handling uncertainties and changes, which are common in remote work environments. Teams can quickly adapt to new tools, processes, or market conditions, ensuring they remain effective and responsive.

With People Efficient’s new Agile in HR? courses and our new Building EXCEPTIONAL Leaders of Remote Teams courses you will perfect your ability to manage and lead remotely, so that you can help your organisation adapt to a remote working structure which takes into account both the uniqueness of each employee, and the health of the business.

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