Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom The Benefits of Self-Managed Teams

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom The Benefits of Self-Managed Teams A topic that is close to our collective heart is the self-managed team. A self-managed team isa group of employees thats responsible and accountable for all or most aspects of producinga product or delivering a service, and according to the Houston Chronicle, 80 percent ofFortune 1000 companies use them in some capacity. Self-managed teams are licensed by asenior leader to operate independently and are given the resources necessary to meet pre-determined business objectives. Some of the benefits weve observed are as follows:Streamlined Operations One of the reasons workers like startups so much is that being on a smaller team means theyhave to cut through less red tape in order to do their jobs. Self-managed teams employ thesame concept of team ownership (i.e. action can be taken without the extra step of seekingapproval within a traditional hierarchy). Less bureaucracy means faster product or servicedelivery, which equals lower costs and increased profits.Clarity of Direction Self-managed teams use regularly scheduled meetings to ensure that members are on thesame page in terms of the best way to move forward. They gain consensus on a small scale andthen quickly proceed, avoiding problematic situations like receiving conflicting marching ordersfrom different executives and remaining in a holding pattern until some piece of essentialcommunication trickles down the line.