{"id":26106,"date":"2020-09-28T11:15:18","date_gmt":"2020-09-28T10:15:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tuffledarskapstraning.hemsida.eu\/?p=26106"},"modified":"2022-01-14T14:22:45","modified_gmt":"2022-01-14T13:22:45","slug":"self-management-is-about-more-than-reinventing-structures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tuffledarskapstraning.hemsida.eu\/en\/self-management-is-about-more-than-reinventing-structures\/","title":{"rendered":"Self-management is about more than reinventing structures"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Sketch by <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate-rebels.com\">Corporate Rebels<\/a><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"more-and-more-is-being-written-about-self-managing-and-decentralised-ways-of-working-with-organisations-like-haier-and-buurtzorg-capturing-the-attention-of-management-and-business-thinkers-the-w\">More and more is being written about self-managing and decentralised ways of working, with organisations like <a class=\"phatlink-red\" href=\"https:\/\/corporate-rebels.com\/haier-overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Haier<\/a>\u00a0and <a class=\"phatlink-red\" href=\"https:\/\/corporate-rebels.com\/buurtzorg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Buurtzorg<\/a> capturing the attention of management and business thinkers the world over. However, most (if not all) of the focus in these case studies tends to be on structures and processes. Don\u2019t get me wrong, structures and processes are extremely important. But they are not enough if we truly want our organisations to shift.<\/h3>\n<p>Over the last twenty years, my colleague Karin Tenelius has been coaching organisations to become self-managing. Since her first experiment in 1999 supporting staff at a small Swedish hotel to become fully autonomous, she has tested the idea that it is by coaching each other to have different kinds of dialogues and ways of being together that the real shift happens.<\/p>\n<p>In our experience, focusing only on structures and processes is like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. However, if we invest our energy in the less tangible things \u2013 mindsets, ways of being, culture, and how we relate to each other \u2013 two things happen. The first is that we are able to imagine and co-create structures and processes that we couldn\u2019t have conceived of before, and the second is that whatever system we decide on, it\u2019s less likely to be sabotaged by counterproductive behaviours in our collective blindspot.<\/p>\n<p>At <a class=\"phatlink-red\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tuffleadershiptraining.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tuff Leadership Training<\/a> we have tried to distinguish these phenomena in order to spread these ideas and help make them \u201ctrainable\u201d. We have come up with three pillars that we believe make up a foundation for effective self-managing teams and organisations:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"list-red\">\n<li>A coaching leadership mindset and way of being<\/li>\n<li>A focus on working climate; and<\/li>\n<li>A culture of mandate and involvement<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"a-coaching-leadership-mindset-and-way-of-being\">A coaching leadership mindset and way of being<\/h2>\n<p>Karin likes to say, \u201cIf you are the founder, CEO or leader in your team or organisation, you are the biggest obstacle to their success!\u201d Basically, if your colleagues in any way sense that you are still \u201cin charge,\u201d your team will never reach its full potential. This is because how someone relates to you, however unconscious it might be, profoundly influences how you show up. That\u2019s why in the company of some people we can feel clever and funny, and around others we feel totally stupid and dull. Del Close, regarded by many as the godfather of improvisational theatre, said: \u201cTreat others as if they are poets, geniuses and artists, and they will be.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"blockquote mb-1\">\n<p class=\"mb-0 text-dark\"><i>&#8220;Treat others as if they are poets, geniuses and artists, and they will be.&#8221;<br \/>\n<\/i><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">\u2013Del Close<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Therefore this first pillar is not about \u201cdoing coaching\u201d but more about your mindset and way of being. A coaching way of being is both compassionate and tough, one that encourages an adult-to-adult, partnership-style dynamic. It\u2019s about relating to people\u2019s potential, even if it isn\u2019t visible in that precise moment, and at the same time being completely direct and holding them to account.<\/p>\n<p>To develop a coaching leadership mindset and way of being, all of us must unlearn the parent-child paradigm of leadership that we are so often blind to. All of us have been conditioned since childhood to lead in a way that has shades of the parental \u2013 either we tend to be overly responsible and critical, showering others with our own solutions and advice; or overly caring, wrapping up everything we say in cotton wool and protecting our team from the harsh reality. This is not our fault, per se \u2013 it\u2019s because of the paradigm we are in. To step out of that paradigm is to practice new ways of relating and being, and totally new abilities, like generative listening or asking coaching questions.<\/p>\n<p>So if you are in a leadership role and you\u2019re trying to move towards greater autonomy in your team or organisation, consider that you are totally blind to just how parent-like you are, despite your best intentions. If you operate from that assumption, it will enable you to embody a new sense of humility and curiosity, seeking out feedback from your colleagues about anything you\u2019re doing or being that\u2019s in the way for them to fully step into their new-found authority.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"a-focus-on-working-climate\">A focus on working climate<\/h2>\n<p>The second pillar we\u2019ve found is critical to creating a flourishing self-managing team or organisation is a focus on working climate. Joycelyn Davis describes climate in her book <em>The Art of Quiet Influence<\/em>:<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cClimate is people\u2019s perceptions of the workplace, or what it feels like to work in a place. It is not the same as culture. Climate is malleable and can change quickly, while culture, which is the underlying values and unwritten rules of an organisation, is durable and slow to change. Climate has been shown to affect motivation, performance, and financial results and is, in turn, affected most strongly by managers\u2019 daily actions rather than by anonymous forces such as organisational history, systems, and strategy. Everyone talks about company culture, but company climate is the more powerful tool for improving results.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In most organisations, there is little to no focus on the working climate. Discussions about team performance tend to be limited to operational, \u201csurface\u201d issues \u2013 strategy, process, procedure, tasks and so on. What most of us don\u2019t dare to talk about are the taboo issues, the things beneath the surface. Yet these are so often precisely the things that get in the way for teams to be effective. If we can learn to talk about and shift our working climate, there is enormous energy and creativity to be unlocked.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some tips for focusing on working climate:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"list-red\">\n<li><strong>Learn to tell the weather<\/strong> \u2013 start paying attention to how the climate feels in your team meetings and try to put words to it. Example adjectives are: open, jokey, resigned, frosty, constructive, tense, trusting\u2026<\/li>\n<li><strong>Practice naming the climate<\/strong> \u2013 being able to name the climate helps to make it tangible to the group, and then you can do something about it. For example, \u201cI notice the climate in our team today feels heavy. What\u2019s the source of that, do you think?\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>A mindset shift from victims to co-producers<\/strong> \u2013 in a self-managing team, we all need to see ourselves as co-producers of our working climate. Each one of us is responsible for creating and maintaining the working climate we desire, which means establishing clear team agreements and having the courage to bring up issues or transform conflicts, rather than waiting for someone else to fix them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"a-culture-of-mandate-and-involvement\">A culture of mandate and involvement<\/h2>\n<p>As author <a class=\"phatlink-red\" href=\"https:\/\/corporate-rebels.com\/self-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chuck Blakeman<\/a> once told me, it doesn\u2019t work in an organisation to \u201cdeclare self-management and say: \u201cI\u2019ll be on the golf course\u201d \u2013 that\u2019s abdication.\u201d Making the paradigm shift to a more self-managed way of working takes time and practice. Creating and nurturing a culture of mandate and involvement is crucial.<\/p>\n<p>When I say mandate, I\u2019m referring to the given permission or the authority to do something. Again, this isn\u2019t a one-off announcement, so here are two useful habits you can develop, especially as a leader. The first is \u201cgetting the mandate\u201d, and the second is \u201cgiving the mandate away\u201d.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"getting-the-mandate\">Getting the mandate<\/h3>\n<p>Getting the mandate means asking for explicit consent before doing something. Choice is perhaps the defining feature of an adult-to-adult way of working and being together \u2013 it is only when we have the ability to say \u201cno\u201d to something that \u201cyes\u201d has any meaning. With choice comes ownership and accountability. That\u2019s why Spanish consultancy <a class=\"phatlink-red\" href=\"https:\/\/corporate-rebels.com\/ner-group\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">K2K Emocionando<\/a> doesn\u2019t go ahead with any transformation processes until the whole company (after visiting other companies and talking to employees who have gone through the process themselves) has voted, and at least <a class=\"phatlink-red\" href=\"https:\/\/corporate-rebels.com\/vote-for-change\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">80% must say yes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"blockquote mb-1\">\n<p class=\"mb-0 text-dark\"><i>It is only when we have the ability to say \u201cno\u201d to something that \u201cyes\u201d has any meaning.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>At a micro level, a magical question you can use is: \u201cIs it OK if\u2026?\u201d For example, \u201cIs it OK if I give you some feedback?\u201d In traditional companies, most managers vomit feedback on their employees without ever getting consent. It\u2019s no wonder employees end up in a state of learned helplessness! Another example would be in a meeting, saying something like: \u201cI\u2019d like us to do something differently in this meeting because I think it could help us generate a new way of thinking \u2013 would it be OK if I facilitate us through a process for twenty minutes and then we see if it was helpful or not?\u201d When we do this, and get an authentic \u201cyes\u201d, it creates an adult-to-adult dynamic where both parties become co-responsible for the experience.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"giving-away-the-mandate\">Giving away the mandate<\/h3>\n<p>Giving away the mandate is even more important. If you\u2019re a leader, in any sense of the word, you\u2019ll find that individuals and groups are very skilled at, often unconsciously, nudging the responsibility back to you. This is because we\u2019ve been conditioned in schools and workplaces to defer decision-making and answers to someone \u201cabove us\u201d. To help us all unlearn this, we can all become skilled at giving away the mandate.<\/p>\n<p>Some ways of doing this are:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"list-red\">\n<li>Be explicit in stating who has the mandate, for example: \u201cThe decision isn\u2019t mine but the team\u2019s \u2013 what do you think we should do?\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Embrace silence \u2013 often we ask a question or wait for responses, and too quickly fill the silence because we worry \u201cif I don\u2019t fill it, no one will\u201d. When you\u2019re silent, someone will step in<\/li>\n<li>Instead of adding solutions and ideas, develop your listening muscle. Listen to what\u2019s being said as well as what\u2019s \u201cunder the surface\u201d (what\u2019s not being said, feelings, climate, what\u2019s in the way) and summarise back to the team or individual \u2013 often people become activated just by being listened to and hearing back what you\u2019ve picked up<\/li>\n<li>Ask coaching questions such as: \u201cSo what\u2019s needed to move forward here?\u201d, \u201cWhat could be the next (or first) step?\u201d, \u201cHow could you do [their words]?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When people feel truly involved and accountable, all sorts of ideas, solutions, systems, and structures are created in service of the team and the level of commitment to making them happen is next-level.<\/p>\n<p><em>For more on this, check out the book <a class=\"phatlink-red\" href=\"https:\/\/corporate-rebels.com\/rebel\/lisagill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lisa Gill<\/a> has recently published: \u2018<a class=\"phatlink-red\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.de\/Moose-Heads-Table-Karin-Tenelius\/dp\/9151954508\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Moose Heads on the Table: Stories About Self-Managing Organisations from Sweden<\/a>&#8216;, co-authored with <a class=\"phatlink-red\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/karin-tenelius-06b2365\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Karin Tenelius<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sketch by Corporate Rebels More and more is being written about self-managing and decentralised ways of working, with organisations like Haier\u00a0and Buurtzorg capturing the attention of management and business thinkers the world over. However, most (if not all) of the focus in these case studies tends to be on structures and processes. Don\u2019t get me [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":26112,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[60,59],"tags":[],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tuffledarskapstraning.hemsida.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26106"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tuffledarskapstraning.hemsida.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tuffledarskapstraning.hemsida.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tuffledarskapstraning.hemsida.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tuffledarskapstraning.hemsida.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26106"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/tuffledarskapstraning.hemsida.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26106\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32014,"href":"https:\/\/tuffledarskapstraning.hemsida.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26106\/revisions\/32014"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tuffledarskapstraning.hemsida.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tuffledarskapstraning.hemsida.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tuffledarskapstraning.hemsida.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tuffledarskapstraning.hemsida.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}