A635.7.3.RB - INSEAD Reflection

For this week’s reflection blog, I viewed the video INSEAD video on Self-Managed Work Teams and was asked to answer the following questions:
What do you see as some of the major benefits and drawbacks of self-managed teams?
Would you like to work within such a team?
What competencies would you need to develop to be an effective external manager of a self-managed work team?

Traditional companies are structured based on specialty (function) and hierarchy (rank). However, there has been an evolution from traditional hierarchical organizations to self-managed teams. Brown (2011) defined self-managing groups as “an autonomous group whose members decide to handle their task” (p. 349). In the self-managed teams, traditional management levels have been removed, flattening the organization’s hierarchy. Employees, at all levels, now have increased responsibility and greater control over how they perform their job. Self-managing teams require members that are highly skilled and knowledgeable (Brown, 2011). The external manager needs these competencies along with good interpersonal skills.

Self-managing teams can use internal motivation and competition to develop their skills. There is no hierarchy, titles or promotions; colleagues are recognized by competency. Self-managing teams are more effective and competent, they have greater satisfaction and sense of vision and there is a strong partnership between team members and management (Brown, 2011).

Along with the advantages of self-managed teams, there could also be drawbacks In the video (2013) they mention that in “some ways it's a bit of a paradox how do you lead teams to lead themselves”. Also, Brown (2011) suggests that some drawbacks associated with using these teams include: the task, people, and context may not require a self-managed work team, managers and leaders do not understand their roles, self-managed teams may lack proper training, and organizations lacking rewards for performance can create problems.

I would like to work in a self-managed team. As an aircraft Production Superintendent, I can see some similarities to this work-team. I am in an office with about 10 other Senior Non-Commissioned Officers who are all highly skilled and motivated. I would venture to guess that is why we were chosen for this position. Pro Supers have to make quick decisions about aircraft status and must manage, control and direct resources effectively to accomplish the mission (AFI 21-101, 2015). My job requires me to, as Obolensky states, get on and inform supervision in a routine way such as during turn-over and daily production meetings (2014). Production Superintendents manage the aircraft and personnel on a daily basis and figure out the best course of action in hazardous and sometimes emergency situations (i.e. an in-flight emergency landing). We know what needs to be done to accomplish the mission and we get it done effectively and safely. 

AFI 21-101. (2015, May 21). Washington, D.C.: Dept. of the Air Force. Retrieved March 18, 2018, from http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a4/publication/afi21-101/afi21-101.pdfBrown, D. R. (2011). An Experimental Approach to Organizational Development (8 ed.). Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education, Inc.

INSEAD. (2008, September 22). Self-managing teams: debunking the leadership paradox. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=GBnR00qgGgM 
Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex adaptive leadership (2nd ed..). London, UK: Gower/Ashgate