Abstract:

Many organisations aspire to have self-managing teams, believing that simply granting autonomy will lead to better decision-making, faster execution, and improved engagement.

However, in reality, self-management is not the absence of structure or rules. It is the intentional redistribution of power to make strategic decisions, to take ownership, and to remain accountable. Without the right environment, teams often struggle, hesitate to take on additional responsibilities, or default back to top-down control mechanisms, or what some might call, wait to be told what to do.

In this talk, I will share real-world experiences in moving teams beyond traditional hierarchy to take full ownership of their role in the organisation. I will dive into:
- Why teams often resist self-management,
- The hidden work of self-managing teams: developing discipline, navigating dependencies, and continuous learning, and
- How leaders enable self-management through organisation design, constraints, and coaching.

By the end of this session, attendees will:
- Understand the barriers to self-management, and why some teams resist taking ownership despite being given autonomy.
- Learn how teams develop discipline and collective accountability, enabling them to manage priorities, work, and quality.
- Discover the key leadership shifts required to enable self-management with enabling constraints, coaching, and system design.
- Recognise how self-management scales beyond a single team, supporting alignment, shared learning, and adaptability across an organisation.

This talk is highly relevant to organisations where enabling self-management is key to reducing waste, unlocking team potential and ensuring success. It will include real case studies, and actionable takeaways to help attendees turn self-management from an aspiration into a practical, scalable reality.

 

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