Empower teams with questions
We hear so much about the benefits of self-organized and self-managed teams, that sometimes it feels like the only thing blocking teams from being self-managed is their manager…
Oh, if only we had no managers, the teams would be so effective and energised!…
Do a small mind-experiment, and remove (in your mind! In your mind!) the team’s manager. Do you really think the team will magically spring into self organization? or will they remain clueless?
If you think it’s the latter, this post is for you!
About Team Energy…
As I mentioned in my last post, a good team needs energy and direction, and these two may be blocked by your current system:
- When people are used to being told what to do, what their KPIs are, and whether they are doing well or need to improve, they may lack the energy to initiate, think and appreciate their own work.
- When they are asked to perform with no understanding of the impact of their actions, they may lack a sense of direction.
And sadly, over time, this lack of energy and sense of direction may turn to a habit.
Hence, when a team is suddenly expected to be self organized and managed, they are left clueless…
About the Manager’s Role
A manager that has the habit of directing the team (top-down) and not sharing the big picture or consulting with its employees, is not ready (yet!) to be the enabler and supporter of a self-managed team.
… and neither does her team!
I believe no team-member is disengaged on purpose, and no manager is over-controlling on purpose, both the manager and the team are victims of a system that educated them, and they both could benefit from a change!
Dream vs. Reality
We’d all just love to believe that once managers stop directing their teams, the teams will simply snap to be autonomous! that the magic we need is just to let them self-organize!
…however, truth being told, we are at risk of ending up with a clueless organization that has much less impact than before…
And that’s because reversing the direction of the energy is darn-hard! we must train & support the system in doing so before we let go!
Prerequisites to Change
If you change the structure of your system when it has no energy and no good self-managing habits, don’t be surprised to find no movement.
Hence we need to put some energy and direction in the system before a structural change, we need team members to start initiating, start being proud of their achievements!
We also need managers to listen to employees and acknowledge not only their pre-defined performance, but also their initiatives and dreams!
Reversing the Energy-Chain
To get an energised team, you have to start letting them taste the power of dreaming and daring, start letting them awaken their voice and opinion!
There is a wide range of tools to enable these,most tools I use come from the Management 30 toolbox (disclaimer: I’m a proud M30 shareholder! ;-)
Some examples include:
Today, I’d like to present a simple practice you can inject into your periodic one-on-ones, a tweak in the interactions your managers have with their employees:
The AEIOU Questions:
Most organizations hold a periodic interview, where the manager and employee compare last time’s expectations to current performance and (re) align on next period’s goals, the initiator and main speaker in these meetings is usually the manager…
I’d add to this process five questions a managers should ask each of their employee:
- What Achievement (if any) are you most proud of since our last meeting?
- What Experiment (if any) did you conduct since our last meeting?
- What Initiative (if any) did you have since our last meeting?
4/5. Any Observation or Understanding you’d like to share about our project or workplace?
Having managers asking these on a regular basis may be a trigger to the desired shift of both parties!
Some managers (though not you, I’m sure! ;) have the habit of KPI-ing, of measuring employees according to their expectations, which doesn’t leave a lot of room for employee initiatives.
In parallel, some employees (though certainly not you! ;) are quite comfortable with this, they are never asked about their initiatives and opinions, hence they learned not to have any…
These five questions may change this.
What to Expect:
When you start, you can expect some risks and hurdles:
Managers may start diminishing employee’s answers, saying stuff like
“this is not a real achievement! “
or
“this initiative is not important”
They may even put words in the mouth of their employee.
While employees may feel dumbfounded and overwhelmed, having no answers to these questions.
Prepare Your System!
When preparing your managers - explain the risks and ask them to:
- Accept all answers, inquire positively. And remember the purpose is to wake employees up so they find their voice.
- Encourage employees with no answer, and explain to their employees it is OK.
Employees and managers may get out of the first interview confused, and unsatisfied. However, after the interview, the magic beans of empowerment will start growing!
The dissonance the first interview created may be just what was needed to help employees be more aware of their initiatives, dare make experiments and feel proud of their doing! And they will be more prepared for the next interview.
Managers, starting to hear their employees self-appreciation will start trusting them more, being less directive, and the first baby-steps toward self-managed teams will be taken.
Hence, thru the use of these questions, the direction of power and control will slowly start shifting, and you will be on your way to an initiating and self-managed organization!
