Joining a self-managed team as an intern: the benefits and challenges for wellbeing
This article was co-authored by Carmella Grace De Guzman, Mohammed Dali-Chaouch, and Abir Qazilbash
In September, we began our internships with the Centre for Public Impact. The first week consisted of welcome meetings and onboarding activities which aimed to introduce us to the team, their projects and how CPI work in a ‘self-managed’ way. A completely new concept to all of us, it was easy to allow ourselves to see self-management as full independence without any support from our team. In other words; scary, overwhelming and confusing. However, these initial myths that we formulated in our heads out of fear were quickly addressed by a better understanding of what self-management really entails.
Self-management was first defined to us as ‘a way of running an organisation (or life)’ where no hierarchies exist, by default. This means autonomous teams, open information flow, distributed decision-making, conflict resolution and no bosses. Though CPI is still in the process of implementing the ‘scaffolding’ necessary to ensure effective self-management, the team reassured us that this style of working has important merits.
One month into our internships, and we have already experienced the benefits and challenges of self-management at play. In honour of World Mental Health Awareness Day, we thought it would be helpful to provide other new joiners with insights into the realities of joining a self-managed team, and how this way of working may be more beneficial for our wellbeing than top-down structures.
Research has uncovered significant rise in depression in young people between the ages of 12 to 25. Further, half of millennials and 75% of Gen-Zer respondents to a survey from Mind Share Partners have quit a job for mental health reasons. Perhaps these problems can be attributed to the fact that 70% of those experiencing depression and anxiety have had no appropriate support, demonstrating the importance of workplace environments like self-management that place wellbeing at the forefront of their values.
Clear support networks
Instead of being assigned line managers who would be responsible for giving us tasks and ensuring these would be completed to high standards, we were each introduced to our ‘mentors’. These roles focus more on looking after our wellbeing instead of our workload; providing general support and guidance. In addition, self-managed teams are structured so that feedback is crowd-sourced, and everyone is involved in helping each other.
In the early stages of our internship, it was immediately clear that the support networks in a self-managed team are more dispersed. Everyone in the office took time out of their days to schedule introductory one-on-one coffee to get to know each of us both on a personal and professional level. Induction week consisted of tutorials from different members of the team, helping us to better understand their role within CPI and to reassure us that they were just a Slack message away should we need to speak with them about anything. As time went on, self-management began to mean more ‘a duty to support each other’ instead of ‘every man for themselves’.
This support has been invaluable in dealing with the transition to self-organisation. Adjusting to a whole new ideal of work felt overwhelming and stressful, especially in the initial phase. This difficulty was intensified by the fact we were joining project teams halfway through the quarter, which required us to find our role and how our skills could be most useful. However, the inclusive nature of the workplace, as well as the assistance from the whole office, has helped to counteract this.
Self-organisation has made us feel more secure and confident in both our work and within the team. We were encouraged to feel comfortable seeking guidance, voicing concerns and proposing ideas, which consequently developed our relationships within the team.
Your work has more value
Interning with a self-managed team also has the unique benefit of being able to choose what projects you work on, unrestricted by bureaucracy or skill requirements. You have the freedom to choose whether you want to lead or support a team, allowing you to create your own opportunities. This means that you are able to shape your responsibilities and workload to make it best suit you.
So far in our internships, we have already supported the launch of a digital campaign, managed the publishing of editorial content and planned to co-deliver a workshop for senior civil servants! On top of this, we have also helped the team to shape ‘Objective Key Results’ to work on in the new quarter.
This is a refreshing change for those of us who have had internships consisting of mindless throw-away tasks. In these work environments, it is easy for interns to finish a contract not having learned or developed. At CPI, we have a decision-making role. We have equal authority. We have value.
As well as the freedom to choose responsibilities, self-management also allows us to focus on interests and skills that we want to develop. Again, this addresses the problem of feeling stifled by unfulfilling work, as it ensures that the team are happy with their roles.
Whilst Abir has had the autonomy to develop new areas of work — shaping CPI’s approach to topical environmental and social (ESG) issues — Mohammed and Carmella have undertaken the role of ‘Wellbeing Officers’ to channel interests in addressing mental health issues in the workplace.
Better communication as a team
In self-management, emphasis is placed on everyone communicating with one another as equals. As interns, there are an abundance of benefits to this for our mental health.
Firstly, we are encouraged to speak out about anything, even in more ‘executive’ conversations that we might otherwise not be involved in. Two weeks into our internships, we found ourselves sat in a meeting about finance, recruitment and other confidential topics otherwise hidden from the attention of junior members. By eliminating hierarchies, the ins and outs of every aspect of all of our work are laid out in the open for everyone to see. This is purposely done to encourage discussions providing one another with suggestions and feedback, reinforcing CPI’s emphasis on innovative conversations.
This way of communicating addressed our initial anxieties about contributing in what we previously perceived as ‘intimidating’ meetings. There are indeed very normal fears that can be associated with the emphasis on communication and being outgoing in seeking support. Indeed, this can be particularly pronounced for those who are less comfortable being outspoken or articulating their honest thoughts, even from a position of less experience.
But this is where self-management has an important benefit for wellbeing. Our colleagues constantly reminded us that, instead of allowing these nerves to hold us back from our full potential, we should understand that our fresh, new perspectives were highly valued whatever the topic of conversation. Now, instead of staying silent, self-management has taught us to have courage in our convictions; an important skill that we will take forward with us both in the workplace and beyond.
Good work-life balance
This combination of benefits to joining a self-managed team has also resulted in good work-life balance. In feeling that our work has more value because we are ultimately responsible for workstreams that we have chosen and are interested in, we feel more motivated and thus productive. The independence granted from self-management enables freedom to shape our work so that we have enough time to enjoy ourselves outside of the office.
It is, however, important to recognise that overworking could also be a risk stemming from self-managing your work. Whilst independence can be liberating, it is possible to let your passion lead to over-commitment. Time management is as crucial in self-management as it is in other work structures for tending to personal wellbeing.
At the CPI London office, this is supported by the ‘Wellbeing Officer’ who is responsible for making sure that everyone in the team are making time to look after both their physical and mental health. This can include small day-to-day reminders to take a break or have a snack, to organising social events that encourage team bonding.
What we’ve learnt from self-management
Our introduction into self-management in the workplace has been an enlightening experience. It has challenged many preconceptions of the concept, as well as ideals of what a successful and well-structured workplace looks like.
The benefits for wellbeing from this way of working are strongly felt once you have adjusted. The value and importance that you can derive from your own work and the support that you can tap into have truly been refreshing. There are real challenges associated with this adjustment and work culture change. But, from our own experience overcoming these as interns, it can help to develop really important skills.
The communicative aspect of self-management and the independence it provides are at the heart of many of these challenges, but they also provide some of the strongest benefits for wellbeing. Most importantly, if you are able to come into self-management with an open and enthusiastic mind, then you’ll be best placed to reap the benefits and overcome some of the challenges.
