Self-management is a method that values the autonomy of its employees, giving them the power to decide on most of their actions.
This dynamic management model has proven to be important for organizations that need agility when making decisions.
If you are interested and want to know more about this method, check out our article to understand what self-management is and its main benefits.
What is self-management?
Self-management is a form of organizational culture in which professionals have complete control over their work routine, but also have the responsibility to ensure on-time, quality deliveries.
This management model offers more autonomy to an institution’s employees, as they do not need to report to their superiors every time a decision needs to be made.
It is also important to define a set of rules or guidelines for the model to function correctly. After all, the relationship between leadership and teams continues to exist.
Therefore, team members need to know how far they can go on their own, explicitly presenting the power they can exercise in their work routine.
In short, it is a working method that maintains the power structure of a team, but offers its members more autonomy and freedom to act.
What are the main advantages of self-management?
The self-management model can lead to increased productivity and a number of other benefits in the organizational environment.
Check out the main ones.
Improved performance
According to the article “Self-managed work teams approach: creative management tool or a fad?”, teams that adopt this model perform better and achieve better results.
According to the study, companies that apply self-management in their teams can generate a 15% to 20% increase in productivity when compared to traditional management methods.
Agility in decision-making
This organizational culture model seeks to encourage employees to act autonomously, solving problems without having to consult several people.
This makes internal processes more dynamic and agile.
Democratization of work processes
The methodology provides a freer and more democratic environment among a company’s employees.
This offers more individual control over the routine, allowing each person to organize their tasks in the way they feel most comfortable.
Personal goal development
Having a more comfortable and flexible environment gives employees the opportunity to focus on a good career plan, expanding their personal goals within the company.
More engagement
Having a team capable of self-management allows employees to feel part of the company, becoming more engaged in their activities and dedicated to results.
Encouraging new leaders
This process requires a great deal of responsibility and professionalism from its members, as the results no longer depend solely on the leader and are shared among the team.
This allows new leaders to stand out among the teams, stimulating employee development.
Myths about self-management
Check out the main myths related to the use of self-management below.
There is no leadership in self-management
Leadership continues to exist in self-management, but the model allows decisions to be made by team members.
The role of the leader in this context is to define the rules, organize teams, pass on demands, and perform various other activities that leaders in traditional methods also have.
It is this dynamic that offers the horizontal management model, where all team members are highly relevant regardless of their position.
There are no rules in self-management
Whenever self-management is implemented in a team, its members are informed about what they can and cannot do.
Structure and clarity of responsibilities are important for maintaining organization.
An example would be a member of the finance department who has the freedom to manage commissions but does not have the autonomy to increase another employee’s salary.
The team needs to be mature before it can be self-managed.
The reality is that implementing self-management is a way to foster maturity within a team.
Treating your team solely as dependents is not an approach that will foster maturity.
Tips for practicing self-management
It is important to understand the theory and concepts behind a methodology, but you need to be able to put these ideas into practice in order for them to generate value.
Check out some tips that can help you and your team members practice self-management.
- Organize and control your daily and weekly tasks based on established goals.
- Create a routine with habits that promote concentration and focus.
- Use apps and automation templates to optimize tasks.
- Work with each team independently, promoting individual development.
- Understand and make clear job definitions, aligning responsibilities and expectations.
Do you understand what self-management is?
We hope our content has helped you understand a little more about self-management and its advantages.
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