The power of self-organization

 

Self-organization is a fundamental aspect of Scrum that empowers teams to take control and deliver what the team wants to deliver. Scrum believes that employees are self-motivated and want greater responsibility in their work. So they can deliver more value when the teams are self-organized.

Understanding Self-Organization

In Scrum, self-organization means granting your team the autonomy to make decisions and work together to accomplish their goals. It’s about trusting your team members to determine the best approaches for their tasks and find solutions that best serve the customer without constant supervision. 

 

For most organizations, especially those that have not made the transition to Scrum or an agile way of working this can be quite difficult. The reason for this is because it requires a mindset shift from the managers. They have to become managers that no longer micromanage and tell their team members what to do. In Scrum the team members determine for themselves what they work on. The focus of a manager will then shift from monitoring, supervising and being in control to explaining the benefit, priority and significance of the items that are being worked on for the end goal or customer. 

 

Why Self-Organization Matters

Let’s look at the benefits of self-organization within Scrum and why it matters.

 

Flexibility and Adaptability

Self-organization allows your team to respond quickly to changes and challenges. The reason for this is simple, the developers speak to the end users and to each other. They have their “ear on the ground” and that can be a real benefit to the process of adaptability and the time it takes to make changes.

 

Enhanced Creativity

With the freedom to decide how to approach tasks, your team can explore innovative solutions to problems. This creativity leads to continuous improvement, a higher motivation to work and therefore better results.

 

Improved Efficiency

When team members can make real-time decisions without waiting for approvals, they can work more efficiently. This increased speed helps your team consistently deliver value.

 

Motivated and Engaged Team

Self-organization empowers team members and gives them a sense of ownership over their work. This autonomy leads to higher job satisfaction, motivation, and dedication to achieving project goals.

 

Empowering Your Team

In Scrum, your team takes center stage. As a Scrum Master, your role is to guide and support them, not to dictate their every move. Give your team members the freedom to self-organize their work and make decisions collectively.

 

Self-organization fosters a sense of ownership among team members. When they have the freedom to make choices, they feel more responsible for the outcome of their work. This accountability leads to a deeper commitment to success but also gives your team members more sense of joy and fulfillment in their work.