Self-managed teams are small groups of employees who determine their own work processes with little or no supervision. They have become popular as they can increase productivity and reduce costs when implemented effectively. A self-managed team is responsible for technical and management tasks, with responsibilities rotated among members. Benefits include greater ownership over work and flexibility to cover absences. However, some challenges are adjusting to less supervision, groupthink, and resistance from managers accustomed to traditional structures. Leaders must empower teams while balancing organizational expectations.

1. SELF-MANAGED TEAMS
Presented By: Bhawna Pandwar

2. Meaning
A self-organized, semiautonomous
small group of employees whose
members determine, plan, and
manage their day-to-day activities
and duties under reduced or no
supervision. Also called self
directed team or self-managed
natural work team.

3. Origin
• Self-managed teams have grown rapidly in popularity
following their introduction in the 1960s.
• Around 80 percent of companies in the Fortune 1000 and 81
percent of manufacturing companies use self-managed teams
within their organizational structure.
• Companies favor self-managed teams as they offer cost
savings and increased productivity, if implemented effectively.
However, self-managed teams aren't the right fit for every
company.
• The best-performing self-managed teams are found in
companies where the organizational culture clearly supports
decision-making by employees.

4. Self-Managed Teams
• A self-managed team is a group of employees that's
responsible and accountable for all or most aspects of
producing a product or delivering a service.
• Traditional organizational structures assign tasks to employees
depending on their specialist skills or the functional
department within which they work.
• A self-managed team carries out supporting tasks, such as
planning and scheduling the workflow and managing annual
leave and absence, in addition to technical tasks. Management
and technical responsibilities are typically rotated among the
team members.

5. Benefits
• Self-managed teams have greater ownership of the tasks they
perform and the end product or service they deliver.
• Self-managed teams tend to be loss costly and more
productive than employees working within a traditional
hierarchical structure because the team performs both
technical and management tasks.
• Team members may also fill in for each other to cover holidays
and absences.
• Decisions made by self-managed teams are more effective
because they're made by the people who know most about
the job.

6. Drawbacks
• Although a cohesive self-managed team may create a sense of trust
and respect between team members, overly cohesive teams can
lead to "groupthink": Team members are more likely to conform
with team norms than raise issues that may upset other team
members. This may lead to reduced effort or stifled innovation.
• Teams may struggle to make the transition from supervisor-led
management to self-management, either due to lack of
interpersonal skills or poor implementation of the self-managed
team concept within the organization.
• Managers who are accustomed to traditional and autocratic
management may resist or undermine team approach.
• Unfamiliar with new structure and routine.
• Adjusting to team responsibilities.
• Personality and behavior conflicts.

7. Leading a Self-Managed
Team
Although self-managed teams are autonomous in terms of how
they manage and carry out their work, they still require
guidance from leaders within the organizational hierarchy.
External leaders provide the link between the wider
organization and the self-managed team, empowering the team.
and advocating on its behalf. External leaders may struggle to
find the appropriate balance in their leadership style: Their own
managers may expect them to be more hands-on, while the
team may resist perceived interference.

8. Characteristics of Self-
directed teams
• Joint Responsibility
• Interdependence
• Empowerment
• Common Goal

9. Conclusion
In conclusion self-managed work teams
can help a company improve its bottom
line, foster team work, and boost
employee morale. However, the difficult
part is changing attitudes, behaviors, and
resolving conflicts.