Although much has been written about self-managed teams, it’s difficult to find positive results. The idea that five or ten or twenty people could accomplish anything without some person taking the responsibility for the results appears to go against all management theory and practice. Just think about two people interacting and reaching a conclusion. The fact remains that at some point in time someone must make the decision. A lifetime cannot be spent attempting to reach consensus. Not even a family has the luxury of functioning without someone taking responsibility. Someone must eventually decide where they’re going, when, and for what reason. Chances of meeting expectations in a self-managed team are not very good.
But here is one example of a self-managed team. The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, established for more than thirty years, is recognized as one of the world’s major symphonic organizations. It rehearses and performs without a director. It has developed a self-governing structure that emphasizes collaborative leadership. Orchestra participants resolve their differences by building on three team-building principles: preparation, communication, and mutual respect. They admit it takes a great deal of time to resolve issues.
This multiple nondesignated leader concept may be applied to all organizations with the major drawback being the length of time it takes to resolve differences. We also need to recognize that the orchestra is a very special type of organization; the participants are all high-level professionals in their chosen vocation and play from the same sheet of music. While it may work with a limited number of people, I question the results if applied to an organization of several hundred people.