Do you need a team "at the top"?​

Category: (Mis-) understanding self-management

Many self-managing organizations still have a team "at the top". For instance, in some factories, each self-managing team sends a "representative" to a coordinating circle. In Sociocracy and Holacracy, you have a General Circle.

This is not incompatible with self-management, but let's pause and wonder: is such a team really needed? Or are we perhaps still dealing with a remnant of old thinking, a lack of imagination of how things could work without a team "at the top"?  

In this video I'll share 4 reasons why I believe that having such a dedicated team might not be a good idea, and what the alternative can look like. 

I'll also briefly share the example of one company that, as a first step in the transition, kept its top team, but drastically reduced its scope. 

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Have you experienced something similar in your own journey? What did you do about it? If you have something meaty to share, please add a link to an article, a video ... Feel free to agree or disagree with what I say, but always: please keep it on topic, relevant, practical. And of course, let's keep things respectful and kind. Please don't comment if what you say is off-topic or wouldn't benefit viewers of this page.