This question has been part of my work for five years, since the day I walked away from my first self-org work group determined never to work any other way but as part of these amazing groups. I’ve learned that individuals and self-organizing work groups can foster self-organizing work groups. Here’s how. How individuals foster self-organizing work groups In the 17 groups I’ve studied so … [Read More]
When your self-organizing work group succeeds in accomplishing the work-of-the-moment that it came into existence to do, it may be obvious that the group needs to end. But it may also be unclear at what point–exactly–you as an individual should let go of the group and its work. From my perspective today, here are five signs that it may be time to let go of your SOWG and its work and ideas…
How do you evolve a planned group into a self-organizing work group? It’ll look a bit different for everyone, but for me it appears to be mostly about letting go as an individual. Let go of the individual plans you thought you needed. Let go of the group or people you thought you needed. Pay attention to the people who always show up to talk about what matters most to you (particularly to those who show up for you again and again). Who are they? What does that diverse group have in common? What’s making all of you give up your time with your individual work, families, and lives to be together? What’s drawing you together? That’s where your self-organizing work group lives.
You can expect amazing things from these groups, but what those things actually are, you can’t entirely know ahead of time. Think about a self-organizing group that you’ve seen somewhere: like several jazz musicians or rappers spontaneously improvising amazing music in the moment or a flash mob of people somewhat spontaneously performing a Michael Jackson or Lady Gaga song in a city park. You can expect to be surprised and wowed. Or you can expect nothing and still be surprised and wowed.
I’ve studied and been part of at least 14 self-organizing work groups in the past 7 years. You don’t have to encourage active participation in self-organizing work groups. They form in response to personally felt needs of the moment, people stay with them until those needs are met, and then move on from them as what matters most to them as an individual changes.
May 202010
That’s the difference between self-organizing groups and founded groups that I experienced.
A friend recently said this to me: “One of my master’s classes this quarter briefly touched on the topic of self-organizing systems. We discussed how this might work in government employment, but I was skeptical. I argued that this sort of peer work was not feasible in government since government lacked the mechanisms for weeding out weak contributors or “free riders” in the system. Am I too cynical?” … [Read More]
If you asked the self-organizing work group members I studied—especially those who worked together the longest—I think most would say no. Group members experienced the ability to work faster as part of these groups than they could on their own and as part of other teams and groups they were part of at work. As for me, from my perspectiveas a researcher, I’m not entirely sure. … [Read More]
Oct 122009
I recommend participating in and learning with self-organizing groups themselves. You’ll find some of your group members in the pages of a book, article, or blog: a physically distant author whose experience and ideas so mirror your own yet expand your own that it gives you goose bumps. But those of us inclined to read first and hang out with real human beings later can’t … [Read More]
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