Self-managed teams also known as:

• self-directed,
• self-leading,
• self- maintaining,
• self-regulating teams

Nature of self-managed team

• Operate without managerial supervision
• High job satisfaction
• High commitment
• Make structural and operational decisions
• Responsible for tasks as a collective whole
• Variety of technical skills
• Versatile and flexible

The benefits of SMT

 The benefits of Self-managed teams :

• (1) create a stronger sense of commitment to the work effort among team members;
• (2) improve quality, speed, and innovation;
• (3) have  more satisfied employees and lower turnover and absenteeism;
• (4) facilitate faster new-product development;
• (5) allow cross-trained team members greater flexibility in dealing with personnel shortages due to illness or turnover
• (6) keep operational costs down because of reductions in managerial ranks and increased efficiency.

Characteristics of Effective Self-Managed Teams

• Have clear missions & high performance standards
• Take stock of equipment, training facilities, & other resources team needs
• Devote significant time to planning & organizing to use available resources & assess members technical skills
• High levels of communication

4 stages of group development.

1. Forming
2. Storming
3. Norming
4. Performing

Distributed Leadership

A collection of roles and behaviors that can be divided, shared, rotated, and used sequentially or concomitantly in a SMT environment.

Distributed Leadership Practices in SMTs

• Organizing role
• Envisioning role
• Social role
• Networking role