Self-organising doesn’t mean self-directed

“The thing about Scrum” I was saying to Melinda, one of my ex-colleagues and also one of the kindest and nicest people I’d ever worked with….”is that nearly all of it makes sense in a way that’s totally requisite.”

“Scrum?” she asked.

“Sorry, what I mean by Scrum is the software development method that’s based on principles of Agile.  The Agile stuff is about frequent checking in with the customer, that developers can sort themselves out, a whole approach that makes sure a team’s collective capability is used well.  What Scrum does is nicely define roles within a team under the Agile philosophy so that everyone knows what they’re doing.  That’s my potted overview anyway.”

“Isn’t that the stuff you teach with requisite?  That by clearly defining the role relationships in terms of who can ask who to start or stop things, people can be freed up from one of most common sources of conflict?”

“Yep, all the role relationships in a Scrum Team are a version of natural requisite role relationships.  No issue there.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“Well, the Agile crew seems to be anti-manager.  Right there in the manifesto‘s principles it says ‘The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams‘”

“Go on.”

“And don’t get me wrong.  I’m anti-bad-manager.  I’d rather no manager than a bad manager.  But  even a merely competent manager under our system adds significant value to people’s working lives”.

“OK..so what’s your point?”

“Well, I think a team being able to work together and having defined role relationships based on accountability balanced with authority just works. It’s great.  Scrum does this.  And if this lets people get on and get stuff done in their own way that allows them to find flow, have clarity, and deliver….then that’s great too.  But the thing is.…who makes the calls about what’s the best thing for the organisation that the team could be working on?  Those ‘bigger’ or ‘longer perspective’ calls?  If a choice has to be made between one customer or the other…wouldn’t we, and the team, want a person with more perspective into the future than the team making that call, after the team provides it’s advice?”

Melinda was silent for a few seconds.  Then she said “so the manifesto says teams should be self-organising’.

“Yep, for better architectures, requirements and designs.” I replied.  Some more silence.  Then the simplicity:

“Self-organising doesn’t mean self-directed“.

(Thanks Mal!)