Self-Organization 2/3 - The middle management is not the "paralysis layer" but the "power layer"
Critical Chain Project Management Self-Organization
A typical middle manager - working in the mud ... iStock Photo
Middle management is not the "paralysis layer" but the "power layer," or how to prepare self-organized changes
September 22, 2019
Due to the very positive reaction to the first article, "What managers should know about self-organization ..." - here is the second part, "How to prepare such a change and why middle management should be called the 'power layer'!"
Specifically - how do you prepare a self-organized change?
... I apologize in advance - what comes now is not agile hype, but rather classic! How we humans decide to do something and change has long been a part of us - nothing new - always the same pattern since ancient times. And the actual preparation for a self-organized change is simply a decision! And deciding follows the old, ancient flow:
- The why must be clear - I must know which problem I want to solve or which paradise is waiting for me. No motive, no change - so simple.
- And in all systems, there are "decision-makers" - classic bosses, managing directors and board members, or new-world circles, committees and democracies. From those, you need a "yes, OK, interesting - take a closer look!" - so simple.
- Then comes a surprising step - see below!
- And here comes something interesting - see also below!
- After that, you probably must become more concrete - you have to make a plan - also very classical. A plan is important so that everyone knows what to do - and being self-organized is something to do. Plans are not bad just because they are constantly changing. That's normal - you can change the plan, and you can also change it iteratively (agile) - just running without a plan is fatal because then you don't see that you are off track.
- So, everything is prepared - now you can start with a bang! The bigger, the better.
- And from here on, self-organization already works - but attention: self-organized changes are intensive, fast and disciplined - some say exhausting, but valuable and sustainable.
But what is it with points 3 and 4 - the surprising and interesting parts?
Step 3 and the central question: "Who is driving the change?"
The decision-makers? Rather not - they know that something must change, but they are too busy to make a difference. Or, in the new working models, the decision-maker may even be a committee that becomes operative again immediately after the decision has been made - so no time either. Decision-makers must stand behind those decisions, but they do not necessarily have the time to drive a change. That would massively overburden them.
The employees? Yes - change is the change in people's behavior. Well, with a self-organized change, you ideally don't have to change your behavior much - it's more about activating the existing, better behaviors. The first step to activating better behavior is always to adjust the Work-in-Process (WIP) correctly, in a way that nobody is overburdened or underburdened anymore. The employee doesn't have to do anything - the WIP is only being adjusted. And then the second step is to establish the meaningful signal - yes, you must do that. As for the employees, their good, hidden behavior is then spontaneously "activated" - no big deal either. In a good self-organized change, therefore, nobody really has to learn major new behaviors - they are already there. They are only brought to the surface! So, the employees don't have to drive the change at all. If you listen carefully, the employees have always said what the problem is and how to solve it anyway ;-) You don't have to push against open doors. They change, but they do not have to drive the change.
The middle managers remain - the formerly mentioned "paralysis layer" or now the "power layer"!
Middle management also exists in the newer forms of work organizations. The middle managers are those who maintain communication between the teams - up and down - to the right and left. They are the ones who develop employees - who see potential and promote it. Above all, they are the ones who ensure that when overarching problems arise, they are solved.
Middle managers are also those who, despite all the circumstances/problems/WIP, keep the shop running! They are very loyal to the company and are the ones who get up every morning to provide their energy so that something can still come out!
Middle management - wow! No "paralysis layer," but a "power layer"!
Yes, but why are middle managers often against change? You have to empathize with the situation. If I am a manager and try to keep the store running every day - loyally investing all my energy - and then a consultant/boss/colleague comes along from "outside" and tells me what to do better! I already do everything that is necessary. I don't care about him - I already have enough to do! Go away!
Middle management is therefore either the curse or the blessing in the change - in any case, it is the key.
The decisive factor is one's own attitude! With the attitude that "middle management is loyal, brings a lot of energy and tries to keep the shop running," you have the chance to think of something new - to choose a different approach.
Instead of Buy-In, do a Work-In: You just have to ask middle management!
What is not possible is to impose a method/concept on them. This requires a lot of "bribery" for buy-in. The other possibility is to ask! But it is important to ask from the point of view of those who keep the shop running and don't need any more "trouble."
So, do ask - but don't ask about the solution building blocks that have been tried several times and are filled with frustration. Instead, ask the reverse question: "Why is the new approach XYZ just not working?" Exactly then, you get the obstacles that the loyal, energy-driven middle management has already tried to remove x times but has failed to remove again and again! These are the key elements for change.
And behind each of these obstacles (stumbling blocks) lies a part of the solution. You only have to think about what would really be necessary to remove this stumbling block. And these considerations have been made x times - everyone already knows the solution building blocks. It's unimaginable, but after 1-2 hours, everything that has to be done is often already on the table. These stumbling blocks now become the building blocks for the bridge to the new world.
Example: "Change towards an agile project team"
Step #1: Find out the obstacles on the way to a perfect world! Possible answers are, e.g., We just have way too much running at the same time! We don't even know what to do! There are too many clients! The order of the things to do is unclear! Everyone muddles along - there are always coordination problems!
Step #2: Transform the obstacles into solutions! Obstacles (see above) become solutions, e.g., You have to reduce the things that run in parallel to a minimum so that it fits the team size! You just have to write down what to do - make a list! There has to be someone who balances the needs of all clients and puts the tasks in order! We coordinate ourselves regularly (very often/daily) so that the work flows optimally!
Maybe you recognized it! What we have now are the solution modules for an agile project team - it's so quick, and you don't even need a coach or consultant. Everything was already here! What is still missing is the order.
Focus - Sequence - Self-organization
The problem: not everything can be tackled at the same time! When the hut burns, when you have to put out the fire and are already fighting to keep the shop going, then you have the greatest need to do things "one after the other." So, you have to focus and prioritize - put the many steps in the right order. But what is the right order?
As described in the last article (see link at the end), you only have to do two things to activate a jumpy order transition with self-organization:
#1 Set the Work-in-Process correctly, and #2 establish a signal/feedback and make sure that everyone follows it.
So, you just have to put all the solution steps in a sequence so that, first, the Work-in-Process fits again and, second, the signal is generated and used to give order to the whole thing. Everything else is just preparation and post-processing. You could say this is the universal plan for self-organized changes:
- Preparation for setting the correct WIP
- Set the correct WIP
- WIP post-processing - learn to live with it
- Preparation of the signal/feedback
- Activate the signal/feedback
- Post-process the signal/feedback - learn to live with it
Now you only have to assign the solution steps correctly, and the procedural plan for the change is ready.
Attention: we are dealing here with complex systems. There is no "universal" plan - thinking is always helpful - but a model like this helps.
Example: "Change towards an agile project team"
Step 3: Assign the solution steps to the six phases of self-organization! With the building blocks from step 2, this could look like this:
1. Preparation for setting the WIP: Build a backlog Search for a Product Owner Put stories in order Cut big stories into small pieces Estimate the complexity of stories somehow.
2. Set the WIP: Plan "the next sprint" - the team agrees on the number of stories they think they can handle in the next iteration.
3. Deal with the effects of setting the WIP: Make transparent which stories are roughly planned for the next iteration Inform the Product Owner what to expect in the next iteration.*
4. Preparation of the signal/feedback: Sketch a burn-down chart Add the due date/end of the iteration Enter the number of days remaining Show the initial size of the backlog Draw the ideal burn-down line Plan/define the stand-up.*
5. Activate the signal/feedback: Determine daily how much of the backlog remains Find creative ideas within the team about what should happen if the burn-down is lower than necessary.*
6. Post-process the signal/feedback: Follow up on the measures to stabilize the burn-down Regularly reflect on whether the signal makes sense and triggers actions (retrospective).*
OK, that was, of course, greatly simplified - but honestly, there is not much more to it! If you know the principles behind self-organization, then you can very quickly come up with any change plan.
And what happens next?
Did you see the difference? The steps are designed in such a way that almost nothing is imposed from the outside! All building blocks come from practice as experienced by middle management (or even the team itself; see example). The only thing that comes from the outside is the "generic plan - the proven sequence" for successfully designing a self-organized change.
And because all content comes from the inside - from middle management or the team - it comes exactly from those who drive the change!
Then there is also the energy to drive the change.
Something is still missing - the closing of ranks!
What is still missing is getting the decision-makers back on board ;-) This is the interesting point 4 in the list.
At the very beginning, the decision-makers already said that they wanted to make the change (that was easy). They gave middle management the task of checking whether it made sense and, if so, working out how to do it (the action plan). Now middle management has worked out the action plan, and it makes sense to them.
What remains is the closing of ranks - middle management tells top management how to do it and gets the final go-ahead! And they will get that - because it was already there! All you must do is look one another in the eye again and make sure everyone is there! Do a short check to ensure that nobody is still standing on the beach and missing from the boat!
The rest is self-organization
For this change to go well, you only have to do two things - you already know it - it's always the same:
#1 Set the Work-in-Process correctly, and #2 establish the signal/feedback and make sure everyone follows it.
Nothing could be easier!
What this looks like is what I show in a speech at the PMI Impact Summit.
Links to other parts of the series:
Part #1 to start with: Self-Organization 1/3 - why managers should know more about it - a short introduction
Part #2: "Middle management is not the 'paralysis layer' but the 'power layer'!" ... or "How to prepare self-organized changes" ... you just read this article :-) but you can send it to friends or even repost it.
Part #3 to see what it looks like: Self-Organization 3/3 - Why self-organization changes are cool for top managers and everyone else!
Links:
- Details for Deep Digger - Basic articles on self-organization and how to implement it >>> DolphinBooks Bookstore