Systems of management based upon authority, power and control have exhausted their value and are predisposed to producing mediocre results. Much of what we want from our work environment and working relationships is reflected in the self management philosophy statement outlined below.
“People are creatures of integrity and want to do a good job; belong to something bigger than themselves; break bureaucratic chains of alienation; experience joy in work; and be recognized, trusted, treated with dignity, and delegated authority and accountability.”
“People do not want managers anymore - people want leaders. And the leaders they want are not the paternalistic or autocratic models. Many of today’s workers want a manager / leader who adds their own unique perspectives and skills to a self directed - participative environment. They want a manager who helps, not one who controls.
“Management commitment means fanatical trust in people’s integrity and obsessive intolerance for anything less than the full and continuous application of management principles and practices.”
Making Cultural Change Happen - H David Shuster
The type of working environment reflected in these statements represents an ideal vision of a self managed work environment. Realizing this type of working environment and the benefits involved represents a responsibility shared by all team members.