Session 20: Power, Authority and Teams
Steven M. Smith
What are the boundaries to management’s power and authority when it comes to teams?
Clashes between management and members of a team happen in both traditional and agile organizations.
Joseph, a manager, may clash with the members of a team if he feels they are usurping his power and authority. He may interpret a team’s communication as concern about only their needs and zero for his. He would like them to respect his role and realize his manager expects him to exercise power and control the same way as other managers in the organization.
Team clash with managers, like Joseph, when they feel management’s request aren’t relevant to their goals. Requests that seem frivolous, such as annual performance reviews, puzzle the team. They wonder — why is management slowing us down? They think — leave us alone; let us do our work.
These clashes create a boundary between management and the team. Many organizations refuse to discuss that boundary. But for us, people from many organizations, it’s a boundary that’s discussable.
We will use simulations and small group discussions to explore the the dynamics of power and authority between teams and management looking for boundary patterns. And we will propose methods for changing those boundaries.
This session will benefit managers who seek to partner with teams that report to them while simultaneously staying up-to-date and influential. It will also benefit members of teams who want to ally with management so everyone produces the results they need.
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