We hear “self-managing teams” so often it’s become a cliché.
But here’s what gets missed:
Self-management applies to all Scrum roles.
Product Owners must self-manage how they engage with stakeholders, order the backlog, and shape the product vision.
Scrum Masters must self-manage how they serve the team, coach the organisation, and create the conditions for success.
Developers must self-manage how they plan, execute, and deliver the Increment.
This isn’t a passive concept.
It’s active, adaptive, disciplined work.
Scrum isn’t designed to be a loose, anything-goes framework.
It’s a social technology to deliver adaptive solutions — and that requires disciplined self-management across roles, grounded in clear alignment.
Where are you mistaking “self-management” for chaos or neglect?
If you've made it this far, it's worth connecting with our principal consultant and coach, Martin Hinshelwood, for a 30-minute 'ask me anything' call.
We partner with businesses across diverse industries, including finance, insurance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, engineering, transportation, hospitality, entertainment, legal, government, and military sectors.
Cognizant Microsoft Business Group (MBG)
Milliman
Flowmaster (a Mentor Graphics Company)
Philips
New Signature
Jack Links
Schlumberger
Graham & Brown
Slaughter and May
Brandes Investment Partners L.P.
Teleplan
Xceptor - Process and Data Automation
ALS Life Sciences
CR2
Boxit Document Solutions
Emerson Process Management
Bistech
Epic Games
Department of Work and Pensions (UK)
Washington Department of Enterprise Services
New Hampshire Supreme Court
Royal Air Force
Ghana Police Service
Nottingham County Council
NIT A/S
Emerson Process Management
Flowmaster (a Mentor Graphics Company)
ALS Life Sciences
Brandes Investment Partners L.P.
Sage