How can you guide your team while giving them autonomy?

1 Define expectations and outcomes

One of the key factors for successful autonomous teams is clarity of expectations and outcomes. As a manager, you need to communicate the vision, purpose, and goals of your team, as well as the roles, responsibilities, and boundaries of each team member. You also need to define the criteria and indicators for measuring the quality and impact of their work. By doing this, you give your team a clear direction and a shared understanding of what they are working towards and how they will be evaluated.

2 Delegate tasks and decisions

Another way to promote autonomy in your team is to delegate tasks and decisions to them, rather than micromanaging or dictating every step. This means giving them the authority and the resources to plan, execute, and solve problems on their own, as well as trusting them to make the best choices for their projects. Delegating tasks and decisions not only frees up your time and energy, but also boosts your team's confidence, motivation, and ownership of their work.

3 Provide feedback and support

While delegating tasks and decisions to your team, you still need to provide feedback and support to help them grow and improve. Feedback is essential for learning, correcting, and celebrating your team's achievements and challenges. As a manager, you need to give timely, specific, and constructive feedback that highlights the strengths and areas of improvement of your team's work, as well as suggestions and resources for further development. Support is also important for creating a safe and supportive environment for your team to experiment, fail, and learn from their mistakes. As a manager, you need to show empathy, appreciation, and recognition for your team's efforts, as well as offer help and guidance when they need it.

4 Encourage collaboration and communication

Autonomy does not mean isolation or silos. In fact, autonomous teams benefit from collaboration and communication with each other and with other stakeholders. Collaboration and communication foster creativity, innovation, and synergy in your team, as well as alignment and coordination with the broader organization. As a manager, you need to encourage your team to share ideas, knowledge, and feedback with each other, as well as to seek and offer input and advice from other teams and departments. You also need to facilitate regular and effective communication channels and platforms for your team to stay connected and informed.

5 Review and reflect

Finally, to guide your team while giving them autonomy, you need to review and reflect on their performance and progress regularly. Reviewing and reflecting allows you to evaluate the results and impact of your team's work, as well as to identify the successes and challenges they faced along the way. As a manager, you need to conduct periodic and structured reviews and reflections with your team, using the criteria and indicators you defined earlier. You also need to involve your team in the review and reflection process, asking them to share their insights, feedback, and suggestions for improvement. By doing this, you help your team learn from their experiences, celebrate their achievements, and plan for their future goals.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?