To whom much is given, much will be required

"Ils doivent envisager qu'une grande responsabilité est la suite inséparable d'un grand pouvoir". - (Comité de Salut Public ('Committee of Public Safety') during the 1793 French National Convention)

Teams are getting more and more autonomy and like parents, managers are sometimes reluctant to let go. And for a good reason, management is used to have authority on product development and HR. Now they are supposed to trust the teams but still feel responsible.

A lot of teams are in pubescence, finding their way in a world where they have more autonomy about how the product is developed and how they as developers should keep on developing themselves. With a greater power of self-determination also comes the responsibility to make something out of it all. This shifts the authority of the team, the product and the persons involved away from the managers.

What is there for management left to do when the chicks fly out into their adolescence? First of all, less. Second, other stuff; or better put, the same stuff in another way. A manager has become a facilitator instead of a commander. A manager helps the teams perform better. As the teams continue to grow and learn, they still will have troubles facing them. In parallel of growing up: kids are getting married, going to buy their first house, getting kids and so on. Parents don't dictate their children should, at least I hope so, they help them in finding the way. They are becoming more equal all the time.

Toddlers

Small, new teams need parenting, they are toddlers, asking questions, not sure what to make of the world. They need to find a way of working for them, the team and within the organisation. They need help in getting a work location, using different facilities et cetera. A manager helps them on their way. Perhaps even deciding for them. The manager also helps Scrum Masters and Product Owners in understanding the Scrum framework, the people and the organisation.

Puberty

When a team has worked some time together they understand each others perks and start to perform better. They are ready to take on more ownership. They can ride their own bikes to school and they can, and should, start experimenting. The team will start learning the deeper understanding of Scrum, they will improve on inspection and adaption. They will become more and more transparent. As a manager you can see what the teams do, when you do your Gemba Walk and learn about what your teams need.

"The Gemba Walk is an opportunity for staff to stand back from their day-to-day tasks to walk the floor of their workplace to identify wasteful activities. The objective of Gemba Walk is to understand the value stream and its problems rather than review results or make superficial comments."

Adolescence

Teams are almost grown up, they will perform very well. Delivering on time, caring about customers and running experiments as a daily practice. Teams will demand full authority on everything they do. This is the time for the management to let go. After 21 years of raising the kids, let's hope it's shorter for teams, they are ready to fly out and settle, to have their own Lean Startup in the company.

Adulthood

When has a team become adult? When they are able to decide their own future and understand that with great power comes great responsibility. Do the teams still need managers? Well, it depends. It is like asking if kids ever stop asking their parents. Some do, some don't. But as a parent, a manager will always be there to help the team evolve and improve. And get invited to parties!