Horizontal Teams

What is a ‘Horizontal Team’? Let’s start with what a horizontal team is not: Monolithic.

A horizontal team is a high-performing, self-directed team who solves (most of) its own problems, holds its members accountable, makes decisions, influences and drives direction, and more. A horizontal team is one who recognizes and then leverages the individual strengths of its members; one who works interdependently to increase knowledge and skills across the team – for the good of the whole team.

If you have ever worked in, with, or around a finely tuned SCRUM team, then you have been fortunate enough to witness how a model horizontal team operates.

So, what role does the manager play if a horizontal team has all of this freedom and empowerment? For starters, the manager is still there to address any impediments/barriers the team isn’t able to overcome. The manager provides associate growth and feedback, direction where needed, and most of all, leadership.

You see, in most every facet, an effective horizontal team absorbs the tasks of a traditional “pipeline manager”. If you look around your place of employment, you may be challenged to find a manager who demonstrates real leadership skills. However, you are likely to find a plethora of “managers of tasks” for they are commodities. The work they do can be done by many, and with horizontal teams, the team really performs what used to be the work of the traditional manager.

If you haven’t managed in this environment, then what I am suggesting can be terrifying. (I know, I am watching the heads of the uninitiated about to burst right now.) If you haven’t worked in this environment, then it can be equally awkward for moving into a proactive mindset is strange if you are used to being told what to work on, when to work on it, and potentially even how to work on it.

However, what I am discussing is liberating – for you and your team(s). Not only is it liberating, but it will provide you with an opportunity to get out of the weeds; to begin working ON your business rather than IN your business…to begin working ON your team rather than IN your team. (Read The E-Myth, it’ll make sense.)