FIRST STEPS WITH MANAGEMENT 3.0 – WHAT IT IS, WHY IT’S WORTH IT, AND IS IT FOR YOU?

What is Management 3.0?

Management 3.0 is a way of thinking about managing teams through the lens of the system (organization) and people (team members). The key difference compared to previous ways of thinking (management philosophies) is the shift in emphasis and attention towards the two mentioned factors. In this approach, the manager’s task is to adapt the system in which people work daily to the individual needs of each employee. In the M 3.0 management approach, the main actions related to adaptation and adjustment are on the side of the leader and the organization.

To effectively carry out such a task, the manager in the M 3.0 approach is not alone – they share this reality with the team. They engage the entire team in JOINTLY developing solutions that will allow the SYSTEM to be adapted to the PEOPLE.

This way of thinking allows addressing the challenges arising from the internet revolution (also known as the digitalization revolution, the fourth industrial revolution). A revolution that changes the value systems of our daily lives, also in the context of our work.

4 out of 10 reasons why it is worth managing a team according to the Management 3.0 approach

• Management 3.0 shows how to build a self-managing team, which is a much more pleasant work environment – both for the manager and his team. At the same time, after a few months, it opens up management possibilities that are unattainable for the traditional approach. A self-managing team is one in which all members, not just the manager, actually feel co-responsible for the goals, tasks, and problems of daily work.
• Management 3.0 gives you a new way of thinking about how to solve previously ‘unsolvable’ problems. A lot of inspiration and tips on how to solve them systematically, not just temporarily. Especially in areas such as building team engagement and motivating employees.
• Management 3.0 shows what action strategies you can add to your competency panel to respond to changes in the value systems of people in your team. The work atmosphere is becoming a very important criterion for choosing an employer for high-class experts. This effect is becoming an increasing challenge for managers – how to maintain the atmosphere without losing productivity?
• Management 3.0, beyond team management strategy, provides tools that you can use in your team literally the next day after learning about it (e.g., after training). These include, among others: Kudos, Champfrog motivators, Delegation poker.

*Details of each of the above with explanations along with other reasons can be found in the article Management 3.0 – why is it worth it?#

Different management styles – are there really any differences?

Comparing Management 2.0 to Management 3.0, it is about fitting people INTO the system they found themselves in. In the 2.0 management approach, the main actions related to adaptation and fitting are on the employees’ side. These are our procedures, we need to solve this problem in this way, this is our process, and we need to adhere to it. Sorry, that’s just the way things are – quoting a classic!

This way of thinking allows us to respond to the challenges of the digital revolution, which has moved us from factories to offices. At that time, we became an important resource in the process of delivering business value (I know, it sounds terrible, but that’s the reality…) nevertheless, we, as employees, must adapt to the processes, procedures, etc. prevailing in a given organization or team.

Management 1.0 is a way of thinking that emerged during the industrial revolution, where for the first time we collectively moved from outdoor jobs, which were healthy, activating, and encouraging physical movement (read: fieldwork) to factories. And there the foreman had a machine that he had to maintain, sometimes repair, to ensure continuity of production. The parts of this machine, of course, consisted of living elements: people. Just like the other parts, they also needed to be repaired or simply replaced.

The essence of the ongoing change mentioned here, for me, is the life of the group called ‘Digital Nomads’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXGtx-hroKE&ab_channel=DWDocumentary

How to practically adapt the system to the needs of employees?

The key ideas of the creator of Management 3.0 – Jurgen Appelo – boil down to a short list of six key activities. That sounds reasonable, because how many things can we handle at once? The mentioned activities are:

Energize people + Empower teams = engage the team in the process of co-creating: goals, ways of implementation, deadlines, in the decision-making process. The more important topics you discuss together with the team (instead of communicating your decision) the more space there is to feel that we are actually creating our work environment together in the team.

Align constraints + develop competence = work that has meaning and purpose – if you are one of those managers who think: “yeah, right, I can already see the self-management of the team. How will they self-manage, so that in the end I don’t get ‘spanked’ when it comes to reporting KPIs? This area will be for you! Because the mentioned self-management requires defining a certain territory (frameworks within which we can operate) and planning competency development (so that the team matures to the ideal version of self-management). The tools that help structure the reality of the team in the context of Management 3.0 are OKRs (for defining goals) and a clarified sense of the work performed by the team.

Grow structure + improve everything = improve the system by creating a structure that supports value creation AND supports people. As a manager, think of the processes and procedures in your organization as something that is subject to change (sooner or later). This means that with the right arguments (and the right amount of time), you can change those elements of the system that most ‘hurt’ your team. When planning, preparing, and implementing changes, think about systemic solutions that may one day become the new status quo. Of course, by its nature, a corporation is a system less open to change than other business environments… however, this has significantly improved over the past few years :-).

Practical examples and additional extensions of each of the above-mentioned activities can be found in the article: Management 3.0 in practice, or how to adapt the system to the needs of employees? #

Is Management 3.0 for me?

Management 3.0, as a way of thinking about aligning the system to people’s needs, obviously changes the existing hierarchy of values in team management. This does not immediately mean the need for a revolution – of course, we can quickly implement significant changes, but revolutions have a history of devouring their own children… and especially in large organizational systems, it is worth considering what action strategy to plan in order to achieve key actions in the context of desired changes within a specific time frame (a few months):

• M 3.0 as a way of thinking (this level already requires changes at the organizational level)
• M 3.0 as a way of managing projects (when, as a manager, I create a certain buffer between my team and the organization)
• M 3.0 as a tool for acting towards a chosen goal (e.g., to balance out less attractive features/elements/conditions of employment in my company)

Thinking pragmatically, who could benefit the most from this approach and tools?

• Essential for teams working with SCRUM, especially considering the changes in the Scrum Guide that appeared in 2020.
• Essential for teams working in creative fields: R&D, marketing, PR, and anywhere creativity is ACTUALLY desired.
• Naturally for teams working with Agile Management Methodologies.
• Natural for teams where the average age is closer to the 25-40 range.
• Good for managers who want to build teams that represent something beyond just results.
• Good for managers who are looking for inspiration, new methods, and tools in the context of changing situations such as remote or hybrid work.
• To be considered by managers…
• For the future, for managers managing teams in production organizations – foremen and line workers are unlikely to self-organize, at least not as we imagine it in Management 3.0.

Are you intrigued by the idea of Management 3.0?

Check out our training offer # and try this approach in practice!

Want to learn more interesting concepts? Join our community on Facebook or LinkedIn!