Mintzberg’s management model
In Agile Management we need to consider the role of management as supporting teams. I refer to this as “Management as a Service” or “MaaS”. When we consider what these services might be, we can look at one of the classic management models.
Mintzberg proposed that management and leadership can be broken into ten key activities. In Mintzberg’s model these roles (or as I would consider them, “services”) fall into three clusters:
- Interpersonal roles. These involve conversations between 2 or more people
- Informational roles. These involve communicating information out to others
- Decisional roles. These involve taking decisions with authority and confidence
Interpersonal roles.
These involve conversations between 2 or more people
Figurehead
The manager role models and mentors the right behaviours. The team may have limited prior experience in the field. A more experienced person may have done similar work before. Access to someone with prior experience for review and mentoring can be valuable. There may be a compliance requirement for specific review external to the team.
Leader
Each individual in the team needs to grow and develop. This will need a mixture of coaching, training and self-directed learning. A significant part of the management role is the support of individuals in their growth.
Liaison
The team may have limited customer interaction. Even if well placed, they are unlikely to have access to all of the relevant information. The manager can liaise with people outside the organization and build linkages which will help the team.
Informational roles.
These involve communicating information out to others
Monitor
The team needs feedback on their performance. An external observer can look at individuals and the team as a whole. They can advise on areas of improvement and how the team can best reach a level of excellence
Disseminator
One area a team will generally lack is wider cross-team strategic view. The team will need someone who can supply information from other sources. A manager can spread information between teams and across the organization.
The team can check their assumptions and ensure that they fit with the wider business strategy.
Spokesperson
The team may have difficulty maintaining visibility. The manager can communicate information for the team. They can promote the team’s interests wider in the organization and beyond.
Decisional roles.
These involve taking decisions with authority and confidence
Entrepreneur
A manager can be a source of external challenge to the team. They can propose ideas for change and align changes across multiple teams. Here “top down” change can complement and work with the “bottom up” change managed by the autonomous team.
Disturbance Handler
Often the team will come across a blocker which they are unable to solve. Perhaps the team lacks skills or people. Perhaps events external to the team are impacting the team. The manager is a resource available to the team to unblock problems. They can also facilitate discussion when people within or outside the team are unable to agree.
Resource Allocator
A cross-functional team should contain the skills they need to succeed. However, it is never possible to include all of these within the team. Often there is a need for people to be shared across teams. There may also be a need for a team to grow and add skills. Not infrequently the team will need to access resources as well as people. There may be financial cost involved beyond the team’s budget
Negotiator
Each team has its own priorities. The manager has a role in negotiations between teams, across the organization and with outside parties. Business resources are limited, and distribution of these will often involve a level of negotiation. An experienced manager can ensure that the team is well supported here.
Good Practices
As an Agile leader you should be aware of the many roles which you need to play. The “Management as a Service” view sees these are functions which are needed by your team and which need to be supplied from somewhere.
For your team, evaluate each of the Mintzberg functions. Where are your team getting these services? Remember that unlike Scientific Management, this does not need to be exclusively from you, but you do want to have a clear answer and ensure your team is supported.
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