When to stand back, when to step in

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When to stand back, when to step in

Self-organizing teams still need managers. But those manager need to know when to step in, and when to stand back.

Helicopter Managers step in too soon.

Absentee Managers throw up their hands and say "you figure it out," no matter what the issue

Here are guidelines to help managers gauge their actions with self-organizing teams

If the team has sufficient skills to solve the problem then give them space else ask questions to help them get unstuck. This would help in building the skills eventually.
When time is not of the essence give the team time to work the issue. This would improve the team feeling and collaboration.
If the solution space is limited in scope and impact, or the decision is reversible, give the team space to solve the problem, even it there's a good chance they'll get it wrong the first time.