Self organizing teams are self managing teams. They govern themselves. They are self governing.
Some folks new to Agile think that when you go Agile, that management goes “out the window”, is a bad word, is evil, is something that imposes prescriptions, issues commands, and is controlling, and something to be avoided.
The reality is that the need for planning, measuring, and observing does not go away in Agile.
Far from it! Rather, the function of management is handled by the team, instead being handled by a single person in a role like the “project management” role.
Moral of the story: the need for management does not disappear in Agile. On the contrary. We actually do more planning in Agile. We do it as needed, continuously, and just in time. The function of management does not go away. Instead, the function of management shifts from a person (in a role) to a self managing team.
The Core Idea: In self managing teams, management is a function, not a role. The team handles the function of managing itself.
Self management aligns with this principle, found in the Agile Manifesto:
Build projects around motivated individuals.
Give them the environment and support they need,
and trust them to get the job done.