Manage vs organize
The difference between self-managing and self-organizing teams partly lie in the difference in meaning between “to manage” and “to organize”. The former seems to be a broader verb, meaning it already contains the meaning of the latter.
What does “organize” mean?
to arrange something or the parts of something into a particular order or structure
OALD
to make all the arrangements for something to happen or be provided
Longman
If you organize something that someone wants or needs, you make sure that it is provided. If you organize a set of things, you arrange them in an ordered way or give them a structure.
Collins
What does “manage” mean?
to control or be in charge of a business, a team, an organization,
OALD
If you manage time, money, or other resources, you deal with them carefully and do not waste them
Collins
to direct or control a business or department and the people, equipment, and money involved in it
Longman
Self-managing and self-organizing: the Scrum Guide 2017 and 2020
The Scrum Guide 2017 defines a self-organizing team the following way: “Self-organizing teams choose how best to accomplish their work, rather than being directed by others outside the team.“, while the Scrum Guide 2022 defines a self-managing team as follows: “They are also self-managing, meaning they internally decide who does what, when, and how.” So the main difference between these two is that the Scrum Guide 2020 gives the Scrum Team more autonomy as to what to do and when, apart from the way the work is going to be done. Such a team might set a goal for themselves, whereas a self-organizing team is given a goal to achieve. I hope I’ve just clarified the main difference. Having said that, self-management encompasses self-organization.
What, when, and how and the Scrum Team
The Scrum Team creates the Sprint Backlog, so they’re choosing what to do inside a Sprint. It’s up to they how they achieve it.
