When you set up a company, the only thing — the only thing — you should care about is getting the best people.

Ilkka Paanenen, Supercell CEO

As Agile coach Henrik Kniberg has noted, even high performing teams still need a few guidelines to make sure their work aligns with the overall goals of the organization. Your goal should be identifying problems, and trusting that your teams can develop the right solutions.

Billion-dollar game company Supercell has found that three principles help their teams achieve the right balance of autonomy and alignment:

1. Hire the right people. Superior technical skills aren’t enough: seek out people who are both self-directed and collaborative.
2. Focus on progress, not power. Ensure your leaders make clear to everyone what progress looks like, and help others progress by providing guidance, support, and resources.
3. Encourage transparency. Make knowledge easily accessible to the entire team to that individuals can make decisions and move forward as needed.

Image courtesy Henrik Kniberg

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