minimize dependences

One of the rare objective principles we try to apply to reorgs and org design is to minimize the required communication and lock-step dependencies each execution team requires to deliver value to end-users.  This empowerment is sometimes called the "independent executor model" within the rubric of coordination models.  Recently my wise friend Michael posted his own take on how to apply this model to existing product teams.  The key, as Michael points out is that teams should be self-reliant:

They ask, but never expect other teams to do work for them.