Holacracy

Holacracy is an agile governance model that breaks away from traditional pyramid structures. Conceptualized in the early 2000s by Brian Robertson, then head of an American software company, this method completely reinvents the way organizations are managed.

Distributed authority

Holacracy does away with the notion of subordination inherent in traditional hierarchies. In this model, decision-making processes are rethought and simplified.

The people responsible for a task have the authority to decide how it should be carried out. This decentralizes power, distributing it equitably throughout the organization, and eliminates the classic pattern where only a few managers make all the decisions.

Multiple roles

In Holacracy, company activities are broken down into roles, corresponding to work units. Each employee is assigned several roles according to his or her skills, expertise and workload. This approach maximizes everyone's potential.

An interlocking circle structure

Roles with similar missions are grouped into circles, which may correspond to traditional teams (marketing, finance), geographic locations or product lines. This model of organizational structure redefines the concept of single leadership. Each circle operates autonomously, yet is integrated into a larger whole.

Organizational governance

In his or her role, each employee is fully autonomous and acts as a legitimate referent. The governance process reinforces this legitimacy, while empowering each individual within his or her area of expertise. This enables each individual to unleash his or her full potential and talents, and thus become more committed to the job.

A rigorous governance process

In Holacracy, governance is rigorously organized through a highly codified process. The Holacracy Constitution sets out the protocols for creating circles, allocating roles and managing these new teams. Each circle functions as an autonomous entity, both independent and part of a larger whole (reflecting the etymology of holos-thewhole-and kratos-power).

Efficient coordination between these circles requires operating rules that are sufficiently solid to avoid friction. This is the fundamental principle of Holacracy: to establish a precise framework that allows employees' creativity and initiative to express themselves freely.

A shared purpose

This system relies on one essential condition: ensuring that all teams are aligned and working towards a common goal or purpose. In Holacracy, the definition, adoption and integration of the company's long-term strategic vision is a collective responsibility shared by all its members. It is no longer the privilege of a handful of managers, but a power distributed throughout the entire organization.