Teal Organization

The concept of Teal organization was first introduced by Frederic Laloux in his book Reinventing Organizations.

In the Teal worldview, a Teal organization is the most evolved form of organizational structure compared to older models which are now obsolete - although still widely present! They are like inefficient dinosaurs on the verge of extinction.

Teal organizations are based on three pillars: trusting others, being yourself to the full, and continually evolving.

Frederic Laloux refers to:

• Self-management,
• Wholeness,
• Evolutionary purpose.

Trusting others

This is what Frederic Laloux calls self-management.

Teal organizations are built on peer-to-peer relationships, with little or no hierarchy.

Instead of having one or a few decision-makers at management level, everyone is a leader and potential decision-maker in Teal organizations.

For this to work, Teal organizations need to define clear rules on how decisions will be made. Some choose to make decisions by consensus or consent. Others create their own specific rules for making decisions.

What's important is that everyone is on the same wavelength and trusts each other to bring up the important points.

Being yourself

This is what Frederic Laloux calls wholeness.

When you work in a Teal organization, you can be yourself.

You can explore the skills you want to develop, even if you're not specifically trained for them.

You don't have to pretend to be someone else at work to impress a boss or get promoted.

Teal organizations are psychologically safe places where you can focus on giving your best, knowing that other team members will help and support you however they can.

Evolve

This is what Frederic Laloux calls evolutionary purpose.

Teal organizations are like living organisms: they are constantly evolving.

Although Teal organizations start with a goal, that goal can evolve over time.

A traditional organization, on the other hand, is stuck in its ways.