This page is meant as a guideline for presenting Holacracy for the first time to new colleagues. The goal is to have a starting point and show ways to find the rest of the information.
Holacracy at Voys: Your Comprehensive Introduction 🌍
At Voys, we’re organised differently than other companies. As part of our innovative organisational structure, we've adopted Holacracy. Here's everything you need to know to integrate into Voys and Holacracy smoothly.
A Brief History of Holacracy 📜
Holacracy was pioneered by Brian Robertson, who envisioned a system that decentralises management, enabling faster adaptation and a more organic organisational structure. Holacracy has become a refreshing way of working for companies worldwide, aiming for agility and clarity in their operations.
A Brief History of Holacracy at Voys 📜
When Voys grew, all management books told us around 10-15 colleagues: a manager is needed. It didn’t feel right. A new way of working was invented by ourselves called the Voys Model—an equal way of working without managers inspired by principles that game developer Valve also uses.
We created our own handbook and inspired a lot of companies (and managers) 😉 with the book. Holacracy crossed our path after a while and we started to adopt Holacracy.
The rules of Holacracy.
Holacracy is based on a fundament called the Constitution. The constitution is the single point of truth. At Voys we’re using the most recent version till now, version 5.0.
You can find the constitution in different languages on the website of Holacracy.org or on GitHub.
Trivia: Other Holacracy Pioneers 🌟
Voys isn't alone in this journey:
- Zappos: This renowned online retailer is perhaps the most famous adopter.
- David Allen Company: Makers of the Getting Things Done methodology.
- Medium: Initially adopted Holacracy, later customizing it. Let’s get started!
- Bol.com: Dutch webshop is using Holacracy in some teams.
Fundamental Components of Holacracy 🏗
The golden rule of Holacracy
You have the authority to take any action or make any decision to enact your Role’s Purpose or Accountabilies, as long as you don’t break a rule defined in the constitution or our goverance records.
The Essence of 'Purpose' in Holacracy 🎯
"Purpose" isn't just a buzzword; it's the very foundation of Holacracy. In this context:
- Every role and circle aligns with a guiding purpose.
- This purpose propels decisions, priorities, and actions.
- It ensures everyone's efforts push in the same direction, aligned with Voys' overarching mission.
1. Roles
In Holacracy, traditional job titles are replaced with roles. These are:
- Defined by their specific functions and responsibilities.
- Not tied to one individual. You might hold multiple roles or share a role with a colleague.
- Ever-evolving based on the company's needs.
2. Circles
A circle is a self-governing team with its domain, roles, and purpose. Key features:
- Every circle has its distinct mission or purpose.
- Circles possess autonomy in their specific domains.
- They interlink with other circles for a harmonised organisational flow.
3. Meetings
Holacracy employs structured meetings:
- Tactical Meetings: Focus on ongoing operations, updates, and coordination.
- Governance Meetings: Address roles, policies, and the structure of the circle. This is where roles might be redefined or evolved.