What is Holacracy?

Holacracy is a next step in the evolution of human organizations. It includes a set of interwoven models, principles, practices, and systems that enable a fundamental transcendence of virtually all aspects of modern organizational dynamics. Holacracy embraces everything we’ve learned about organizations so far, and at the same time represents a quantum leap to a higher order of organization, one capable of artfully navigating in a world of higher order complexity and increasing uncertainty. The shift to this new level of organization is as fundamental as the leap from the monarchies of old to the democracies of today, and, as with any such shift, it brings new possibilities, new challenges, and a vast stretch of uncharted territory to explore.

From the root “holarchy”, holacracy means governance by the organizational entity itself – not governance by the people within the organization or by those who own the organization, as in all previous systems of governance, but by organization’s own “free will”. With Holacracy in place, the natural consciousness of an organization is freed to emerge and govern itself, steering the organizational entity towards its own telos, shaping itself to its own natural order. Every organization has its own individual “voice”, entirely and radically different from the voices of the people associated with the organization – just as the organization persists even as individuals come and go, so too does its voice.

The subtle sound of the organizational voice is always there, struggling to tell us its needs and pursue its own purpose in the world, but it is usually hidden by a cacophony of human ego. It can be heard sometimes when individuals come together in a transpersonal space – a space beyond ego, beyond fear, beyond hope, and beyond desire – to sense and facilitate the emergence of whatever needs to emerge now. Holacracy requires that this transpersonal space arise often and easily for organizational steering, and the many aspects of Holacracy all aim to facilitate this level of human dynamics.

There are many aspects of holacracy, from concrete organizational systems and shared language to the core individual intentions and understandings harnessed by and enfolded into holacracy. Use the navigation at the left to drill deeper into these and other areas of holacracy.

Restorative Justice

When accountabilities are dropped or individual action leads to harm, balance is reestablished through a restorative justice system rather than a punitive one. First, all individuals involved “look in the mirror” to find their contribution to the situation, and take restorative action to bring the system back into balance. The extent of their restorative action is commensurate with their contribution, as measured by the relevant circle. Once restorative action is underway, the circles involved use the situation to learn and adapt, by defining or evolving accountabilities, limits, measurements, and policies to transcend the need for the injustice in the first place.

"Holacracy allows an organization to surf the ever-arising edge of reality, its sails always full of the winds of spirit and its oars moving in perfect harmony with the heartbeat of the Kosmos. And all of the swimmers who climb aboard are invited simply to pick up an oar, and row.” -- Brian Robertson