1. Dynamic Governance
(Sociocracy) in Project Management
About Leadership in an Agile environment
Douwe Brolsma

2. Sociocracy
• Demo-cracy – Demos: the people
• Socio-cracy – Socius: fellow man
• All votes count !!!

3. Dynamic Governance - Sociocracy
De 4 basic rules of the Sociocratic Circle-organization Method (SCM)
1. consent governs decision making
2. The organisation is made up of circles
3. Circles are connected through double links
4. Role assignment is performed through sociocratic elections

4. 1. Consent governs decision making
• Governs – meaning it does not exclude other forms of
decision making
• Objections – only if the circle’s purpose is negatively
influenced

5. Governs
Consent
DemocraticAuthoritarianMagicChaotic
www.sociocratie.nl

6. Consent – not concensus
NOT the best solution
but
the most acceptable one

7. 2. The circle
• Every circle has it’s own purpose.
• Decisions concerning policy take place in those circles.
• Three tasks are delegated to participants in the circle: Leading,
Executing and Measuring
• Every circle maintains it’s own education.
Leading
ExecutingMeasuring

8. Purpose
Top circle
Department
circle
Department
circle
Department
circle
Department
circle
Management Circle
www.sociocratie.nl
Plus a process to
realize the purpose

9. Autonomy in action
www.sociocratie.nl

10. Conditions
• One MUST make mistakes
• Tolerance is needed
www.sociocratie.nl
Tolerance

11. The Internal Circle
The voice of
my intuition
The public
person
The private
person
Copyright: Global Sociocratic Centre, Introductie Module 1, School for Leaders, G. Gharest, Canada, 2009
The
conductor of
the orchestra
Author of the
symphony of my
life
The
Musicians
• Preconditioning
• Feeling
• The researcher, adventurer
• The passionate
• I want …. I chose
• The integrator
• The internal leader
• The grownup responsible for his or
her needs
• My helpers
• My inspirators
• My aspirations
• The voice of my conscience
• Productive
• I shall, I have to
• Convincing, Theoretical
• Desired self image
The Leader

12. 3. The double link
• Two circles can be linked through a double link – at least
two people take part as equals in a higher level circle.
• These could be the Leader of the circle and one or more
chosen Representatives.

13. Double link in organisations
Top circle
Department
circle
Department
circle
Department
circle
Department
circle
Management Circle
o Leader
o Representative

14. Linear organization structure
Dept. 1
Executive
Board
Management
board
Dept. 2
Techno
Structura
LeaderLeader
Dept. 3
Leader
Dept. ..
Leader

15. Dept. 1
Executive
Board
Management
board
Dept. 2
Techno
Structura
LeaderLeader
Dept. 3
Leader
Dept. ..
Leader
Both happen
Top circle
Department
circle
Department
circle
Department
circle
Department
circle
Management circle

16. Tuning between policy
development and execution
Dept. 1
Executive
Board
Management
board
Dept. 2
T.S.
LeaderLeader
Dept. 3
Leader
Dept. ..
Leader
Top circle
Management
circle
Department
circle
Department
circle
Department
circle
Department
circle
Policy
Measurement
data

17. 4. Electing representatives
Assigning roles to people:
It’s an ‘open procedure’
Changing your mind is very probable
With consent
No winners or losers

18. Interesting links (NL and UK)
• http://www.sociocratie.nl
• Endenburg Blog
• Sociocratische school Drenthe
• Publicaties
• Many YouTube films
(search using ‘Dynamic Governance’)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjcq_mwujoI
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyWRrK_JEoM
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp8yz7K_E6s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l_8hwaGt-w
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs1cB41H0ks