Holacracy is an alternative system for structuring organizations that replaces the traditional management hierarchy. It defines small, clear roles for individuals with authority to make decisions within clear boundaries. A governance process allows roles and boundaries to evolve based on tensions between "what is" and "what could be." This provides real empowerment through clear expectations and a way to change expectations over time. Holacracy has been implemented at large companies like Zappos to provide a flexible, tension-driven system for rapid change.

1. HOLACRACY®
Introducing
Mohammed Ali Vakil

2. What limits change in organizations?
Painful Meetings
The Boss
Resistance to Change
{Bureaucracy}
Fear
Politics
Alignment Issues
Unclear Decision-Making
Analysis Paralysis
Overwhelm
Lack of Engagement
Communication Issues

4. A DIFFERENT PARADIGM: ORDER WITHOUT BOSSES

5. I think a looping video
of cells, or biology
from istock might
work really good here.
Or get something that
leaves some empty
space around it in case
something needs to
be said about it.
HOW LIFE ORGANIZES

6. An Alternative System for Structuring Organizations:
HOLACRACY

7. Real Empowerment Requires
Boundaries

8. Real Empowerment
Requires
Clear Expectations

9. Holacracy’s Approach:
Define small, clear roles,
with clear power
To serve your role,
you have the full
authority to make
any decision or
take any action, as
long as there’s no
rule against it.

10. Clarify boundaries, so
everyone knows what
freedom they really have
WWW.HOLACRACY.ORG

11. Empowerment
also requires
a process
…to change boundaries
and expectations

12. The feeling of a gap between
“what is” and “what could be.”Tension,
n.:
is could be

13. Holacracy’s Approach:
Every team gets a
governance process

14. SLIDE14
WWW.HOLACRACY.ORG
Governance Evolves Roles:
Based on Real Tensions…

15. Replacing the
Management
Hierarchy:
A Holacracy-style
“Org Chart”

16. Replacing the
Management
Hierarchy:
A Holacracy-style
“Org Chart”

17. Holacracy at Scale:
Zappos’ Structure

18. Every Game
Needs a Good
Rulebook

19. Summary of Holacracy’s Key Shifts
Static Job Descriptions Dynamic Roles
Delegated Authority Constitutional Authority
Large Scale Reorgs Tension-Driven Iteration
Alignment by Politics Alignment by Governance

20. SLIDE20
A New Management
System for a Rapid-
Changing World
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