Ahsen Jaffer's Blog

Adapting Holacracy (step 02) February 02, 2007

Today I introduced Holacracy to the Assistant Vice President of IT department at my company. He was excited to listen to what I had to say, and he is planning to implement the integrated decision making process in his meetings!

I will post the feedback later.

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Adapting Holacracy (step 01) January 30, 2007

I took the first step in introducing Holacracy to my team-mates and project manager. I started with the 'Integrative Decision making process' [from here.] I am planning to organize the first meeting in coming days and I will post back the reactions and feedback. Hopefully one day the whole organization will see the benefits and adapt to Holacracy (or atleast the decision making process.)

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Hol-lot-of-crazy about Holacracy January 29, 2007

I have never seen a meeting flow so smoothly as exhibited by some of the employees from Ternary Software, practicing revolutionary (evolutionary?) new methodology (or practice as they like to call it,) Holacracy.

I came across Holacracy while searching for an interesting topic for my graduate MSSE course at Drexel. I was looking for something relating to Agile Requirements techniques. I am still in the very initial phases of reading up the background material like 'The Ghost in the Machine' by Arthur Koestler and soon I will get to “Requisite organization” by Elliott Jaques.

Even though I might not be able to convince/convert many people at my organization, very quickly, I have to say I am extremely excited about Holacracy. I had the good fortune of attending their presentation in New York City yesterday.

It’s very difficult to explain the whole mantra of Holacracy here, to see that it really rocks, you have to actually experience it, hence a 'practice'. My biggest take-away from the presentation:

• Compared to the time it takes to come up with an agreeable decision in today's organizations, Holacracy provides a boost that will make you feel as if you are traveling at warp speed.
• It de-mystifies the confusions surrounding accountability of roles, when people may get offended and the hurt as a result of some miscommunication. Holacracy points out the root causes of these problems that are linked with ego. It does not suppress the ego, but provides elegant mechanisms to make amendments in the organization's laws/rules, such that confusions like these do not occur again.
• It has built-in methods for everyone in the organization to feel part of the ‘whole.’ It gives everyone authority, to a certain extent, to make amendments in company rules and regulations, within their turf. This gives everyone a platform for their voices to be heard.

I am extremely excited about Holacracy and I think it will help organizations be a great success. As of now I have a very limited knowledge of Holacracy, but it feels to me that Holacracy might have some trouble converting many people because of extra pressure / demand. Most of the employees do not either care or are not capable of or may even not be comfortable with being in-charge of making extra decisions, which might effect how the company performs. Authority and accountability go hand and hand. Even though people would enjoy having more authority; they might not be very excited about the extra accountability part.

I wish I am wrong about this last aspect, and as I experience it more I will see differently, and if its a problem I am sure the talented people who created Holacracy will find a solution.

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