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Holacracy in a Nutshell

Maggie Sun
3 min readNov 27, 2023

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Generated by Microsoft Copilot

In today’s dynamic business land, organizations are exploring innovative ways to enhance adaptability and responsiveness. One such approach that has garnered attention is Holacracy, an organizational management framework pioneered by Brian J. Robertson. Holacracy reimagines traditional hierarchical structures by distributing authority and decision-making throughout an organization. It is designed to augment the organization’s flexibility and competitiveness.

The key features of Holacracy:

  • Circle structure: The organization is structured in a system of nested circles, each a part of a larger circle. Each nested circle is a self-organizing team with a clear purpose and accountabilities assigned by its larger circle, and has the authority to self-organize internally to best achieve its goals. Each circle has a lead link and a rep link; the lead link assigns roles and resources to the smaller circle, while the rep link brings all the tensions and problems detected in the smaller circle to the bigger circle.
  • Roles instead of job descriptions: Within each circle, there are specific roles, each with its own set of responsibilities and accountabilities. Roles are not tied to specific individuals but can be filled by anyone with the necessary skills and capabilities. Each individual can hold multiple roles that are defined and updated by each team via a…

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Maggie Sun
Maggie Sun

Written by Maggie Sun

MBA, certified agile coach and experienced strategy analyst, specializing in business agility, agile leadership, Beyond Budgeting, and general management.

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