HomeResponsive Organizations Holacracy: what about people?
There is something very appealing about Holacracy, as it seems to address all or most painpoints organizations are dealing with today. Lack of speed, engagement, innovation and leadership.
Holacracy is irritating old thinking patterns and evokes new thinking and perspectives. This is a highly valuable contribution.
The problem with Holacracy is not so much in the details, but with the apporach to implement an operating model Top-Down. As a "one-size-fits-all approach", not taking into consideration, that there are humans working in Organizations.
If organizations were machines, Holacracy would work. Organizations can't be designed, they need to be created, out of a new thinking, a different need and transformational insights.
A new operating model/organizational design/structures & procedures are not the only solutions to today's most burning questions.
Holacracy was a perfect distraction from what we really should have talked about. As it mainly focuses on the operating model, not on believes, culture, strategy, behavior or anything else that really matters and could possibly have made a positive difference for our future, the old patterns survived.
On the contrary, the process of developing new models and ways of working, is exactly the process necessary to create an operating model that works, is accepted and well adopted internally. Don't try a shortcut, it is not short!
And before you implement any new model make sure you know exactly WHY you want to change something and WHAT. Maybe a new operating model is the wrong answer to your burning question.