Holacracy Constitution
Governs self-organizing structures with circles and roles.
PURPOSE
The Holacracy Constitution is used to transition an organization to self-organization and create clear rules for distributed authority. It solves the problem that traditional hierarchies react too slowly in complex environments and concentrate too much decision-making power at the top. This creates an agile organizational structure in which roles rather than positions organize work and decisions are made where the competence lies.
HOW TO USE
Formally adopt the Holacracy Constitution as the new operating system of your organization. Define circles and roles instead of traditional departments and job descriptions. Introduce the prescribed meeting formats: Tactical Meetings for operational coordination and Governance Meetings for structural adjustments. Use the tension processing mechanism to continuously introduce improvements. Ideally, begin with a pilot area.
WHAT IT IS
The Holacracy Constitution is a complete rulebook for self-organized organizations, developed by Brian Robertson. It defines the basic structure of circles and roles, the distribution of authority, the meeting formats (Tactical and Governance Meetings), and the process for processing tensions. The Constitution replaces classic management hierarchies with a clearly regulated, transparent distribution of authority and responsibility.
EXAMPLE
Example: You are introducing Holacracy in your 120-person software company and study the Holacracy Constitution to understand the rules for circles, roles, governance meetings, and tactical meetings. In the first governance session, your team defines the roles of Product Owner, Tech Lead, and Customer Advocate with clear accountabilities instead of traditional job descriptions.