Category: Sociocracy

  • Sociocracy is both right and wrong

    Sociocracy uses consent decision-making. 1 If people are autonomic, 2 then decision-making by consent 3 is right. But if people are autonomic, then limiting consent to policy decisions only is wrong. 4 Sociocracy is based on cybernetic principles. 5 The basic feedback model consists of input-transformation-output steps, 6 and leading-doing-measuring activities for each step. The…

  • Holacratic tyranny

    People are viewed as sensors for the organization in Holacracy (and Sociocracy 3.0): “… individuals act as sensors (nerve endings) for the organization“ 1 “An organization … is equipped with sensors — … the human beings who energize its roles and sense reality on its behalf.“ 2 “One powerful way … is to harness the…

  • Coming to the right solution for all

    “When we have to find solutions, we take our time. We begin in a circle of chiefs, with the grandmothers standing behind. The chiefs must answer to the grandmothers and to the community they represent for their decisions. They understand that they have a lot of responsibility, not to their own egos, but to the…

  • Wirearchy vs. sociocracy

    After having read the book Wirearchy: Sketches for the Future of Work I have started to think about the similarities and differences between wirearchy and sociocracy. The first thing I notice is that wirearchy is an organizational design principle 1 while sociocracy, or rather the Sociocratic Circle-Organization Method, is a collaborative governance method 2. What…

  • Gerard Endenburg on equivalence in sociocracy

    Why is equivalence so important in sociocracy? I went back to Gerard Endenburg’s book Sociocracy: As social design and found the following: 1) “The axiomatic starting point of the method is mutual equivalence.” (p. 11) 2) “The issue … is not one of mutual equality but about putting into practice equivalence … of individuals, as…

  • François Knuchel on equivalence in sociocracy

    Why is equivalence so important in sociocracy? Below is an answer (in italics, my emphasis in bold) from François Knuchel on the Sociocracy email discussion list on Yahoo, February 28, 2016: Because otherwise some become more equal than others, as George Orwell put it. Because it allows humanity, society and organisations to tap into the…

  • Lasse Berg om san-folkens egalitära kultur

    I sin bok Gryning över Kalahari: hur människan blev människa skriver Lasse Berg om san-folken och deras kultur (min betoning i fetstil): Hos san-folken råder en strängt egalitär kultur. 1 Samförstånd är det som gäller i alla san-grupper. … Men på samma sätt som jämlikhet inte betyder likhet, så kan samförstånd inte likställas med demokrati.…

  • Sociocracy vs. Holacracy vs. Sociocracy 3.0

    Sociocracy is a governance method based on consent decision-making and cybernetic principles which was developed during the 1970s. Sociocracy significantly influenced the early development of Holacracy in 2006/2007. And Sociocracy 3.0 was introduced in 2014. Here’s my attempt to compare all three based on my reading of Gerard Endenburg’s first book on Sociocracy, Brian Robertson’s…

  • Is Sociocracy an empty method?

    The Sociocratic Circle-Organization Method (Sociocracy) is said to be ’empty’ since the users are free to fill out their own details.1 I think this is true for many methods, including Holacracy and Sociocracy 3.0.2 Sociocracy is based on the following norms:3 SCN 500 The Sociocratic Method: Terms and definitions. SCN 1001-0 The Sociocratic Method: Patterns…

  • The big misconception in sociocracy

    Georges Romme analyzes The Big Misconceptions Holding Holacracy Back in the 10 September 2015 issue of the Harvard Business Review.  Sharon Villines provides a summary and commentary on Romme’s article in the Misconceptions about Sociocracy at Sociocracy.info on 18 September 2015. Here are my own comments. I agree with Georges Romme that Holacracy and sociocracy…