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Chris Cowan, EdD., MDiv.
Chris Cowan, EdD., MDiv.

1K Followers

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Published in Holacracy

·Nov 16, 2022

Understanding Relational Agreements

Holacracy® Practitioner’s Guide — Introduced in Holacracy Constitution v5, rules about “relational agreements” were added as a complement to governance. This made some things more clear, but also introduced some complexity. But before I say too much about them, I need to introduce a presupposition that I’ll also emphasize several times through the article…

Holacracy

14 min read

Understanding Relational Agreements
Understanding Relational Agreements
Holacracy

14 min read


Nov 6, 2022

Persuasion is More Powerful than Force

Holacracy® Practitioner’s Guide — Strictly speaking, “Holacracy” is just a set of rules without any explicit principles, but of course philosophical principles impact which rules are included and how they are defined. Here’s one you should know… Persuasion is more powerful than force. It’s hard to make someone do something they don’t want to…

2 min read

Persuasion is More Powerful than Force
Persuasion is More Powerful than Force

2 min read


Published in Holacracy

·Aug 22, 2022

Rules that Can Be Modified in Holacracy v5.0

Holacracy Practitioner’s Guide — You need to know that while all of the rules in the Holacracy Constitution are important, they are not equally so. Thankfully, the differences are more clear in Constitution version 5.0 because it specifies which rules can be replaced with a policy. Note: See the “Notes” section at the end…

Holacracy Guide

4 min read

Rules that Can Be Modified in Holacracy v5.0
Rules that Can Be Modified in Holacracy v5.0
Holacracy Guide

4 min read


Published in Holacracy

·Jul 7, 2022

Holacracy’s Core Roles (Constitution v5.0 for Modular Adoption)

Holacracy® Coach’s Guide — Version 5.0 of the Holacracy Constitution gives you the option to adopt the ruleset on an article-by-article basis. This modular approach allows for flexibility in adoption, but makes it a little harder to provide concise answers to questions like, “What does a Circle Lead do in Holacracy v5.0?” because it…

Holacracy

7 min read

Holacracy’s Core Roles (Constitution v5.0 for Modular Adoption)
Holacracy’s Core Roles (Constitution v5.0 for Modular Adoption)
Holacracy

7 min read


Published in Holacracy

·Feb 24, 2022

Holacracy Basics: Understanding Prioritizations

Holacracy Practitioner’s Guide — In every moment, we prioritize. Sometimes we do it consciously. Sometimes not. But in either case, we pay attention to some things at the expense of others. When it comes to making choices about what to prioritize at work, Holacracy’s rules provide some guidance. So, when faced with a question…

Holacracy

15 min read

Holacracy Basics: Understanding Prioritizations
Holacracy Basics: Understanding Prioritizations
Holacracy

15 min read


Published in Holacracy

·Jun 29, 2021

Four Hacks Every Holacracy® Role-Filler Should Know

OK, calling these hacks is a bit deceptive because they don’t break any rules, but they kinda feel like hacks. Note: As Holacracy constitution version 5.0 rolls out, I’ll combine terms like “Lead Link/Circle Lead” to cover related concepts regardless of the version you’re using. 1. Outsource your work. Just because you fill a…

Holacracy Guide

7 min read

Four Hacks Every Holacracy® Role-Filler Should Know
Four Hacks Every Holacracy® Role-Filler Should Know
Holacracy Guide

7 min read


Published in Holacracy

·Dec 30, 2020

Holacracy Basics: Understanding Purpose

Holacracy Practitioner’s Guide — In Holacracy, purpose means “a capacity, potential, or goal that the Role will pursue or express on behalf of the Organization (§ 1.1a).” And here are some examples… • “Amazing products that work every time.” • “Worry about basic systems, so no one else has to.” • “Guard the books…

Holacracy

7 min read

Holacracy Basics: Understanding Purpose
Holacracy Basics: Understanding Purpose
Holacracy

7 min read


Published in Holacracy

·Jul 1, 2020

Understanding Holacracy Projections (Part 3): Phrases to Watch Out For

Holacracy Practitioner’s Guide — a) “Trust me.” In the conventional paradigm, when you ask someone for a projection on something they’re working on, it can easily be interpreted as a challenge to their competence. Remember, there is often an unconscious assumption that a request for transparency is somehow incompatible with trust (see #7, Projections allow us…

Holacracy

4 min read

Understanding Holacracy® Projections (Part 3): Phrases to Watch Out For
Understanding Holacracy® Projections (Part 3): Phrases to Watch Out For
Holacracy

4 min read


Published in Holacracy

·Jun 23, 2020

Understanding Projections (Part 2): Best Practices for Requesting & Giving Rough Estimates

If you’ve read Part 1 of Understanding Projections, then you know projections are one of the most powerful, but least intuitive, constructs in Holacracy practice. Hopefully, that article made them a little easier to understand. The point of this article is to show you how to demonstrate that understanding. 1. Take responsibility for asking, tracking, and following up on the outcomes you care about.

Holacracy

10 min read

Understanding Holacracy® Projections (Part 2): Best Practices for Requesting & Giving Rough…
Understanding Holacracy® Projections (Part 2): Best Practices for Requesting & Giving Rough…
Holacracy

10 min read


Published in Holacracy

·Jun 15, 2020

Holacracy Basics: Understanding Deadlines and Projections (Part 1)

Holacracy Practitioner’s Guide — On the surface, the way Holacracy deals with projections and deadlines may seem counter-intuitive, or at times, just crazy. For example, if I look you in the face and promise you I’ll finish a particular project by Friday, you absolutely should NOT believe me. If your reaction is, “Huh?!” then…

Holacracy

16 min read

Holacracy Basics: Understanding Projections
Holacracy Basics: Understanding Projections
Holacracy

16 min read

Chris Cowan, EdD., MDiv.

Chris Cowan, EdD., MDiv.

1K Followers

I write about self-management, leadership, and Holacracy®

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