Hi, I’m Magda, and I’m actually the new girl at Sylius. I started my job in November last year, and I managed to live happily with Holacracy ever since. Believe me, it hasn’t always been easy as I’m the person who always had a boss and worked most of my adult life in marketing agencies where… You know. It is what it is. So, here you have a short guide about the most unexpectable things that I have learned not only about teal organizations but also about me and my way of thinking about work.
Yes, it may sound weird, but that’s true. You come to work with all your smiles and happy moments, but also with your insecurities and day-to-day issues. I’m sure, at some point in your career, you heard that your problems should stay at home and you should be „professional” about them. And if it’s ok with you, go with it. But for me, it was amazing to know that I actually can have worse days. Plus nobody makes a fuss about it. Can you imagine?
Do you remember all those meetings behind closed doors in your company? Do you sometimes feel a little bit awkward ’cause your colleagues are talking about something work-related and you have no idea how do they know it? Well, in Holacracy it’s not happening. Of course, you cannot know everything, because you’re only human with 24 hours per day, so it’s nearly impossible to keep track of every single detail regarding others’ work. Still, it is absolutely normal to ask your colleagues about their work, next moves or… salary. Transparency is transparency.
When I worked in marketing agencies, we never had a strong marketing strategy. Of course, there were strategies for our clients that we realized every day, but for the company, it wasn’t necessary. We just needed clients, that’s all. In Holacracy within our organization, it’s different. Each circle has its own strategy connected with the general master plan of the organization. So, even though you don’t have a boss, you still know what to do to realize all your goals.
Oh, this one is great. We all know this feeling when you sit in the meeting for four hours and say one sentence which nobody listens to anyway, right?
In Holacracy, it never happens. You go only to those meetings that you’re interested in, and you always have your time to shine. The facilitator asks you if you have everything you needed from your conversations and if not – you talk about your tension as long as you need. It’s really refreshing because, in the end, you have this amazing feeling of being not only heard but also being truly important for the organization.
This point, for me, is the most important. Holacracy gives you freedom of being some kind of entrepreneur. You don’t have a boss, you don’t have to report anything, you take responsibility for getting things done. You’re your own critic and fan at once. I know it may be a little bit difficult at first, but at the end of the day you get involved in organization’s life, and you feel almost like the owner of this business (though it sounds silly).
What I find incredibly interesting in Holacracy is that you are the one to create your career path. Let’s say you’re a developer, but deep down you’ve always wanted to try being an event organizer – once you let others know about it you can consider it done.
“But wouldn’t that interfere with day-to-day developer responsibilities?” one may ask.
Well, let me explain. Holacracy gives you opportunities but also makes you better at understanding yourself and your limits as a human being. The key factor is good time management and self-awareness. Want to join the Catalysts circle while being in the Outreach one? Sure! As long as you have time and will, let’s get you started on how our customer services work and how you can help.
Realistically speaking, as long as an idea is safe enough to try (a common Hola maxim) and you know your current responsibilities are not going to be neglected there’s literally nothing standing in your way to explore your interests within the company.
This part is strongly connected with the previous paragraph because, if you think about it, once you’re able to extinguish the fire before it starts for real, you will not even start to smolder.
Being able to do things outside of your main scope of responsibilities, like simply writing blog posts or organizing meetups already makes a big difference but is not always a solution for the long run.
Once you get overwhelmed or just tired of your current roles, it’s totally okay to say so. You won’t get fired, and you won’t get yelled at, it’s fine. We’re people, and we sometimes need a break or a change. Simple as that.
I’ve long learned in Sylius that what matters the most in the company is the people. Every person has their own unique talents, knowledge, and experience and what a shame it’d be to smother that potential by keeping it in one place, especially when they want to grow and learn for and in the company.
Ok, now you may think that Holacracy is perfect. No, it’s not. We have our issues, day-to-day problems, but still, for me, this is the best solution. About our difficulties, I will write another blog post in the future. If you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll be more than happy to answer them.
