Accountability
An ongoing activity expected of a role, captured as full sentences that begin with an “–ing” verb. For example, a Website Manager role might have an accountability for “Building and maintaining the company’s website.” Accountabilities can only be added to roles or circles via the circle’s governance process.
Adoption
The formal and informal processes of making the Holacracy Constitution (and the outputs of its processes) the source of authority in the organization. This involves administrative work like translating the organization into Holacracy constructs (see “Initial Circle Structure”), starting each circle’s tactical and governance meetings, as well as any change management interventions to address the psychological and learning needs of those impacted. Expert coaching is recommended.
Amend and Clarify
In Constitution v4.1, a step in the Integrative Decision Making (IDM) process in governance meetings that gives the proposer an opportunity to change their proposal and/or provide clarification to the group. Roughly equivalent to Constitution v5.0’s term “Option to Clarify.”
Anchor Circle
The broadest circle that holds the purpose of the whole organization (i.e. it has no super-circle). The anchor circle holds all authorities and domains that the organization itself controls. The anchor circle has no Lead Link (Constitution v4.1) or Circle Lead (Constitution v5.0), and the ratifiers of the Holacracy Constitution may define an initial structure upon ratification.
Articles
Thematic sub-sections of the Holacracy Constitution (e.g. Rules of Cooperation, Governance Process, etc.). In Constitution v5.0, these articles may be adopted independently with some caveats; see “Modular Adoption” for more.
Board
An executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of the organization with membership. Typically includes representation of different stakeholders (e.g. investors, partners, regulators, etc.).
Checklist Items
A recurring action currently performed by a role, reviewed during the Checklist Review step of a tactical meeting. Intended to provide transparency into current reality. Cannot be used to add new expectations to a role. Reporting on checklist items can occur anytime upon request, though there is also a defined step in the tactical meeting for a checklist review.
Check-In Round
The first step in any tactical or governance meeting in which attendees, one at a time, call out any distractions and get present for the meeting.
Circle
A group of roles that all contribute to the same purpose. A circle has the same elements of a role (purpose, domains, and/or accountabilities) and is treated like a role with the additional authority to break itself down into smaller roles. A circle typically elects its own Secretary and Facilitator who schedule and facilitate the required circle meetings. Outside of the circle, the circle may be represented by the Lead Link or Rep Link (Constitution v4.1), or Circle Lead or Circle Rep (Constitution v5.0).
Circle Lead
In Constitution v5.0, a role that holds the purpose of the circle and all accountabilities of the circle that have not been delegated to other roles of processes. By default, the Circle Lead is also responsible for:
- Assigning people to roles that have been created through the circle’s governance process
- Acting as Role Lead for any unfilled roles
- Defining priorities and strategies for the circle
Additional authorities and accountabilities of the Circle Link are dependent upon which articles of the Constitution have been adopted. Roughly equivalent to Constitution v4.1’s role of “Lead Link.”
Circle Member
Any partner filling a role in the circle. If a role has multiple role-fillers, a circle may adopt a policy to limit how many of them represent that role as members in its governance process.
Circle Rep
In Constitution v5.0, an elected role that is used to allow tensions from the sub-circle to be processed in its super-circle (or other circles) when the issue seems to extend beyond the sub-circle’s current authority. The Circle Lead of a circle may not serve as the Circle Rep of that circle. Roughly equivalent to Constitution v4.1’s role of “Rep Link.”
Clarifying Questions
A step in the Integrative Decision Making (IDM) process in which participants may ask the proposer questions to clarify the tension or proposal. The proposer may answer each question, or may decline to do so. The Facilitator must stop any reactions or opinions expressed about the proposal, and prevent discussion of any kind. Participants may also ask the Secretary to read the proposal or show any existing governance during this step (or at any other time when the participant is allowed to speak) and the Secretary must do so.
Closing Round
The last step of tactical and governance meetings in which each participant, one at a time, is given the opportunity to provide a closing reflection or comment (e.g. specific feedback for the Facilitator or Secretary).
Constitution
The document that defines the fundamental rules, processes, and other constructs of the Holacracy system for organizational governance and operations. Within an organization running Holacracy, the Constitution is the formal power-holder in the organization rather than a specific person like the CEO or President. The Constitution has evolved over time with the two most commonly used versions being v4.1 and v5.0. However, the Constitution is not a complete set of legal bylaws or a formal operating agreement (see “Constitution Adoption Declaration”), nor is it an instruction manual or a guidebook for learning how to use the Holacracy system (see “Adoption”).
Constitution Adoption Declaration
A pledge signed by the ratifiers to adopt and follow the Holacracy Constitution as the governance and operating system of the organization. However, neither the Constitution Adoption Declaration, nor the Constitution itself, are legally binding documents unless they are explicitly referenced by a legal declaration or agreement stating the decision to organize using the Holacracy system (This may be a formal set of legal bylaws, a similar operating agreement, or a simple Board resolution or CEO policy declaration.) In Constitution v5.0, this document also requires ratifiers to specify any articles they aren’t adopting.
Cross Link
In Constitution v4.1 and earlier, a role that represents the interests and tensions of an external circle or organization. When a circle is created within another circle, a Rep Link (as opposed to a Cross Link) will be used to represent the interests of the sub-circle at the super-circle. Cross Links no longer appear in Constitution v5.0.
Deadlines
The latest time or date by which something must be completed. In v.5.0, if the governance or any official strategy or prioritization of a circle includes a deadline, no one may interpret that as a mandate to meet that deadline regardless of the impact of doing so. Instead, you must interpret that as an official prioritization of any actions needed to meet that deadline over any other actions for that circle. A Circle Lead (or other role or process with the authority to resolve priority conflicts across roles) may overrule this prioritization.
Distributed Authority
A general term used to describe any form of decentralized governance. Also the thematic title for Article 4 in Constitution v5.0.
Domain
Something exclusively controlled by a specific role or circle; i.e., no one else may impact the domain without permission from the domain-holder. For example, a Social Media role might own the domain “Corporate Twitter account.” A domain is functionally the “property” of a role or circle.
Election Process
An integrative process for selecting people to fill the Facilitator, Secretary, and Rep Link (Constitution v4.1) or Circle Rep (Constitution v5.0) roles. Elections follow the Integrative Election Process as defined in the Constitution (Constitution v4.1 §3.3.6; Constitution v5.0 §5.3.5). A term length is typically set, but the term simply provides a trigger to revisit the election process, and does not place a limitation on an individual’s ability to fill the role again, nor prevent a circle member from requesting a new election before the term has been completed.
Facilitator
The role accountable for facilitating the circle’s regular tactical and governance meetings in accordance with the rules defined in the Constitution. In the case of modular adoption, the Facilitator has additional authorities and accountabilities depending on which articles of Constitution v5.0 have been adopted.
Focus (Role)
A role focus is an optional way to clarify a role filled by multiple people to specify different contexts for different role-fillers. For example, if 3 people fill the same Sales role, they could be given different focus areas based on geography (e.g. “Northern territory,” “East coast,” etc.), or customer types (“Business clients,” “Individual clients,” etc.). When a role assignment includes a focus, the purpose, accountabilities, and domains defined for the role apply just within the specified focus. A role focus is given by the Lead Link (Constitution v4.1) or Circle Lead (Constitution v5.0).
General Company Circle (GCC)
The default title in GlassFrog for the broadest circle that holds the purpose of the whole organization (i.e. the anchor circle).
The Golden Rule
Unstated in v4.1, this term was used colloquially for a guideline that was explicitly added to Constitution v5.0 which states: “As a role lead, you have the authority to take any action or make any decision to enact your role’s purpose or accountabilities, as long as you don’t break a rule defined in this Constitution. When prioritizing and choosing among your potential actions, you may use your own reasonable judgment of the relative value to the organization of each.”
Governance Meeting
A recurring process that allows any circle member to propose a change to its governance records. Other circle members have an opportunity to raise objections to the proposed change using the Integrative Decision Making process (IDM).
Governance Process
A term used to broadly mean the process a circle uses to evolve its governance records; e.g. the governance meeting, asynchronous processes, etc. Also the title of Article 5 in Constitution v5.0.
Governance Records
An explicit, written set of rules and expectations including the circles, roles, purposes, accountabilities, domains, and policies of the organization. Can be considered to be a map of the organization’s official authorities, expectations, and restrictions. Roughly equivalent to the term “organizational structure.” The organization’s governance records evolve in response to the demands of the environment via the processing of circle members’ tensions through the governance process.
Individual Action
In Constitution v4.1, an action taken outside the current purpose or accountabilities of a role. The decision to take Individual Action should be made consciously having considered current governance, and involves certain duties as detailed in Constitution section §4.3. Roughly equivalent to Constitution v5.0’s term “Individual Initiative.”
Individual Initiative
In Constitution v5.0, a one-time action or project that does not fit into a currently defined role (ongoing work should be captured in governance records). The decision to take individual initiative should be made consciously having considered current governance, and involves certain requirements as detailed in Constitution section §4.3. Roughly equivalent to Constitution v4.1’s term “Individual Action.”
Initial Circle Structuring
The process of documenting an organization’s starting circles, roles, domains, and policies.
Integrative Decision Making (IDM)
The term for how each agenda item is individually processed in a governance meeting. The process is defined by the following steps:
- Present Proposal
- Clarifying Questions
- Reaction Round
- Amend and Clarify (v4.1)/Option to Clarify (v5.0)
- Objection Round
- Integration (If valid objections are raised)
- Proposal Accepted
Other terms like “governance meeting” or “governance process” may be used synonymously (e.g. “Clarifying Questions is a step in the governance meeting”).
Integrative Election Process
See “Election Process.”
Lead Link
In Holacracy Constitution v4.1 and earlier, this role holds the purpose of the overall circle. The Lead Link is accountable for assigning people to roles that have been created through governance meetings. The Lead Link also allocates resources and defines priorities, strategies, and metrics within the circle. The Lead Link is not eligible for election to the Facilitator or Rep Link roles in their circle. Roughly equivalent to Constitution v5.0’s role of “Circle Lead.”
Metric
A quantifiable measurement or data point intended to provide transparency into current reality; added to a role that already has access to the information (without adding new expectations). For example, a metric for a Social Media role might be “Number of Twitter followers.” Metrics are not used to enforce targets or milestones. Reporting on metrics can occur anytime upon request, though there is also a defined step in the tactical meeting for a metrics review.
Minor Allocations
In Constitution v4.1, a term used when a partner dedicates an insignificant amount of attention to a role (as determined by the Lead Link), such that they are excluded from participating in the circle’s governance process. Sometimes called a “de minimis” allocation. This term does not appear in Constitution v5.0.
Modular Adoption
A Holacracy adoption approach available in Constitution v5.0 in which the ratifiers may adopt the rules article by article. However, ratifiers must still ratify the Holacracy Constitution as the sole source of authority (as opposed to their own personal power) and must ratify Article 1. The Constitution provides guidance on how to handle any unadopted article, and additional articles may be adopted at any time, and in any order.
Next-Action
A concrete action that could be taken immediately towards the completion of a project. All circle members are required to capture and track next-actions for their roles in a tangible and trusted system and to regularly review and update them.
Objection
A reasoned argument for how a proposed governance change will cause harm or move the circle backward. A circle member raises an objection during the governance process when they experience a tension in response to a proposal.
Option to Clarify
In Constitution v5.0, a step in the Integrative Decision Making (IDM) process used during a governance meeting that allows the proposer an opportunity to change their proposal and/or provide a clarification to the group. Roughly equivalent to Constitution v4.1’s term “Amend and Clarify.”
Organizational Structure
The arrangement of and relations between an organization’s circles, roles, purposes, accountabilities, domains, and policies; roughly equivalent to the term “governance records.” Also the thematic title of Article 1 in Constitution v5.0.
Partner
Anyone who has agreed to abide by the terms of the Constitution. An organization may employ contractors or temporary or seasonal employees who do not meet this definition.
Pitch
An opinion shared with the underlying desire to persuade, influence, or lobby for a specific decision or course of action; does not carry any weight or requirement to comply. Note that this term doesn’t appear explicitly in any version of the Holacracy Constitution, but its use in conversations has become a best practice.
Policy
A rule that grants or constrains authority (such as allowing or limiting others from impacting a domain). For example, if a Social Media role owns the domain of “corporate Twitter account,” a policy might be enacted to allow an Events Promotion role to make posts to Twitter (e.g. “Events Promotion has permission to post events-related content to the corporate Twitter account”).
Preamble (Tactical Meeting)
An unofficial term used to describe the beginning section of the tactical meeting process that is focused on bringing transparency about current reality. Includes the checklist review, metrics review, and progress updates. Each item is reported on by the designated role, and clarifying questions and responses are allowed, but not discussion; any tensions triggered by the information should be processed in triage.
Prioritization
The act of regularly determining the relative importance of work a partner is currently tracking in their trusted system. A prioritization from a Lead Link (Constitution v4.1) or Circle Lead (Constitution v5.0) is a determination of what work is most important relative to other work in the circle with which roles within that circle must align. See also, “Strategy.”
Process Breakdown
A pattern of behavior or output from a circle that violates the rules of the Constitution. The Facilitator or Secretary of a circle may declare a process breakdown in their own circle or any sub-circle using their reasonable judgment. Any concerned partner may request a Facilitator review a sub-circle to look for a potential process breakdown, and the Facilitator is accountable for auditing a sub-circle’s meetings and records on request and declaring a process breakdown if one is discovered.
Processing
The act of reviewing and considering what to do with a piece of information; e.g. responding to a message, or consciously deciding to not respond.
Progress Updates
See “Project Updates.”
Project
A specific outcome that requires multiple and/or sequential actions to complete. Projects are phrased in the past tense to reflect the desired state or outcome, such as “Budget report completed.” All circle members are required to capture and track projects for their roles in a tangible and trusted system and to regularly review and update them.
Project Updates
A defined step in the tactical meeting process during which each participant highlights progress on any project or other initiative that they regularly report on for their roles in the meeting. Colloquially, most practitioners call this step “Project Updates” though it is not limited to projects. Participants may only share progress made since the prior report, and not the general status of work.
Projection
A rough estimate of when a role-filler expects to complete a next-action or project, considering current context and priorities. Projections must be provided when requested. Detailed analysis or planning is not required, and projections are not commitments in any way. Unless governance says otherwise, you have no duty to track the projection or follow up with the recipient if it changes.
Proposal
A recommended change to the circle’s governance records presented to the circle through the circle’s governance process. A proposal is based on the proposer’s felt tension and may involve as many changes as necessary to resolve that tension.
Purpose
The identity and deep intention of a role or circle. The purpose orients the action of a role even if any other explicit accountabilities, policies, strategies, priorities, or resources have not been defined. For example, an accounting role might have the purpose of “Guard the books from chaos.”
Ratifier(s)
Whoever held the authority to make the decision to adopt Holacracy, and has ceded their power to govern and run the organization into the rules and processes defined in the Holacracy Constitution. See “Constitution Adoption Declaration” for more.
Reaction Round
The step of the Integrative Decision Making (IDM) process in which each participant (except the proposer) may share reactions to the proposal, one person at a time. The Facilitator must immediately stop any out-of-turn comments, any attempts to engage others in a dialog, and any reactions to other reactions instead of to the proposal.
Relational Agreements
Added to Constitution v5.0, an agreement that specifies how partners will relate together or how a partner will fulfill their general functions. They must remain focused on shaping behaviors that underpin work, and may only specify concrete acts to do or behavioral constraints to honor.They may not include promises to achieve specific outcomes or embody abstract principles.
Rep Link
In Constitution v4.1, an elected role used to represent the interests of a sub-circle to its super-circle. Rep Links allow tensions from the sub-circle to be processed by the super-circle when the issue seems to extend beyond the sub-circle’s current authority. The Lead Link of a circle may not serve as the Rep Link of the same circle. Roughly equivalent to Constitution v5.0’s role of “Circle Rep.”
Responsibilities (of Role-Filling)
Beyond the expectations defined in any specific role definition, every partner in the organization is generally responsible for:
- Sensing and processing tensions
- Regularly considering and defining next actions and projects
- Tracking projects, next actions, and tensions in written lists and regularly reviewing them
- And, considering the next actions you could take, and executing whichever would add the most value to the organization
Role
An organizational entity used to define distinct functions of the organization. The definition of a role includes a purpose to express, accountabilities to consider and perform, and/or domain(s) to control. The only way for a role to be created, revised, or destroyed is through the governance process of the circle that contains it. May be filled by more than one person at a time (see “Focus”).
Role-Filler
The person who fills a role. The person filling a role has the full authority to use their own interpretations, preferences, and judgment in each role they fill. Synonymous with the term “Role Lead” used in Constitution v5.0.
Role Lead
The term used in Constitution v5.0 for whoever fills a role; i.e. they are the “Role Lead” for that role. Synonymous with the term “role-filler.”
Rules of Cooperation
A list of duties partners have to each other, which are organized into the following three categories:
- Duty of Transparency: Upon request, you must share updates, progress, prioritizations, and projections on your work. Additionally, you must share any information readily available to you that won’t cause harm to share.
- Duty of Processing: You must promptly process messages and requests from others.
- Duty of Prioritization: You must prioritize your attention in a given role in alignment with circle priorities and strategies (including any explicit meeting requests), you must generally prioritize processing inbound messages even over executing your own work, and you must interpret any deadlines as a prioritization.
In Constitution v5.0, additionally the thematic title of Article 2.
Secretary
The role with the purpose of stabilizing the circle’s Constitutionally-required records and meetings. In the case of modular adoption, the Secretary has additional authorities and accountabilities depending on which articles of Constitution v5.0 have been adopted.
Strategy
An easy-to-remember heuristic used to guide circle members’ prioritizations. A strategy defines one potentially valuable activity, emphasis, or goal over another. The Circle Lead may define strategies of the circle and may use whatever process they feel is appropriate for gathering input from other circle members. For example, a Sales circle with the strategy “Delight customers even over selling quickly.”
Tactical Meeting
A meeting for circle members to surface operational data, updates, and triage tensions into projects and next actions. Although the Secretary is accountable for scheduling regular tactical meetings, anyone may convene one. Agenda items are created during the meeting while the Facilitator works to get through all items in the allotted time. Also the thematic title of Article 3 in Constitution v5.0.
Tension
A person’s felt sense that there is a gap between current reality and a potential future; uniquely felt by each person based on their own experience (though two people may feel their own version of the same tension). Tensions are the building blocks of Holacracy practice and ensure that the governance and operations of the organization are driven by real experience rather than theory (i.e. keeping things “tension-driven”).
Time Out
A pause in the formal tactical or governance meeting process to explain rules; should not be used to process tensions that should be addressed in the meeting itself. Can be requested by anyone, but is granted at the Facilitator’s discretion.
Tracking
The act of accepting and documenting projects and next-actions which fit one’s role, regardless of importance or available time. When requesting work from others, the request is initially only to track the work (i.e. “Does this work fit your role?”). Prioritization and timeline may also need to be clarified, but are not necessary to consider when deciding to accept or reject a project request.
Triage
A standard part of the tactical meeting process in which individuals process their tensions one at a time (also referred to as “processing the agenda”). The Facilitator manages the allocated meeting time, while the Secretary captures any outputs.
Trusted Source/System
A place outside of one’s head where all of one’s written projects and next-actions are tracked, regularly reviewed, and updated.
