Holacracy is a practice. And people practice it.
Every context has a different vibe and dynamic. Holacracy has a different flavor for everybody. This is a collection of personal stories of people practicing it.
What’s your name?
Hauke Beeck
What is your life purpose?
Healthy relationships in a healthy environment, literally translated from “Gesunde Beziehungen in einer gesunden Umwelt”.
What is the name of the organization you work for?
Business Unit Solar and Batteries at Vattenfall
The purpose of that organization is
Enabling fossil free living by adding solar and battery capacity to society.
Which core roles do you energize?
Metering Expert, Market Understander, Lobbyist, People Coach and Holacracy Coach
Tell something surprising about yourself
When I was young, I was a dairy farmer and knew 100+ cows with name, milk & fat yield, father´s name, and grandfather’s name.
What is it like for you to practice Holacracy?
Practicing since 1,5 years now, it still does not feel an internalized habit – especially when co-operating with neighbored departments in the traditional operating system. But it is hard to imagine to ever go back to old-style again.
Can you share a recent discovery or learning?
I recovered from a severe cancer disease lately and had to return to “normal” workloads stepwise and slowly. It gave me confidence and relief to realize that I have the authority to prioritize and energize my work on my own and to have the option to announce “I plan to focus on this role of mine and to energize these roles to a minimum. Please raise a tension if you sense one with this!”.
What’s driving about practicing Holacracy?
I am far above 50, but practicing Holacracy offers so many opportunities for personal growth and to permanently adapting to a fast-changing environment.
What’s restraining about Holacracy?
Holacracy really means practicing – and it works best if your co-workers are familiar with it as well. In a growing organization and with growing Holacracy inside the organization you always meet people to whom Holacracy is counter-intuitive. That requires extra effort.
How do you explain ‘Holacracy’ at a party?
I tried a lot! At present I start with these two phrases: “Process over People” and “Tensions are Fuel for the Organization”. As both might be assumed as contradictory to my life purpose (sensed by myself in the beginning!) it is a good starter. Later in the discussion, I still sometimes miss the point, where I should not “proselytize” but better let the seed grow!
Thank you so much for sharing Hauke!
Do you want to share your story too?
Send an email to paula@energized.org. We’d love to hear from you!
