Getting Started with Role-Based Work: Mapping Roles for Holacracy, Teal, and Sociocracy

Starting with role-based work or self-organization might seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. In this post, I’ll walk you through a simple 1-hour workshop to map out the roles that exist in your team today. This process can serve as the foundation for your journey toward self-organization, whether you're exploring Teal, Holacracy, or Sociocracy. Or it can help you to simply create more clarity within your team.

Why Start with Roles in Self-Organized Teams?

In self-organized teams, the focus shifts from rigid job descriptions to dynamic roles based on ongoing activities. Whether you're working within a Holacracy circle, a Teal organization, or a Sociocracy framework, roles should be adaptable and functional. By mapping what each team member actually does, you create a structure that reflects the current reality and ensures alignment.

After this exercise, you will:

• Have a clear overview of all roles within your team.
• Be ready to run your first governance meeting with role clarity.
• Conduct your first tactical meeting or circle meeting where roles guide decision-making.
• Engage in discussions about piloting self-organization using Holacracy, Teal, or Sociocracy.
• Discover the portfolio of roles you and your teammates fill.
• Reflect on which roles energize you and which you might want to delegate.
• Consider if some tasks you're performing can be better handled by others.

One Week Before the Workshop: Track What You Actually Do

To prepare for the workshop, each team member should spend a few minutes a day for one week tracking their main activities. This will reveal the ongoing work that may not be reflected in job titles. Encourage your team to follow these simple guidelines:

• Keep it simple: Focus on key activities rather than minor tasks.
• Be consistent: Track activities for a full week to capture recurring work.
• Reflect on your work: Look back at your notes to identify patterns and recurring tasks. For example: "Organizing daily standups," "Drafting client proposals," "Negotiating contracts."

At the bottom of this post, I’ve included an email template to help you introduce this activity to your team.

During the Workshop

Step 1: Framing the Workshop

Begin by framing why you’re holding the workshop. Are you exploring self-organization through a Holacracy pilot or testing Teal practices in your team? Make sure to explain the steps the workshop will follow so everyone knows what to expect.

Step 2: Mapping Roles in Your Self-Organized Team

Using post-its or a digital tool, have each team member add their ongoing activities to a shared whiteboard.

Key points for this step:

• One activity per post-it: Each post-it should capture one activity.
• Silent clustering: Everyone places their post-its on the board simultaneously, grouping similar activities. This is done silently to avoid prolonged discussions.
• Focus on functions, not titles: The goal is to group activities based on what makes sense functionally, not according to job titles.
• Smaller groups: Aim for small, specific groups of activities that will later form roles.
• Encourage movement: It’s okay to move other people's post-its if you think they belong elsewhere. We’re aiming for "good enough for now," not perfection.

Step 3: Naming the Roles

After about 10-15 minutes, once movement has slowed down, invite the group to start naming the clusters using different colored post-its. Try to avoid using existing job titles, as these often carry implicit expectations. Instead, focus on names that reflect the actual responsibilities.

Step 4: Formalizing the Initial Role Structure

Once the roles are named, pause the workshop. The facilitator and the circle lead (or team manager, if applicable) should take the post-its and enter them into your Nestr workspace. If you haven’t signed up, you can do so here . Add each role into your team’s circle, and the circle lead can assign roles to appropriate members.

Step 5: Capture Insights and Prepare for Next Steps

Present the final set of roles to the team and give everyone some time to reflect. Rather than jumping into a discussion, allow space for personal reflection. Ask team members to observe their own roles and those of their peers, and capture any tensions or insights they feel.

Depending on the time available, you can either have team members share their reflections or save them for a follow-up discussion.

Step 6: Closing the Workshop

End with a closing round, where each person has the opportunity to share their reflections. It’s important to keep this as a sharing exercise, rather than a conversation. Simply allow space for people to express what’s on their mind.

Next Steps

From here, there are several directions you can take. Some of the most common next steps include:

• Use the captured insights as material for your first governance meeting.
• Run your first tactical or circle meeting, using the roles created to assign work more effectively.
• Schedule a team session to reflect on the workshop and decide whether to explore self-organization further.
• Engage a self-organization consultant to help guide your journey.

At Nestr, we are passionate about helping organizations like yours scale their purpose-driven impact through self-organization. Whether you're starting with Holacracy, Teal, or Sociocracy, feel free to reach out to us for support as you map out your roles and governance structure.

Thank you and happy mapping!

This article was written by Joost Schouten and first published on Nestr.io on October 25th 2024.

Framing Email for the Activity Tracking Exercise

If you’re facilitating this workshop, use the following email template to guide your team through tracking their activities in preparation:

Subject: Get Ready for Our Role Discovery Workshop

Hi Team,

In preparation for our Role Discovery Workshop next week, I’d like you to track your main daily activities this week. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Track your activities

Capture key activities, like:

• Meeting Paul & Maria to discuss progress on project X
• Drafting a new communications policy
• Emailed feedback on Zack’s introduction for the annual plan
• Registered a domain name for project Y
• Updated the planning document for project Z

Don’t worry about every small task—just focus on main activities.

Step 2: Edit your activities

The day before the workshop, take a moment to review your activities and distill them into value-added actions. For example:

• Organizing daily standups and retrospectives
• Drafting proposals for client requests
• Negotiating contracts for projects

Bring this list to the workshop, where we’ll use it to map out our team’s roles.

Looking forward to it!

Best, [Your Name]