Self-Governance: Fundamental Principles of Self-Managing Organizations
What are Self-Managing Organizations?
Self-Managing Organizations are interconnected, interdependent, participatory & continually evolving systems, in which:
  • Planning, directing, controlling, evaluating, and setting direction/objectives are widely distributed according to membership interest and involvement.  
  • Roles & Projects are created spontaneously, activated by membership interest & engagement (“people vote with their feet”), and terminated upon completion.
  • Everyone is empowered: The question of ownership fades when power is truly distributed  
  • The more effectively you advance your Organization's purpose, the more esteem you gain & the more trust you gain from your colleagues, which increases your effective power within the organization.
  • Decisions are made at the point of origin
  • Innovation can arise from all quarters: if you have a good idea, you have all the power you need to implement it.  
  • Form follows need  
  • Meetings are held only when they are needed.
  • Structures appear and disappear based upon the inspiration & engagement of members within the organization
  • If within what matters to you, You can take all necessary actions (using the Advice Process), then you have all the power you need…
  • Everyone is empowered: The question of ownership fades when power is truly distributed
Drivers of Breakthrough Performance
Enormous motivation, energy, & better use of talent is unleashed when we work on things we are passionate about and are governed only by our inner standards, which tend to be much higher and more demanding than any external supervisor. 

The Advice Process invokes continuous learning and better, timelier decision making: the right people make decisions at the right level with input from relevant and knowledgeable colleagues. With self-management, every colleague can sense the surrounding reality and act upon that knowledge. Power is multiplied when everybody gets to be powerful.

​Power is used with more wisdom as people become more emotionally whole & healthy (wholeness). Somehow things just fall into place when people align their power and wisdom with the life force of the organization  & its evolutionary purpose: Decisions aligned with the purpose of the community are superboosted by the power of the community. 
Values to Strive For:
  • No-one can kill a good idea
  • Everyone can pitch in
  • Anyone can lead
  • No-one can dictate
  • You get to choose your cause
  • You can easily build on top of what others have done
  • You don’t have to put up with bullies and tyrants
  • Agitators don’t get marginalized
  • Excellence usually wins (& mediocrity doesn’t)
  • Passion-killing policies get reversed
  • Great contributions get recognized and celebrated

More Information
For a full exposition on how Self-Managing Organizations work, we highly recommend Frederic LaLoux's book: Reinventing Organizations, which is all about how highly successful businesses built around principles of Self-Management function.