The Evolution to Self-Management
Self-management, flat hierarchies, horizontal organisations, new ways of working, teal - whatever you label it, and however you've discovered more progressive ways of working, there has never been a better time to embrace an alternative way of operating and creating a business that is more innovative and resilient to the volatile world we live in today.
It's time to ditch the business blueprint
and reinvent work
Ready for self-management? . . .
The Evolution to Self-Management is for companies who are eager to become flatter, or more autonomous; or for those who are already on this journey but require an external coach and facilitator to move you towards your next chapter.
As each business will require a different approach due to how their teams feel about self-management and the challenges within the context of work, the first step we take together is understanding why you want to embrace more dynamic ways, and then we go on a discovery to determine where we begin your journey.
There's no such thing as a one-size fits all, and as a coach I don't use any dogmatic frameworks or set theories; my approach is always holistic and open to what your team and business needs first.
Questions to consider before we talk about self-management include;
Why do you want to go on this journey?
What are you hoping to achieve with self-management?
What are some of your challenges or fears about this way of working?
My self-management tool box . . .
I have dedicated my professional development and specialism to alternative organisational models and progressive ways of working; exploring the ways in which we can create workplaces where people and business thrive together.
I'm a Holacracy Practitioner, Semco Style Certified Expert Practitioner, TUFF Leadership Certified, Teal Ambassador, and as of 2025 training in Sociocracy.
All of these tools and approaches come into play when I support my clients, and I'm continuously exploring alternative practices to expand my own knowledge and skills. I truly live and breath this way of being, and use these tools not only with my clients, but in my own business and my life.
Common types of self-management
Holacracy
Intro to Holacracy
Holacracy is a self-management system that replaces traditional hierarchy with distributed authority. Work is organised around roles—each with a clear purpose and responsibilities—rather than job titles. People can hold multiple roles across different teams, known as circles, which govern themselves through structured, inclusive meetings. Decisions are made collectively, and roles are updated regularly to adapt to change. This creates a dynamic, transparent, and responsive way of working. Holacracy encourages accountability, clarity, and autonomy, allowing individuals to lead within their roles and contribute more effectively to the organisation’s purpose. It’s especially effective in fast-moving or complex environments.
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Semco Style
Intro to Semco
The Semco Style Institute’s approach to self-management is rooted in trust, transparency, and shared responsibility. Inspired by Ricardo Semler’s revolutionary leadership at Semco, it promotes a human-centred, democratic way of working where employees have autonomy to make decisions and shape their roles. Hierarchies are flattened, information is openly shared, and teams are encouraged to self-organise around their purpose. Rather than rigid structures, Semco Style provides guiding principles that foster engagement, accountability, and continuous improvement. This approach empowers individuals, strengthens collaboration, and creates resilient, adaptive organisations that can thrive in complexity while staying aligned with their values and goals.
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Sociocracy
Intro to Sociocracy
Sociocracy is a self-management approach that emphasises equality, consent-based decision-making, and distributed leadership. Organisations are structured into semi-autonomous circles, each responsible for specific domains, with clearly defined roles and shared aims. Decisions are made using consent, meaning proposals move forward unless there is a reasoned objection, ensuring all voices are heard. Circles are linked through double-linking, where representatives from different levels participate in each other’s meetings, maintaining alignment and transparency. This structure promotes clarity, inclusivity, and adaptability. Sociocracy supports collaborative decision-making, strengthens trust, and enables people to take ownership of their work while staying connected to the organisation’s wider purpose.
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Teal
Intro to Teal
Teal Organisations, as described by Frederic Laloux in Reinventing Organizations, represent a progressive model of self-management rooted in three core principles: self-management, wholeness, and evolutionary purpose. These organisations operate without traditional hierarchies, instead relying on decentralised decision-making and peer accountability. Individuals are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work, fostering authenticity and deeper connections. Purpose guides action, rather than top-down strategy, with teams adapting organically to what the organisation senses it needs next. Teal Organisations trust people to lead from where they are, promoting autonomy, shared leadership, and a living system that evolves in tune with its environment.
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Horizontal Organisations
Intro to Horizontal
Horizontal organisations reject traditional top-down hierarchies in favour of flat, collaborative structures where authority and decision-making are shared. Roles and responsibilities are distributed across teams, encouraging autonomy, transparency, and collective ownership. These organisations prioritise open communication, mutual respect, and inclusive processes, making them well-suited to self-management. Without rigid chains of command, individuals are empowered to contribute their strengths, take initiative, and co-create solutions. Horizontal structures often use practices like rotating leadership, or role clarity to maintain coordination and accountability.
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Decentralised Organisations
Intro to Decentralised Orgs
Decentralised organisations distribute authority and decision-making across various teams or units, rather than concentrating power at the top. This structure supports self-management by empowering individuals and teams to make decisions locally, closer to the action. It encourages autonomy, responsiveness, and innovation, as people are trusted to act in alignment with the organisation’s purpose and values. Clear principles, roles, and communication channels ensure coordination without relying on rigid control. Decentralisation reduces bottlenecks and enables quicker adaptation to change. By sharing power and responsibility, decentralised organisations create a culture of trust, ownership, and accountability—key foundations for successful self-managing practices.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is self-management in the workplace?
Self-management in the workplace is a way of working where individuals and teams take responsibility for how they organise and carry out their work—without needing to be directed by a traditional manager. Instead of having a boss who makes all the decisions or tells people what to do, self-managing teams decide together how to get things done.
Everyone has clear roles, knows what they’re accountable for, and is trusted to make decisions within their area of responsibility. People work more collaboratively, solve problems together, and often rotate or share leadership depending on what’s needed.
It doesn’t mean working in chaos or everyone doing whatever they want—it’s about having clear agreements, open communication, and shared goals, so the team can organise itself effectively. It also means being honest about what’s working and what’s not, and continuously improving how things are done.
Self-management can lead to more flexibility, faster decision-making, and a stronger sense of ownership. It works best in environments where people are trusted, supported, and aligned around a common purpose.
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Which self-management model is best?
With so many existing and emerging self-management models, there is no such thing as “the best model”. It’s about finding what works for you across the range of practices and frameworks that can best support your business and teams.
This is why as a coach I’m trained in a variety of methodologies and frameworks, to ensure we can create something that is truly unique and bespoke to your business and team needs.
Many organisations have chosen to use a pick and mix of tools and practices to develop their self-management. Finding what best suits them, rather than strictly following one model to the exact blueprint.
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How do we know self-management will work for us?
Unfortunately, you won’t know until you try. There are diagnostic tools and audits that we can conduct prior to starting your self-management journey. These tools help us to identify how “ready” your teams and organisation is, and helps to identify areas you might want to enhance first. Enabling you to create your own unique self-management roadmap.
One thing is certain. When you begin a journey to self-management there will always be highly valuable lessons along the way, that you may not have discovered without taking the leap.
As well as conducting culture readiness audits, it’s important to have a very clear purpose of why you’re undertaking a self-management journey. Self-management shouldn’t be something you do for it’s own sake, it should help you get somewhere. So, my question is – where do you want to be?
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Is self-management suitable for every type of organisation or industry?
Self-management has proven to work across a variety of sectors and industries. From financial services, banking, healthcare, IT and tech, fast-moving consumer goods and manufacturing, as well as education and social care. There are now hundreds of successful case studies to demonstrate the power of self-management.
The suitability isn’t about the industry or sector, it’s about whether your leadership and teams are ready for self-management.
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How do you get started with self-management?
Getting started on the self-management journey is first of all identifying why you’re on this journey to begin with. Without a clear purpose and reason for the evolution, you won’t have the resilience to keep going when things feel tough. You have to feel deeply connected as to your reason for starting on this journey in the first place.
After you know your why, it’s then about discovering a small space you can trial of a small dose of self-management. Starting small will provide you with ample feedback as to how it went, and what you can learn moving forward.
As mentioned previously, self-management readiness diagnostics can also highlight the areas you may wish to focus on first.
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How long does a self-management transformation take?
A transformation towards self-management is a never ending journey. While you may experience immediate shifts within the first year to 18 months, you have to remember that you consistently have to work on your way of working. This is by no means a quick fix, it’s a commitment to always seeking progress.
Every organisation I have either had the joy of working with, or interviewed on my podcast, will say the same. Even some of them who have been self-managed for 12 years, are still making improvements today.
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What advice or resources do you have for those just starting their self-management journey?
As I live and breath this work, there are an abundance of resources I would recommend that you dive into and absorb. But don’t get overly caught up in feeling like you have to know everything before you can begin. Otherwise you’ll spend too much time in information hoarding, and not in practising – and that’s where the real learning manifests.
One big piece of advice I would offer you that will take you far, is to speak to others in your sector or industry who have gone on this journey. You will learn so much from those conversations, and they will help you to avoid common pitfalls. Or at least support you in how to navigate them.
Other resources include;
My podcast – Make it Thrive: The Company Culture Podcast – Where I have interviewed many founders who have chosen this journey.
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Is self-management backed up by any data or research?
At present, there’s not a huge wealth of data or research to back-up the power of self-management, but there are hundreds of case studies now being documented which explore how self-management has enabled these businesses to be innovative and adaptive.
Some research is underway, and continues to emerge in small doses. For example, Krisos ventures are sharing insights from their experiences of purchasing companies and transforming them through self-management.
No doubt over the next decade we will see even more studies come to life.
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Some helpful conversations . . .
If you're still navigating your decision to go self-managed, or just need more resources to get a feel for what to expect on the journey, here are a few of my most popular podcast episodes around self-management and new ways of working;
Let's talk about where you want to go.
Book in a discovery call and let's talk about the journey you want to take.
