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Teal

This is a system of shared governance. Created from the level of human consciousness judged to be the most “evolved” to date, it considers the organisation as a living organism, with its own will and energy. To let this energy express itself, it is articulated around three main pillars: constant listening to the organisation’s purpose, fullness (the meeting of the professional ego and the ego outside work) and self-organisation.

A “Teal” organisation is one that fits into the new “opal” paradigm described by Frédéric Laloux in his book Reinventing Organisations. A Teal organisation is articulated around three main pillars: self-organisation, fullness (the meeting of the professional ego and the ego outside work), and constant listening to the organisation’s purpose.

First pillar: self-organisation

A Teal organisation is one that functions on the basis of relationships between autonomous peers, grounded in trust. It thus no longer needs a hierarchy, or control or supervision systems.

This is achieved by small teams that are self-managing both in their internal organisation and in their interactions with the other teams, in which there is no “boss” or fixed organigram. These are replaced by undertakings between peers to assume one or more roles for a certain time and then to take on others depending on the opportunities that arise. Thus there are no longer any static descriptions of functions.

As a result, initiatives and decisions come from those with expert knowledge and skills or from those who wish to contribute to a particular task at any given time. In this way, decision-making is distributed, without deviating into the “tyranny of consensus”: everyone can make a decision provided he has first asked for the reactions of those who would be impacted by his decision, as well as those with expertise on the issue.

If a conflict arises, detailed processes of peer-to-peer resolution are envisaged, allowing everyone to be the guardian of each other’s mutual commitments. Finally, self-organisation relies on a transparent and continuously accessible information system, which is essential for building trust and enabling everyone to take initiatives.

Second pillar: fullness

Fullness means not to be afraid to appear as one is at the workplace. In most organisations, it is preferred that people show only their professional ego, composed of rationality, determination and reliability.

The concept of fullness invites people to express more doubts, fears and, more generally, the dimensions of oneself that one usually conceals, in order to be more oneself and to free oneself from the idealised vision of the perfect collaborator.

Organisations put in place practices that aim to reduce this tension between the professional and personal egos. Self-organisation is an example of this, as it renders useless political and ego struggles to climb the hierarchical ladder or defend a hard-won position.

Consequently, Teal organisations are constantly working to create a secure environment, where error is not experienced as a failure or a flaw but as an opportunity to learn and evolve not only professionally but also personally. In the same vein, conflict is also perceived primarily as an opportunity for self-learning and relating to others, which is why Teal organisations pay attention to it and put processes in place that are intended to get the best from it.

The concept of fullness is also active during meetings, which are designed so that the ego is left aside and cannot take the team hostage. It also involves redesigned HR processes, workspaces, and times for reflection, where all are invited to be more themselves.

Third pillar: developing purpose

According to the Teal paradigm, organisations are seen as entities with their own existence and purpose, separate from the sole will of the company management. From this point of view, no organisation can be owned or controlled.

Whereas most companies have “tasks” or “objectives” geared towards self-preservation in a hostile environment, Teal organisations will prefer to refer to the organisation's purpose, which is the answer to “why” the organisation exists.

Purpose is thought of as a compass that allows decision-making and hides behind the smallest actions of its members. It refers to the impact it wishes to have on the community or the market in which it operates, beyond any notion of competition or the desire “to be better than the others”.

Here are some examples:

"Helping home-based patients become healthy and autonomous" - Buurtzorg, healthcare organization[5]
"Use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis” - Patagonia, outdoor clothing retailer[6]
"Two fundamental purposes: the first is to provide meaningful work in the area of Hallencourt, a rural area in northern France where good work is rare; the second is to give and receive love from clients" - FAVI, foundry and engineering firm.[7]

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