When Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh announced that his 1,500-person company was going to adopt a “holacracy” model, many people were left wondering what the heck holacracy even is. According to HolacracyOne , this “boss free” business philosophy focuses on a less structured system with roles -- as opposed to concrete job descriptions -- and on self-organization and arranged teams that concentrate on specific operations or goals. While this term may be a new piece of business jargon, structures similar to it have existed for years. Derived from the Greek “holon” -- meaning something that’s both a whole and a part -- the setup isn’t without its pitfalls. In the best-case scenario, a holacracy will tap into employees aptitude and drive, but models can flop after a few months of use -- it can even drive your best talent away. Still, Hsieh cites the speed and flexibility of the holacracy model as a key element of Zappos’ ongoing success. “When companies get bigger, innovation or pr
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