Teal organizations are gaining in popularity every year. A teal company is simply one in which people find it easier and more pleasant to work. Management of companies, schools and organizations based on command and control methods, aggression, distrust and fear is in decline. Autonomy in decision-making, transparency, self-management, creativity, trust, mutual respect and good team cooperation work much better in the long run. Organizations based on these methods of cooperation will ultimately win in evolution and in business. Simply put, doing business in the 21st century is more profitable based on trust, good processes and effective cooperation in the team and throughout the organization.
Teal organizations are a modern model of organizing companies, schools and even public institutions in Poland, Europe and the world. Therefore, it is spreading in the world of business and non-profit companies and has been popularized in many books. These books include: “Working differently” by Frederic Laloux, “From hierarchy to teal, or how to manage in the 21st century” by Marek Wzorek and “The Doctrine of Quality, about teal self-organization” by Andrzej Jacek Blikle. These items also describe the evolution of organizational development, various organizational cultures, where teal organizations are described as one of the most conscious models of company organization and ways of organizing an enterprise or non-profit organization.
Teal management
Teal management is a colloquial phrase that people use to describe the way of management in teal organizations. However, the use of this phrase is incorrect and misleading. Teal management results from the old paradigm of thinking that there must always be a manager and the managed. The world, nature, and technologies around us prove that it’s not necessary to always have a manager and a managed person. The universe, evolution, natural ecosystems, the human body, schools of fish, birds, the Internet, Wikipedia, blockchain and many others confirm the incredible effectiveness of systems operating in parallel, simultaneously, complementing and developing each other „without a single manager or boss”,
Turquoise Organizations – 3 pillars
Teal organizations are characterized by three pillars: 1)self-management, 2) full humanity and 3) evolutionary goal. Self-management means that companies move away from hierarchical management and organizational structures in the form of a vertical, flat pyramid, where those in power are at the top and the ruled at the bottom. Self-management is a non-hierarchical way of organizing a company based on trust, in which all people are involved and the method of decision-making and communication allows for the rapid development of people, the organization and the rapid scaling of the business and way of working.
Organizational models that enable self-management include: Holacracy, Sociocracy, Haier model Ren Dan He Yi and the Solar System. Solar System Model with connection We develop Holacracy and Sociocracy practices in the PerfectCircle team, creating a globally innovative model called Dynamic Self-Management™, cooperating very closely with the platform Holaspirit and based on many years of development of this model at igus. Thanks to such experience and practices, we implement self-management in small and large companies and organizations. At the very center of the Solar System of our organization and every organization using the Solar System model is the customer, and around him there are individual departments (so-called circles) that make up the entire company. On our blog you will find a lot of knowledge related to teal organizations – we recommend starting reading with the article “Teal organizations: the end of the division into production and office workers”.
Teal organizations in Poland
Are there many companies in Poland that have chosen this modern management model? Unfortunately, although the number of turquoise enterprises is increasing, the number is still not high compared to traditional, hierarchical companies. The „carrot and stick” method is still a popular form of employee motivation; the division into „top and bottom” is clearly visible in many companies. Fortunately, the current new generation, which will dominate the market in the future, is focused on partnership and development, and therefore – these people will want to co-create companies in the future, and not just come from work to follow specific orders from their boss.
Is a teal company a real example of running a business in the 21st century and is it a popular trend? You will learn about it in the article below.
We have prepared for you a list of companies that have successfully implemented full self-management in their organizations or have implemented certain elements of the three pillars of teal organizations. Perhaps these companies will inspire you to change the structure of your company and open your eyes to new opportunities that can bring many benefits to you, your employees and the organization.
1. SoftwareMill
On the NoFluffsJobs.com website you can read a very interestinginterview with five of several dozen presidents (!) at SoftwareMill. SoftwareMill is another teal company on our list and one of the outstanding propagators of this management style in the IT industry. Developers in a teal software company, in addition to everyday project implementation, actively participate in company management. The team follows Scrum/Agile methods in its work, which is expected to bring clear results and visible work progress. A short description of SoftwareMill would be: a teal company with several dozen people working remotely and managed by a team. It is worth mentioning that although the company has Polish capital, it serves only foreign clients. Most of SoftwareMill’s founders had never worked in an office.
Various perspectives have led to the assumption that the physical workplace is not a key element in creating an organization. On the other hand, the management board appreciated the importance of personal contacts, hence initially the owners and then the entire team made sure to meet regularly. Transparency regarding finances is also important, which is typical of teal organizations. Each employee has access to information about the state of finances, remuneration and customer rates. You can read more information about SoftwareMill in Marek Wzorek’s book „From hierarchy to turquoise, or how to manage in the 21st century” in the chapter: „Self-management – remote work, flat structure, transparency. SoftwareMill Sp. z o. o. – a company of 40 CEOs.
2. Boldare
The Boldare company (from the digital product design industry) is a merger of two companies – XSolve Sp. z o. o. and Chilid Sp. z o. o. The company employs 130 people, and the organization is based on the Holacratic system, which was preceded by the signing of the Holacracy Constitution. Both companies were founded on the vision of creating a workplace where employees would like to spend their time. You can also read about this company in Marek Wzorek’s book: in the chapter „Holacracy – the speed of introducing changes. Boldare Sp. z o. o. Anna Zarudzka and Piotr Majchrzak talk about how and when the idea of organizing the company in the Holacratic system arose and what was the motivation to reorganize the company in this way.
3 . Brewa s.c.
Brewa is a company in the photovoltaics industry. The company was born in 2015 from a small department dealing with renewable energy in Przedsiębiorstwo Energetyki Cieplnej in Kalisz. Today, the company, independent in terms of capital and personnel, wants to ensure energy independence for its customers. The organization is based on four foundations: trust, independence, commitment and responsibility for decisions made, i.e. the main principles of the teal organization. On the company’s website you can even see what the main principles of operation of the company, how to work and make decisions. The company also posted a decalogue of the teal company on the website – according to Professor Andrzej Blikle, one of the precursors of teal management in Poland.
4. KAMSOFT PODLASIE Sp. z o. o.
The company was established in July 2005 from the merger of Kamsoft from Katowice and TPM Komputer from Zambrów, the largest partner of Kamsoft in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It offers modern solutions supporting work in the pharmaceutical, medical and veterinary industries based on Kamsoft systems throughout Poland. There are four main departments at Kamsoft Podlasie, consisting of specialists in various fields, including: Medical Systems Team or Pharmacy Systems Team. The company’s main values are conscientiousness, teamwork, responsibility, development and each member of the company and customers. Polsat News itself became interested in teal management in the company in 2016, conducting an interview with the president of Kamsoft Podlasie.
5. Mentax
“Teal, although blue and green, has an extraordinary ability. He puts rose-colored glasses on your eyes. But remember, these are just glasses. The reality is much more colorful. It’s better to look at it with a sober eye and without any filters.” This is how Radek Bartosik, co-founder of Mentax, which provides services in the field of claims settlement and software production for the largest insurance companies in Poland, described the teal management in the company. The company was founded in 2005 by three Internet enthusiasts. Their recipe for success as a turquoise organization is to „focus on yourself and your own readiness.” You can read about how turquoise management works at Mentax in an article on their blog “Why isn’t this turquoise so pink”.
6. Turquoise Tower
Another interesting teal organization in Poland is the Author’s Primary School in Warsaw. The main assumptions of the school are the ability for children to make their own decisions about choosing their development path and what they need at a given moment. Parents also participate in the creation of teal management – their role is to support children in independence and inspire children to explore their interests. What distinguishes Teal Tower from other schools is the lack of division into classes (children are divided according to their skill level), no bells (instead, there is a lot of work on the structure of classes), no grades (instead of grades, children can receive constructive „feedback”) . It is important that this teal organization functions based on cooperation between educators, parents and children.
7. Marco sp. z o. o.
The history of the company Marco sp. z o.o. started with the establishment of the MarcoPomaga foundation in 2016. Currently, the company produces modern elements for product identification and marking . It is recognized as one of the exemplary teal organizations. The company’s vision is to become one of the most innovative and influential companies in the world in terms of global progress and development. Adding on, the founder, Marek Śliboda, set himself the goal of changing people’s awareness to one that would not motivate them to start companies only for the sake of profit, but primarily to provide value. The Marco Organization Culture is a set of fourteen principles and values that are to be a guide for the entire company in its co-creation. You can read Marco’s 14 rules here.
8. Not Just Shop
The next teal organization on our list is a marketing agency that describes itself as “not just a marketing agency”. No wonder – turquoise management in the marketing industry might seem impossible, considering current marketing, which often tries to „sell” us something at all costs and attacks us from every possible angle. Not Just Shop creates marketing campaigns „from the heart” and helps brands discover their mission, create compelling stories and engage customers and employees. This is a marketing company ideal for entrepreneurs who care about building values and passing them on.
9. PKS-Gdańsk Oliwa SA
The company has been operating on the market for 50 years, provides services in the logistics industry and is currently a pioneer of self-organization in the European industry! The company’s main values are primarily flexibility, cooperation, sustainable growth and business ethics. All decisions in the company are made collectively, which means that the company is turquoise. In addition to its target business activities, the company is involved in social activities, including: cooperating with schools and universities.
The first impulse for PKS-Gdańsk Oliwa SA to change its management to teal was its presence at a conference that touched on the topic of modern company management. Laloux’s book, which we mentioned at the beginning of the article, also contributed to the change. On July 7, 2017, a letter of intent from President Rafał Olszewski was read, containing all the company’s new assumptions, values and good practices, and so the company began to function as a teal organization.
10. igus
Igus is a world leader in the production of polymer energy chains, sliding and linear bearings, and electric cables for movable connections. It is owner-led and based in Cologne-Porz and currently has branches all over the world. Marek Wzorek, the founder of PerfectCircle, before he decided to create his own teal organization, had the opportunity to be the president of igus Polska, which you can read about in an interview for Forbes from 2017.
11. HighSolutions
HighSolutions is a company that creates IT solutions that improve business. Their goal is to make modern technology serve people in their everyday lives and help achieve business goals. What distinguishes the HighSolutions team is their huge commitment and passion for work. You can read about this Poznań company, which has operated as a turquoise company for many years, in the case study“Company on the way to teal: case study of Poznań’s HighSolutions” For several years, after merging with a larger organization, the company has been creating yet another management model, but Self-management is still an inspiration for many employees.
12. Turquoise Llama
The mission of the Turquoise Lama is to create a modern non-governmental organization based on mutual trust. Turquoise Lama organizes various types of social projects, promotes respect for all people, acts with respect for nature and inspires the youngest citizens. The team consists of six women who care about the turquoise management of the organization.
13 . DeSmart Software House
Another teal company on our list is DeSmart Software House from Gdynia. He creates applications that help in business and provide entertainment for users. Their specialization is React, AngularJS, Node.js, iOS, Android, and UI/UX design. To learn more about this teal organization, we encourage you to read the interview with Adrian Tomaszewski, who plays the role of people & at DeSmart Software House. culture manager.
14. BT Diuna
It would seem that BT Diuna is a standard translation agency. But this is another example of a company that operates as a teal organization. The most important thing in running this company are people and how each of them is treated. “To manage a company, you don’t need to be at the top of a hierarchical organizational structure and tell others what to do. Do what you love and think is right, then there is a good chance that the business will run itself and employees will rush to you through doors and windows” – you can read in an interview with Anna and Piotr, a married couple practicing teal management in the company, in Marek Wzorek’s book.
15. PerfectCircle
PerfectCircle is a teal company in which has been operating as a self-managing organization from the beginning. Our experience in practicing self-management comes from over 10 years of experience of Marek Wzorek as manager and co-manager of igus in Poland, Singapore, Russia and internationally. From the beginning of the company’s operation, we practiced, among others: Holacracy, Sociocracy, finally reaching our own model that we develop in our organization and with our clients: Dynamic Self-Management™.
Dynamic Self-Management not only gives each member of the organization’s management team the opportunity to engage in projects in which everyone feels best, develop themselves and the company in harmony with each other and in mutual trust, but above all, it combines self-management with customer centricity. This is the most innovative model in the world in which the customer is at the center of the organizational structure and all processes in the company are based on a dynamic form of self-management.
You can read about the birth and beginnings of PerfectCircle as a teal organization in the book. “From hierarchy to teal, or how to manage in the 21st century” written by Marek Wzorek. We love working and creating teal organizations. Which is why we promote this innovative management model at conferences as speakers, conduct workshops, training and complete processes from Hierarchy to Teal™. The From Hierarchy to Teal™ process implements self-management in various models depending on the needs and goals of clients.
Additionally, we are obsessed with the development of people and organizations, and one of our mottos is #CustomerSuccessToOurPassion. In our daily activities, we use the Solar System as our organizational structure. The customer is always at the center of our organization – and he is the boss for each team member. With such an organizational structure and culture, we build long-term relationships with our clients and contractors based on trust and honesty. We combine a more ethical way of doing business with often incredible successes and business development.
Regularly on the last Tuesday of the month at 10:00 we organize a free #TurquoiseWebinar. During which Marek Wzorek or another team leader shares knowledge and best practices on how to create teal organizations. Insights on how to implement transformations of organizational culture towards teal, agile, kanban, participation in management are shared. Along with other innovative new methods of work, cooperation, organization and management. Follow upcoming events on our Facebook. We also invite you HERE to contact us for a casual conversation or a free consulting session. We will be happy to discuss your personal, team or organizational needs, challenges and goals.
Do you think you are creating a teal organization? Would you like to be on our list of teal organizations? Write to us at info@PerfectCircle.pl
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