Circle

A circle, in sociocracy, holacracy and other forms of Role Based Management (RBM), is a team with its own purpose and the authority to decide alone within its domain. Unlike a department, a circle governs itself. Its members define the roles they need and change them as the work changes.

How circles fit together

Circles nest inside one another. A company circle can contain a product circle, a sales circle and an operations circle, each with its own roles. Authority is spread across these circles: each one decides alone on what falls within its domain and coordinates with the others on the rest, by sharing information, aligning actions and solving problems that cross several teams.

In sociocracy, two people link each circle to the one above it and take part in the meetings of both: the circle's leader and a delegate its members elect. Holacracy uses the same double link. These two people carry information and tensions in both directions, so each circle stays aligned with the mission of the whole organization while deciding on its own work.

This structure changes as easily as the work does. A circle can split when it grows too large, merge with another or disappear when its purpose is fulfilled, without a company-wide reorganization.

Circles in Rolebase

In Rolebase, a circle is a role that contains other roles. Any role becomes a circle as soon as you add roles inside it.