Rolebase

Raise and Process a Tension

Turn a tension into progress in Rolebase: open a discussion in the right role, then process it into a proposal, a task, or a decision.

A tension is the gap between how things are and how they could be. It can be a problem to solve, an idea to explore, a question to answer, or an opportunity to seize. In Holacracy and Sociocracy, anyone who senses a tension is encouraged to bring it forward so the organization keeps improving.

In Rolebase you raise a tension by opening a discussion in the relevant role, then process it into a proposal, a task, or a decision. This guide walks through the whole flow.

Before You Begin

Make sure you have:

Lamp On Frame the tension well

A tension is not a complaint. Express it as what you sense and what you would like to see, for example "We lose track of release dates, I would like a shared view everyone can rely on". A clear framing makes it much easier to resolve.

Step 1: Choose the right role

Every tension concerns a specific area of responsibility, so it belongs in a role. Open the org chart and pick the role the tension relates to. If you are unsure, choose the closest role. It can always move or lead to a new role later.

Step 2: Open a discussion to raise it

  1. Go to the Discussions section of that role.
  2. Click New Discussion.
  3. Give it a clear title and describe the tension in the opening message: what you observe today and what you would like instead.
  4. Activate the discussion so the role's participants can see it and respond.

Your tension is now visible to the people concerned and lives in the right place. See the discussions documentation for more.

Step 3: Gather input

Let the discussion do its work before jumping to a solution:

  • Participants reply, ask questions, and add reactions.
  • When you need to gauge opinion or choose between options, add a poll to the discussion.

This keeps the reasoning in one place and helps the right response emerge.

Step 4: Turn the tension into action

Once the tension is clear, process it into one of the following, directly from the discussion:

  • A proposal, when it calls for a change to the roles or the org chart. A proposal bundles a decision to vote on with prepared org-chart changes, such as creating a role, adding a member, or updating accountabilities.
  • A task, when it just needs something done. Create a task, assign it, and track it to completion.
  • A decision, when you want to record a choice and the reasoning behind it as a decision in the role.
Info Circle One tension, one home

Proposals, polls, tasks, and decisions all attach to the discussion where the tension was raised, so the full story stays together from the first message to the outcome.

Step 5: Process tensions in meetings

Many teams also review open tensions together during a meeting. Add a Discussions step to your meeting agenda to go through the role's active discussions, unblock them, and turn the ones that are ready into proposals or tasks. This is the heart of a governance meeting.

What's Next?