Sociocracy 3.

0
All Patterns Explained
James Priest and Bernhard Bockelbrink

http://sociocracy30.org

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 1

 Sociocracy 3.0 - An open framework for
evolving agile and resilient organizations
Effective Collaboration At Any Scale

principles-based: a coherent guide for growing organizational

integrity
flexible: adaptable patterns, independent and mutually
reinforcing
free: licensed under a Creative Commons Free Culture License
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Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 3
 Influences and History

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 Core concepts for understanding S3:

patterns
the seven principles
driver
value
waste
domain

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 Patterns

A pattern is a template for successfully navigating a specific context.

S3 patterns are discovered through observing many organizations
as they solve problems and respond to opportunities
S3 patterns can be evolved and adapted to suit differing contexts

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 All Patterns are based on The Seven Principles

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 The Seven Principles

Effectiveness: Devote time only to what brings you closer towards

achieving your objectives.

Consent: Do things in the absence of reasons not to.

Empiricism: Test all assumptions through experiments, continuous

revision and falsification.

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 The Seven Principles (cont.)

Continuous Improvement: Change incrementally to accommodate steady

empirical learning.

Equivalence: People affected by decisions influence and change them on the

basis of reasons to do so.

Transparency: All information is available to everyone in an organization,

unless there is a reason for confidentiality.

Accountability: Respond when something is needed, do what you agreed to

and take ownership for the course of the organization.
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 Drivers

A driver is the source of motivation for action in a specific situation

(the "why"): something an individual, a group, or organization needs
(or requires) in the context of achieving their objectives.

Drivers:
focus on the present (not the future or assumptions)
precede goals, objectives, aims, mission, vision, purpose
can change
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 Primary Driver, Subdriver and Superdriver
A driver can be understood in relation to the domain it defines and its relationship to other drivers.

The driver that defines a domain is called the primary driver of that domain.

The primary driver is the superdriver of all other drivers that arise as a consequence of people responding to it.

A primary driver is itself a subdriver of its superdriver, except in the case of the organization itself, in which
case it is referred to as the organizations primary driver.

Two drivers existing as a direct consequence of a response to the same superdriver, are described as peer
drivers.

The prefixes primary, peer, sub- and super-, can refer to both drivers and domains.

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 Drivers: Value and Waste

Value: is the importance, worth or usefulness of something in relation to a driver.

Waste: is anything not necessary for - or standing in the way of - effective response of a driver.

By adopting the concept of value and waste, many practices and ideas from lean
production and lean software development can be utilized by organizations pulling in
S3 patterns:

value stream mapping

various strategies for eliminating waste
the Kanban Method

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 Domain

A domain is the set of subdrivers an

organization may benefit from addressing
when responding to a driver.

Domains need to be accounted for by

people, but exist independently.

Building an organization from domains

defined in relation to organizational drivers
facilitates effective collaboration by
creating enabling constraints with clear
and coherent parameters for
accountability.

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 Domains and Accountability

accountability applies to all agreements,

including the organization itself, circles, and
roles
everyone's primary accountability is for
effective collaboration in response to
organizational drivers
circles are accountable for their work, their
body of agreements and their own
development
everyone in an organization is accountable
for aligning action with organizational values
and principles

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 Pattern 1.1: Respond to
Organizational Drivers

Clarify what's happening and what's needed in

relation to the organization, and respond as
required.

Responses to drivers:

action
agreement (including creating a role, circle,
team or open domain)

The response to a driver is usually an

experiment that is evolved over time,
based on learning.

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 Review of Drivers

Is the description of the situation still correct?

Do we still associate the same needs with the situation?
Is the driver still within our domain?
Is the driver still relevant?

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 Pattern 1.2: Qualify Organizational Drivers

Some situations might be helpful to address in the context of an

organization's primary driver. Others are not within an
organization's domain.

A simple way to qualify organizational drivers is by checking:

Would responding to this driver improve - or avoid impeding - flow of

value to an existing Organizational Driver? a.k.a. can it help or harm us?

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 Pattern 1.3: Objection

An objection is a reason why doing something stands in the way of (more)

effective response to a driver.

Objections contain information that reveals:

a certain or likely consequence of harm (not considered safe
enough to try)
ways to improve proposals, decisions, existing agreements or
actions

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 Qualifying Objections
How would doing this impede - or miss an opportunity to improve - flow of
value to any organizational driver?

Objections stop:

current and planned action

people from executing on decisions
existing agreements from continuing without being reconsidered
proposals from becoming agreements
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 Objection (cont.)

It's the accountability of individuals to raise objections. Those

accountable for the action or (proposed) agreement they relate to,
are responsible for addressing them.

Withholding objections can harm the ability of individuals, groups or

the whole organization to respond to organizational drivers.

Being able to raise objections at any time means decisions only need
to be good enough for now and safe enough to try.

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 Understanding Objections
Some Helpful Questions
Does the objection relate to this specific proposal or agreement?
Does this objection reveal how a (proposed or current) action or agreement:
harms response to any organizational driver?
can be improved right now?
prevents or diminishes someone's contribution towards responding to a driver?
is in conflict with the organization's values?
is considered not safe enough to try?

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 Concerns
A concern is an opinion that doing something (even if already considered good enough for now and safe
enough to try) might impede or miss an opportunity to improve flow of value to an organizational driver.

In consent decision making, concerns:

can inform ways to further evolve agreements (including evaluation criteria and frequency of
evaluation)
are heard if there is time or they are considered important
are recorded in the logbook

If people believe a proposal may not be safe enough to try, they can raise concerns as objections to check
with others about likelyhood of harm.

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 Pattern 1.4: Resolve Objections

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 A way for resolving objections

resolve objections:
hear one objection
amend proposal
ask for any objections to amendment
resolve objections to amendment
(hear/amend/ask/resolve)
process next objection

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 Pattern 1.5: Consent Decision
Making

a decision making process (often facilitated)

invite objections, and integrate the wisdom they
reveal, to evolve proposals or existing
agreements
withholding objections can harm the aims of a
group or organization
unaddressed objections prevent proposals
becoming agreements
"can you live with it until the review?"
proposals only need to be good enough for now
and safe enough to try

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 Implicit Contract of Consent

In the absence of objections against an agreement, I intend to

follow through on the agreement to the best of my ability.
I agree to share objections as I become aware of them.

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 Pattern 1.6: Navigate Via Tension
Identify and accounting for organizational drivers.

All members bring awareness to what might help or harm the

organization, and aim to account for drivers in an effective way.

A tension is a personal experience: a symptom of dissonance

between an individual's perception of a situation, and their
expectations (or preferences).

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 Navigate Via Tension (cont.)

Challenges and opportunities for an organization are revealed as

people become aware of tension they experience in relation to them.

To discover drivers, look behind tension and describe what's

happening and what's needed. Sometimes our inquiry reveals
misconceptions and the tension goes away.

Awareness of organizational drivers can be passed to an

appropriate domain to be addressed.

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 Navigate Via Tension (cont.)

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 Pattern 1.7: Proposal Forming
A (facilitated) format for co-creating a
response to a driver.

draws on the collective intelligence and

diversity of perspective within a group
involves people in co-creating
agreements
fosters accountability and sense of
ownership

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 Proposal Forming Process
Present and consent to driver: Is this driver relevant to respond to and a clear enough
articulation of what's happening and what's needed?
Deepen shared understanding of driver: invite essential questions to understand more
detail about the driver
Collect considerations relating to possible solutions, as questions that reveal constraints
and the scope of possibility (information gathering questions and generative questions)
Answer any information gathering questions if possible
Gather ideas as possible ingredients for a proposal
Design a proposal for addressing the driver considering the creative ideas and information
gathered so far. This is usually done by an individual or a smaller group.

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Template for Proposals

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 Pattern 1.8: Those Affected Decide

Involve everyone who will be affected by a decision, to maintain equivalence

and accountability, and increase the amount of information available on the
subject.

For larger groups:

facilitate a process in several stages and create smaller groups who select
delegates
set out a virtual, asynchronous, time-boxed and staged process

Treat review and evolution of decisions accordingly.

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 Pattern 1.9: Role Selection
A pattern for selecting people for roles.

People avoid expressing interest before the

selection
Nominations are made on the strength of the
reason, not according to the majority
You can nominate yourself or pass
When checking for objections, ask the person
nominated last

Objections to a nominee may be resolved in many

ways, including amending the role description or by
nominating someone else.

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 Pattern 1.10: Driver Mapping

A workshop format to identify an effective response to a complex

situation: organize start-ups, kick-off projects, tackle major
impediments or opportunities, align organizational structure to the
flow of value.
inspired by Gojko Adzics Impact Mapping
small or large groups identify and prioritize drivers, progressing
quickly from concept to action in self-organizing teams.

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 Driver Mapping (cont.)

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 Driver Mapping: Template for Domains

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 Pattern 2.1: Ask For Help

A simple protocol for learning, skill sharing, and building connections, with
respect for people's autonomy.

Ask someone, "would you be willing to help me with ...?" The person asked
answers with a simple "yes" or "no".

if the request is declined, the person asking accepts the answer without
negotiation or inquiry
if the request is unclear, inquire for more information
if you accept a request for help, support your peer in the best way you can
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 Pattern 2.2: Peer Feedback
Invite a peer to give you some constructive feedback on:

performance in a role
general feedback about your participation and collaboration
any specific aspect you may be interested in

Considerations:

ask peers to take some time to prepare

invite both appreciations and actionable improvement suggestions
inquire to better understand the feedback, and avoid to discuss or judge it
decide for yourself what you will do with the feedback

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 Pattern 2.3: Effectiveness
Review

People support each other to learn and grow in

the roles, teams and circles they serve.

The individual holding the role - or the team or

circle - initiates the process and speaks first in
each step.

Invite people with complementing perspectives

to contribute to the review, and a facilitator.

Improvement suggestions apply to personal

development, collaboration, updates to domain
description and driver statement.

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 Effectiveness Review (cont.)
Continuous improvement of people's ability to effectively fulfill roles
or collaborate together in groups (or teams and circles)

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 Pattern 2.4: Development Plan (for an Individual or
Group)
An agreement supporting people to more effectively collaborate as a group or fulfill a role.

Contents:

current domain description

appreciations
actionable improvement suggestions
evaluation criteria
suggested amendments to domain description and driver statement

Acting on development plans is an integral part of the strategy of people in roles, and of groups.

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 Template for Development Plan

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Pattern 3.1: Artful Participation

A commitment to developing helpful interactions and

effective collaboration.

Participating artfully may include interrupting, objecting or

breaking agreements.

enables co-creation and evolution of agreements

is an individual choice and powerful when embraced by
many
building self-accountability and integrity develops trust
individuals developing collaboration skills makes for
stronger teams
a culture of mutual support and close collaboration
makes for happier people

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 Artful participation (cont.)

An individual commitment to:

actively consider and follow-up on all

agreements made, in the best way possible,
given the circumstances
consciously balance personal needs with
those of a team and organization as a whole
developing the necessary skills to do so
supporting others in doing the same
bringing impediments to the attention of
others if necessary

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 Artful Participation: Self-Assessment

How will I support myself and others in participating more artfully?

Where are my interactions with others unhelpful or ineffective?
Which agreements do I find hard to keep or contribute to? What can I do to address this?
What skills could I develop, that would support me to participate more artfully?
What would artful participation mean in relation to:
my daily activities?
collaboration and interaction with others?
the organization? ...our customers or clients?
the wider environment?

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 Pattern 3.2: Adopt The Seven Principles

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 Adopt The Seven Principles
(cont.)

align collaboration with the Seven

Principles
adopting the Seven Principles reduces
the number of explicit agreements
required, and guides adaptation of S3
patterns to suit the organization's
context
an organization's actual values need to
embrace Sociocracy 3.0 principles

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 Pattern 3.3: Agree On Values

A pattern for intentionally shaping culture

in an organization.

A value is a principle that guides behavior.

Values define scope for action and ethical
constraints.
each member brings their own values to
an organization based on personal
experiences and beliefs
a group or organization may choose to
collectively adopt values to guide their
collaboration
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 Agree On Values (cont.)

values offer guidance to determine appropriate action, even in the absence of

explicit agreements
defining values is a strategy that supports effectiveness of an organization:
reduces potential for misunderstanding
aligns decision making and action
attracts new members, partners and customers who are aligned with the
organization
values are an agreement and thus subject to regular review
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 Pattern 3.4: Governance
Facilitator (Role)

A governance facilitator:

is accountable for ensuring governance

meetings are facilitated, stay on track and
are evaluated
is (usually) selected by a group from among it
members
familiarizes themselves with the governance
backlog
often invites others to facilitate some
agenda items

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 Governance Facilitator (cont.)
When using S3 for governance, the facilitator familiarizes themselves with the following patterns:

rounds
proposal forming
consent decision making
role selection
meeting evaluation
evaluating meetings
resolving objections
effectiveness reviews

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 Pattern 3.5: Evaluate Agreements

Regular review of agreements is an essential practice for a learning organization;

continuously evolving the body of agreements, and eliminating waste:

adapt to changing context

integrate learning

Is the agreement still relevant?

Is the agreement still good enough for now and safe enough to continue?

Is there a reason why NOT to continue with this agreement?

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 Evaluate Agreements (cont.)

preparation
schedule review
ensure necessary information is
available
follow-up
agree on next review date
documentation / notification
tracking tasks and decisions
effects on related agreements

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 Evaluate Agreements (cont.)
evaluating agreements can be as simple as checking that it is still relevant, and there
is no objection to keeping the agreement as it is
agreements are often reviewed in Governance Meetings
sometimes it's effective to schedule a dedicated session for reviewing an agreement
adjust review frequency as necessary
review earlier if required
elements of this process can also be used by individuals to evaluate decisions they
make

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 Pattern 3.6: Breaking Agreements

is sometimes necessary...
...but may come at a cost to the community
be accountable!
clean up disturbances
follow up ASAP with those affected or accountable
initiate changes instead of repeatedly breaking the same
agreement
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 Pattern 3.7: Contracting And Accountability

When entering into formal or informal agreements with others:

ensure all parties understand what's expected of them and intend
to keep to the agreement
verify the agreement is beneficial to all parties, and that
expectations are realistic

Be accountable for breaking agreements.

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Contracting And Accountability
(cont.)

To preserve organizational culture, maintain

self-accountability and help new members of
an organization or circle have a smooth start:

define expectations for new members (both

cultural fit and the skills required)
align contract with both organizational
culture and legal requirements
consider a probationary period
have clear procedures for breaches of
contract

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 Pattern 3.8: Transparent Salary
transparent salaries need to be fair
fairness has several orthogonal dimensions
perception of fairness is specific to organizational context
consider members and relevant stakeholders (e.g. investors)
create a salary formula:
fixed: subsistence guarantee
variable: fair distribution of gains and costs
consider remuneration for changing roles
create strategy for transitioning towards new contracts and compensation agreements

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 Two Ways of Opening Salaries

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 Pattern 3.9: Support Role
Apply the role pattern to external contractors

clarify and describe driver for the role

create domain description
implement a selection process
limit term of the contract
build in regular effectiveness reviews

Support roles may be operational only, and external contractors consent to account for
their role.
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 Pattern 3.10: Bylaws

Secure S3 principles and patterns in your bylaws as needed to protect legal integrity
and organizational culture

Consider:

consent and equivalence in decision making

selection process for leadership roles
organizational structure, values and principles
influence of owners or shareholders
sharing gains and costs
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Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 66
 Pattern 4.1: Nested Domains

Understanding an organization in terms of

nested domains to account for - and areas
where the people responding have semi-
autonomy to decide - facilitates more
effective collaboration.

When defining a domain in relation to an

organizational driver, consider
responsibilities, the resources and skills
required, and the constraints to people's
autonomy to account for it, considering
necessary collaboration and exchange with
other domains.
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 Pattern 4.2: Circle

A circle is a semi-autonomous, self-governing,

and self-organizing group of people
collaborating to respond to a driver.

A circle:
may be permanent or temporary
is accountable for its own development

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 Circle (cont.)

semi-autonomous and self-organizing:

a circle acts within the constraints of the surrounding
organization
each circle responds to a primary driver, can create value
independently, and organizes its day-to-day-work
self-governing:
leads in creating its strategy and agreements
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 Pattern 4.3: Role

A role is a set of constraints for how an individual

can account for a domain.

People selected into roles are autonomous to

decide and act within these constraints.

people can be in more than one role

selection is by consent and for a limited term
people in roles lead in creating strategy for
how to account for the role's domain,
checking for objections with the parent circle
peers support one another to develop in the
roles they fulfill

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 Role: one way to account for a domain

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 Pattern 4.4: Linking
Facilitates flow of information and
influence between two circles (or teams).

A circle (or team) selects one of its

members to represent their interests in the
governance decision making of another
group.

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 Pattern 4.5: Double Linking
Facilitates two-way flow of information
and influence between two circles (or
teams).

Two interdependent circles (or teams) each

select one of their members to represent
their interests in the governance decision
making of the other group.
creates equivalence between two groups
can be used to draw out valuable
information in hierarchical structures

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 Pattern 4.6: Representative

Representatives (a.k.a. links):

stand for the interests of a circle (or team) in another circle

are selected for a limited term
participate as full members in the governance decision making of the circle they
are delegated to, and can:
raise items for the agenda
participate in forming proposals
object to agreements and proposals (when there is reason to do so)
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 Pattern 5.1: Adapt Patterns To
Context

adapting and evolving S3 patterns is a hypothesis-

driven process
ensure everyone affected by adaptation:
understands why it is necessary to adapt the
pattern
is present or represented when doing so
use S3 principles as a guide for adaptation
run experiments with adaptation for long enough to
learn about benefits and potential pitfalls
consider sharing valuable adaptations with the S3
community

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 Pattern 5.2: Create a Pull-System For Organizational
Change
Change things when there is value in doing so.

Create an environment that invites and enables members of the organization to drive change:

bring in patterns that solve current and important problems

don't break what's already working!
meet everyone where they are
and let them choose their own pace
consider making all change voluntary!

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 Pattern 5.3: Be The Change

Lead by example.

Behave and act in the ways you would like others to behave and act.

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 Pattern 5.4: Invite Change

A way for individuals to initiate and facilitate change.

be the change you want to see
use and adapt S3 patterns to address drivers when it's helpful to
do so
tell the story about how and why you are using patterns from S3,
including documenting outcomes, successes and failures
invite others to experiment with you
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 Pattern 5.5: Open S3 Adoption

identify the driver for pulling in S3 patterns

schedule regular open space events:
invite all members to create and run experiments
define constraints for experiments: e.g. S3 principles
review and learn from experimentation in the next open space
repeat

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 Pattern 5.6: Continuous Improvement Of Work Process
With S3
To reveal drivers and establish a metrics-based pull-system for
organizational change.

introduce the principle of consent and Navigate Via Tension to evolve work process in one team
consider selecting a facilitator and agreeing on values
trigger continuous improvement (e.g through Kanban)
team members pull in S3 patterns as required
expand the scope of the experiment iteratively
intentionally look out for impediments

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 Waste And Continuous
Improvement

Waste is anything not necessary for - or standing

in the way of - effective response to a driver.

waste exists in various forms and on different

levels of abstraction (tasks, processes,
organizational structure, mental models...)
establishing a process for ongoing elimination
of waste enables natural evolution of an
organization towards greater effectiveness
adaptation to changing context is built into
the process

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S3 promotes a hypothesis-driven approach to decision
making

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 84

 Agreement Life-Cycle

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 85

 Pattern 6.1: Agreement

An agreement is an agreed upon guideline,

process or protocol designed to guide the flow
of value.
agreements are created in response to
drivers
agreements are the accountability of
the people that make them
agreements are regularly reviewed

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 86

 Template for Agreements

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 87

 Pattern 6.2: Strategy

A strategy is a high level approach towards creating

value within a domain.

an organization, circle or a person in a role can

develop their own strategy
a strategy often includes a description of the
intended outcome (a.k.a. "vision")
for roles and circles it's often helpful to invite
peers, or a superset circle, to look over a
strategy and offer any objections and
improvement suggestions
strategy is regularly reviewed and updated as
necessary (pivot or persevere)

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 88

 Strategy (cont.)
Strategies are implemented and
refined through
experimentation and learning.

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 89

 Pattern 6.3: Domain
Description

A domain description is used as a circle, open location and

role description too. It contains:

a description of the domain: primary driver and key

subdrivers (key responsibilities)
details of any constraints in relation to people
accounting for the domain:
preferred/required skills, qualities, experience
resources, budget, time, privileges
evaluation criteria and frequency
term (for a role)
(previous versions)

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 90

Pattern 6.4: Intended Outcome

a concise description of the expected

result of an agreement, action, project or
strategy
specific Evaluation Criteria and metrics
can be helpful for reviewing the actual
outcome

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 91

 Pattern 6.5: Describing Deliverables

A deliverable is something which is provided as a result of an

agreement in response to a driver. Deliverables include products,
raw materials, services, experiences and transformation.

In the context of an agreement, clearly describing deliverables

supports shared understanding:
include the necessary amount of detail
reference other documents when helpful or necessary

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 92

 Describing Deliverables (cont.)

Explicitly defining deliverables can be useful for improving:

organizational strategy
circle strategy
development plans
domain descriptions
any other agreement (e.g. business goals, process policy, customer
communication)
Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 93
Pattern 6.6: Evaluation Criteria

Defining evaluation criteria can help to

understand whether or not an agreement
has the desired effect.

go for simple and unambiguous criteria

and document them (to avoid discussion
when reviewing your agreements)
define actionable metrics to
continuously track effects and spot
deviations from intended outcomes

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 94

 Pattern 6.7: Logbook

A logbook is a (digital) system to store all information relevant for

running an organization and its teams. The logbook is accessible to
all members of an organization, and information is kept confidential
only when there is good reason to do so.

Common platforms for logbooks are Wikis (e.g. Dokuwiki or

MediaWiki), Content Management Systems (e.g. Wordpress),
Google Drive, Evernote or Trello etc.

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 95

 Logbook Contents
Organization:
primary driver, strategy and organizational values
organizational structure (domains and connections)
agreements
Circle:
circle description and strategy
agreements (including subset circles' descriptions and strategies, role descriptions,
development plans)
backlogs and other information relating to a circle's work and decision making

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 96

 Logbook Contents (cont.)

Personal logbooks
role descriptions, strategies and development plans
operational backlog

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 97

 Pattern 6.8: Logbook Keeper (Role)

The logbook keeper is accountable for maintaining a circle's logbook by:

recording details of agreements, role descriptions, selections, evaluation

dates, minutes of meetings etc.
organizing relevant information and improving the system when valuable
keeping records up to date
ensuring accessibility to everyone in the circle (and in the wider organization
as agreed)

attending to all technical aspects of logbook keeping

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 98
Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 99
 Pattern 7.1: Governance
Meeting

Groups of people meet at regular intervals to

create and evolve agreements relating to
drivers they are accountable for.

A governance meeting is usually:

facilitated
prepared in advance
time-boxed for a duration of 90-120
minutes
scheduled every 4 weeks

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 100

 A typical governance meeting includes:
opening round: attune with each other and to the driver of the group
administrative matters
consent to last minutes, date for next meeting, etc.
check for last-minute agenda items and consent to agenda
agenda items
meeting evaluation: reflect on your interactions, celebrate successes and share
suggestions for improvement
closing
Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 101
 Typical agenda items include
any short reports
evaluation of existing agreements due review
new drivers requiring decisions to be made, including:
understanding and agreeing on situations that require attention
forming proposals and making agreements
creating and defining new roles and teams
reviewing existing roles and teams
selecting people to roles
Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 102
 Pattern 7.2: Retrospective

Building in continuous improvement of work process through

reflection and learning from past experience.
output: changes to work process, new tasks, on-the-fly
agreements, and drivers requiring an agreement
facilitated meeting (~1hr)
regular intervals (1-4 weeks)
adapt to situation and context
Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 103
 Output of a Retrospective

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 104

 Five Phases of a Retrospective Meeting

1. Set the stage

2. Gather data

3. Generate insights

4. Decide what to do

5. Close the retrospective

Many different activities for each phase can be found at plans-for-

retrospectives.com
Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 105
 Pattern 7.3: Daily Standup

Coordinate work, facilitate learning,

improve productivity and effectiveness.

~15 min
every day at the same time
circle or team gathers around a visible
project management board/tool
coordination of daily work
addressing impediments/blocks
adaptation of existing agreements or
creation of new agreements on the spot

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 106

 Pattern 7.4: Planning And
Review Meetings

planning and review meetings happen at

regular intervals (1-4 weeks)
planning meeting:
select and estimate work items for
iteration
review meeting:
review completed work items
decide on re-work and changes for next
iteration
Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 107
 Pattern 7.5: Coordination Meeting

Meet on a regular basis (usually weekly) for reporting on and

coordinating work.
facilitate the meeting, and use rounds instead of discussions
where valuable
if possible, compile the agenda before the meeting
include any prerequisites for attendees to prepare
further items may come up when hearing status reports
Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 108
 Coordination Meeting

Status Reports:
circle metrics (if any)
projects and tasks
Agenda Items:
sharing of information
add or update tasks or projects
propose new or updated agreements

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 109

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 110
 Pattern 8.1: Rounds

A group facilitation technique to maintain

equivalence.

1. Pick a random person to start

begin each round with a different
person to maintain equivalence

2. Go around the circle giving everyone the

chance to speak

There are a number of ways that

experienced groups can fast track certain
rounds.

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 111

 Pattern 8.2: Facilitate Meetings

Choose someone to facilitate a meeting. Even an inexperienced facilitator can

help to focus a meeting and make a positive difference.

prepare an agenda of topics

select a facilitator who:
facilitates a suitable activity or format for each topic
holds the space, keeps the time and navigates the agenda during the meeting
facilitates an evaluation of the meeting at the end

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 112

Pattern 8.3: Evaluate Meetings

Take time for learning at the end of each meeting or

workshop.
Reflect on interactions, celebrate successes and
share suggestions for improvement.

before the closing round

reserve 5 minutes for 1 hour, and 15 minutes for a
full-day workshop
record learning and review before the next meeting
short formats:
more of/less of/start/stop/keep
positive/critical/suggested improvements

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 113

 Evaluate Meetings: Long Format

Ask everyone in a round to reflect on any or all of the following topics in a brief
sharing:

effectiveness and format

facilitation and participation
emotional tone
appreciations and achievements (I liked...)
growing edges and improvement suggestions (I wish...)
wild ideas and radical suggestions (What if...)
Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 114
 Pattern 8.4: Meeting Host (Role)

The meeting host is accountable for preparation and follow-up of

meetings, workshops or other events.

The role may be assigned temporarily (i.e. for one specific event) or
for a duration of time.

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 115

 Meeting Host: Responsibilities
preparation
identify goals and deliverables
prepare and distribute agenda and schedule
estimate required time
identify and invite participants
schedule the meeting/workshop
book location (and transportation if required)
set up the space, provide required materials and information
ensure selection of a facilitator and a notetaker to record minutes, if appropriate
follow-up
clean up location, return keys etc.
ensure minutes are distributed

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 116

 Pattern 8.5: Governance Backlog

A governance backlog is a visible, prioritized list of items (drivers) that

require (or may benefit from) a group decision.

decisions to make
proposals to create and consider
agreements for review
selecting people for roles
upcoming effectiveness reviews
Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 117
Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 118
 Pattern 9.1: Backlog

A backlog (to-do-list) is a visible list of (often prioritized) uncompleted

work items (drivers) that need to be addressed.

Types of backlog include:

operations backlog
sprint backlog
product backlog
impediments backlog
Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 119
 Backlog (cont.)

Implementation
analog backlog: sticky notes on a wall, or index cards, magnets
and whiteboard
digital backlog: e.g. Google Sheets, Trello, Kanban Flow, Jira

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 120

 Elements of a (prioritized) backlog

a short description or a driver statement

a unique reference number (or link) for each work item
(the order of work items)
dependencies to other work items or projects
due date (if necessary)
(optional) a measure for value
(optional) a measure for investment (often an estimate of time or complexity)

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 121

 Pattern 9.2: Prioritize Backlogs

Order all uncompleted work items with the most important items first:

work items are pulled from the top whenever there is new capacity
no two items can be of equal importance, meaning it is necessary to agree
on priorities and make tough choices
Benefits
focus on most important items
shared understanding of priorities enables more effective collaboration

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 122

 Pattern 9.3: Visualize Work

Transparency about the state of all work items

currently pending, in progress or completed.

valuable for self-organization and pull-

systems
system must be accessible to everyone
affected
analog: post-its on a wall, or index cards,
magnets and white board
digital: Trello, Kanbanery, Leankit, Jira,
Google Sheets, etc.

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 123

 Things to track:

types of work items (e.g. customer request,

project tasks, reporting tasks, rework)
start date (and due date if necessary)
priorities
stages of work (e.g. "to do", "in progress",
"review" and "done")
impediments/blocks
who is working on which items
agreements and expectations guiding workflow
(e.g. definition of done, policy, quality standards)
use colors, symbols, highlights etc.

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 124

 Pattern 9.4: Pull-System For Work

people pull in new items when they have capacity (instead of work
being pushed at them)
prioritize available work items to ensure that important items are
worked on first
prevents overloading the system, especially when work in
progress (WIP) per person is limited

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 125

 Pattern 9.5: Limit Work in Progress

Limit the number of work items in any stage of your work process.

Work in Progress includes:

number of items in a backlog

concurrent projects or tasks for teams or individuals
products in a portfolio

When an action would exceed an agreed upon limit of work items in

progress, this needs to be brought up with the group before continuing.
Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 126
 Pattern 9.6: Align Flow

in an effective organization, flow of

information and influence supports
the continuous flow of value
alignment is achieved and maintained
through the continuous improvement of
agreements (and individual's decisions)

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 127

 Flow of Value

flow of value is guided by (explicit and implicit) agreements and

assumptions
work in progress is regarded as waste because it ties up resources
continuous flow of value reduces the potential for accumulation
of waste
it also makes for shorter feedback loops and amplifies learning

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 128

 Pattern 9.7: Coordinator (Role)

A person in the role of a coordinator is accountable for coordinating a

group's operations and is selected for a limited term.
the coordinator may be selected by the group itself, or by a superset
circle
the coordinator role is an optional pattern for coordination work
within a domain
coordinators may collaborate to synchronize work across multiple
domains
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Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 130
 Organizational Structure
Organizational structure is the actual arrangement of domains and their connections. It reflects
where power to influence is located, and the channels through which information and influence
flow.

An effective organizational structure:

supports flow of value

enables collaboration
ensures information is available to those who need it
distributes power to influence as required
evolves continuously to adapt to changing context

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 131

 Organizational Structure (cont.)

The basic building blocks for organizational structure are

interdependent, connected domains.

Domains can be linked in a hierarchy or a heterarchy (a.k.a. complex

adaptive system, or network), where different functional structures
co-exist.

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 132

 Structural Patterns

Sociocracy 3.0 describes a variety of patterns to grow organizational

structure.
patterns apply to different layers of abstraction
different structural patterns serve different drivers
structural patterns can be adapted and combined as needed
more patterns are out there and will be discovered

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 133

 Pattern 10.1: Helping Team

A group of people with the mandate to execute on

requirements defined by a circle in response to a driver.

a way for a circle to expand its capacity

may be self-organizing or guided by a coordinator chosen by
the parent circle
is governed by the parent circle

members of the helping circle:

can object to decisions made by the parent circle that affect

them
can add items to the governance backlog of the parent circle
may be invited to select a representative to participate in
the governance decision making of the parent circle

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 134

 Pattern 10.2: Service Circle
A pattern for outsourcing services
required by two or more domains.

A service circle can be populated by

members of the domains it serves, and/or
by other people too.

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 135

 Pattern 10.3: Delegate Circle
A pattern for deciding how to address
drivers affecting multiple domains.

Decisions of a delegate circle are acted

upon in the various domains it serves.

Each circle selects one or more members as

representative(s) to a delegate circle.

Delegate circles provide a way of steering

organizations from the ground up, and
bring a diversity of perspective to decision
making.

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 136

 Pattern 10.4: Coordination
Circle

A coordination circle coordinates work

across multiple domains.

Coordination circles may be accountable

for all aspects of execution within an
organization or only for coordination of
work across or within a specific subdomain.

A coordination circle is populated by

coordinators of the various circles, along
with representatives of those circles in the
governance decision making.

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 137

 Pattern 10.5: Peach
Organization

A pattern for decentralized organizations to

deliver value in complex and competitive
environments.

circles on the periphery deliver value in direct

exchange with the outside world (customers,
partners, communities, municipalities etc.)
the center provides internal services to
support the organization
periphery stewards the monetary resources
and steers the organization

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 138

 Pattern 10.6: Double-Linked
Hierarchy
A pattern for bringing equivalence to
governance in a typical organizational
hierarchy.

power in governance decision making rests

with self-governing circles (not individuals)
circles select a member to represent their
interests in governance decision making in
the next higher (superset) circle
functional hierarchy is still possible if
valuable
Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 139
 Pattern 10.7: Open Systems

An organization (or it's various sub-domains) can benefit from

intentionally communicating with and learning from others.

An organization is an interdependent system that benefits from

consciously inviting information and influence from people who
can assist with making decisions and experimenting to learn.

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 140

 Open Systems (cont.)

External experts can offer an outside perspective and bring

knowledge, understanding and skills
Representatives of affected parties can inform and influence
decision making in ways that benefit overall objectives ( Those
Affected Decide)

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 141

 Pattern 10.8: Backbone
Organization
A pattern for multi-stakeholder
collaboration and alignment towards a
shared driver.

improves potential for equivalence between various

entities
increases cross-departmental/organizational
alignment
supports multi-agency collaboration between
departments/organizations with different primary
motives, or that are in conflict
suitable for one-off projects, or ongoing collaboration

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 142

 Pattern 10.9: Fractal
Organization

A pattern for multiple organizations (or

domains) with a common driver to share
learning and if valuable, coordinate and align
action.

a way to organize, align and steer from the

ground up, while preserving autonomy
and agency of the various entities involved
a structure to facilitate innovation and
exchange of learning throughout a large
community on an 'as needed' basis

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 143

 Links

S3 website: http://sociocracy30.org

Follow us on twitter: @sociocracy30

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 144

 License
This work by Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest is licensed
under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
International License. To view a copy of this license, visit
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/.

The latest version of this document is available at

http://sociocracy30.org

Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 145

James Priest serves internationally, providing organizational
development consultancy, learning facilitation, mentoring and conflict
resolution for people wishing to evolve collaborative, adaptive
organizations at scale.

thriveincollaboration.com -- [email protected]

Bernhard Bockelbrink is an agile coach, trainer and consultant

supporting individuals, teams and organizations in navigating complex
challenges and developing a culture of effective, conscious and joyful
collaboration.

evolvingcollaboration.com -- [email protected]
Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 146
Bernhard Bockelbrink and James Priest (v2017-01-28) - sociocracy30.org 147