Holacracy Habits: Victim Mentality

The main obstacle in implementing Holacracy are habits that need to change. Holacracy pushes us to change our reflexes and habits that used to serve us so well and that's why it's so difficult. Identifying the habits is the first step in a successful implementation. One of those habits: playing the victim.

The comfort of playing the victim

In our everyday work life we often run into situation

that we feel we are unable to influence. The perceived gap between “what is”, the current reality, and “what could be”, the desired state, may seem too big and too deep to overcome. In situations like this we tend to act like we are oppressed by other persons, a process, a role, a persecutor – we start feeling like a victim.

A victim tends to look for someone to blame, feels helpless, powerless and unable to make decisions. Victims put their focus on what they don't want instead of what they want. And sometimes we get comfortable in this position since playing the victim gives us reasons not to take action in order to close this perceived gap. In order to solve this tension.

Become a creator

In general there are two ways to solve tensions.

One way, and that's what victims usually do, is to bring your desired state, your “what could be”, one step closer to the current reality. But even if this helped to release your tension, it doesn't change your position.

The other way is to bring your current reality, your “what is”, one step closer to your desired state, one step closer to your vision. This, however, requires that you take action and realise that you cannot expect or wait for things to change around you but that you can only change yourself. It  will inevitably change the way you see yourself and the way you see the situations you are in.

Acting on one's own authority gives you the possibility to switch your focus from problems to results. Mental switches will follow. You'll start shifting your motivation from wanting problems to go away to focussing on what you can do next to reach your desired state. Ultimately, you will stop being a victim and start becoming a creator.

The pathways in Holacracy

Holacracy will support you in becoming an effective creator by opening up multiple pathways and giving clarity for your next step forward towards your vision.

It empowers you to take any action you deem reasonable to solve your tension, unless it's explicitly forbidden by clearly documented domains or policies. Explicit roles make it easy for you to know where you can get input from and what you can expect from them during your daily work. Tactical meetings give you the possibility to share or request informations and request next actions or project to be processed by other roles. And if it's unclear which role can be expected to do what the governance process gives you the possibility to clarify those expectations.

Make a start out of the victim mentality and become a creator by asking yourself: what would I do if I knew I couldn't fail? What would I do next in order to reach my goal if absolutely anything was possible? The pathways at your disposal will help you figure out what step to take next in order to get there.

Read also how and Holacracy radically shifts decision-making towards utmost efficiency.