Template

Governance meeting template

Change how the team is organised — its roles, who decides what, and its policies — through proposals that each get a fair hearing and a clear result.

60 minutesFor A team or circle that organises itself, with a facilitator and a secretaryAgenda room

Change the agenda first

The agenda, with a time for each part

Check in5 min
- What is on your mind as we start?
Build the agenda5 min
- What tension about roles or rules do you want to raise?
Proposals, one at a time40 min
- What problem does this solve?
- Would it cause harm, or move us backwards?
Record the outcome5 min
- What exactly changed, and where is it written down?
Closing round5 min
- Any reflection on this meeting?

How the notes read afterwards

A made-up example, so you can see the shape. In a real call each line carries the words that were said and who said them.

Tension. Refunds over $500 wait days because nobody knows who approves them.

Proposal. The Customer Care role can approve refunds up to $2,000.

Objection. Finance: none, if every refund over $1,000 is logged weekly. Added.

Recorded. Role updated by the secretary.

Running it well

Each proposal starts from a real example of a problem, not a theory. “Twice last month nobody knew who could approve refunds” is a tension; “we need more accountability” is not.
Objections must say what harm the proposal would cause. Preferences are not objections.
Write every change into the place everybody looks for roles and policies, the same day.

Ways to change it

Without HolacracyAny team can use the shape: a problem, a proposal, objections only if it causes harm, and a written result.

MonthlyMost teams need it monthly; more often during a reorganisation.

When to skip it. If nobody has a tension about roles or rules, cancel it.

Questions

What is a governance meeting?

In Holacracy and similar systems, a meeting where a team changes its own structure — roles, decision rights and policies — through proposals and a process for objections.

What is integrative decision-making?

The Holacracy method for governance proposals: present, clarify, react, amend, object, and integrate any valid objections, so a decision is made unless it would cause harm.

How often are governance meetings held?

Usually monthly, or as tensions build up.

What happens in the room

Everybody joins from the link, with no account. The agenda sits beside the call and each item fills in with what was said about it, under the name of the person who said it.

More templates

Department heads meetingThe people who run each department meet to line up across departments: what each needs from the others, where they collide, and the decisions only they can make together.Cross-team syncTwo or more teams whose work touches meet briefly to keep hand-offs on track: what each is about to deliver, what each is waiting on, and what changed.Budget planning meetingBuild next year's budget: what income you can count on, what each team needs to hit its goals, where the two do not match, and the trade-offs that close the gap.Daily standupFifteen minutes, three questions, everybody once.Weekly team meetingThe numbers, everybody's one priority, and the decisions that cannot wait.All-hands meetingThe whole company in one call: where things stand, what is next, and any question people want to ask.Leadership team meetingThe people who run the company, once a week: the numbers, what is stuck, and the decisions only this group can make.OKR planningThree goals for the quarter, how each one will be measured, and what stops to make room.

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