2513: Teal Organizations: Exploring the Next Stage of Organizational Consciousness

 

In Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage of Human Consciousness by Frederic Laloux, the concept of Teal organizations is introduced, offering a vision of how businesses could evolve in alignment with human consciousness. I’m currently leading a project with colleagues who each bring unique expertise to the table. As I work closely with them in the coming weeks, I’m increasingly impressed by the potential of our team to operate as a Teal organization—one that transcends the traditional "Green" organizational model.

While I won’t delve into the specifics of Laloux’s book in this post (I highly recommend it to my followers), it outlines five evolutionary stages of organizations: Red → Amber → Orange → Green → Teal. These stages represent the increasing sophistication and efficiency of businesses as they evolve.

• Red represents a chaotic, power-driven organization where survival is the main priority.
• Amber is structured and stable, often found in traditional organizations like government offices, which are slow to adapt and change.
• Orange focuses on achieving efficiency and results, typically seen in large, global conglomerates.
• Green prioritizes a values-driven culture and decentralized decision-making.
• Teal represents the pinnacle of human-conscious organizations, where self-management, wholeness, and a sense of evolutionary purpose are embraced.

In my career, aside from my first job, I’ve mostly been part of Orange-type organizations, focused on efficiency and performance metrics. When I first read Laloux’s book during my MBA program three years ago, I was struck by the idea of the Teal organization. It seemed like the ideal organizational model. However, I quickly realized that it’s difficult to apply Teal principles in many business contexts. Teal organizations challenge traditional business KPIs, decision-making processes, and hierarchies. These disruptions can be uncomfortable for individuals who are used to climbing the corporate ladder through patience and perseverance within conventional systems.

Now, working with my new team, many of whom possess unique and distinguished skills, I feel that we have a genuine opportunity to embody the Teal model. It’s an exciting feeling to be part of a team that could truly operate in a self-managing and holistic way. As the director, I recognize my role in fostering a culture of wholeness and self-management within the team. One approach I’m exploring is coaching methods, which I’m still refining to see how they can enhance the team’s motivation and outcomes.

Why am I reflecting on Teal organizations now? During a one-on-one meeting with a colleague last week, he expressed his support for Teal-type organizations, which resonated deeply with me. It sparked a renewed interest in the book and the concepts it presents. While I initially thought of Teal organizations as an ideal for U.S.-based companies, I’m now convinced that it can be applied here in Japan as well. This has become a mission for me within this project: to fully understand and implement the ideas from Reinventing Organizations.

I look forward to continuing this discussion with my colleagues in our next one-on-one meeting. During that conversation, I plan to recommend another book that has influenced my thinking on motivation: Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink.