This is the single most important foundation of self organization. Roles become associated with objectives and the actions that perform them, not individuals and their ownership over them. We need to be regenerative, responsive and not fixed to ever changing roles in present and future conditions that emerge from the many local interactions between people in organizations.
While collaborating, members of the Initiative can identify a difference between the current reality and a potential that they perceive. These gaps, which can be identified problems or opportunities, are called "Creative Tensions", or simply "Tensions". Tensions move the collective towards its Purpose.
As a member of this circle, you are responsible for addressing the Tensions you perceive, taking actions or engaging other members in these Meta-Agreements. You are also expected to ask for help when you don't know which paths to take. This responsibility cannot be transferred to third parties or to a group.
As a member of this circle, you are expected to share, when asked by other members, all relevant information about the work you do for this circle, including your projects, identified actions, prioritization criteria and relevant metrics. When requested, you are also expected to provide estimates and projections of possible completion dates for your work, even if these projections should not be considered deadlines or commitments.
You can temporarily ignore these Meta-Agreements if this is useful and necessary to express the Purpose of the Circle. Initiatives or requests that have this quality are called "Heroic Acts". You should always seek to repair and communicate any damage caused after a Heroic Act, proposing changes in the Organizational Structure or even in these Meta-Agreements if necessary.
Wherever the organizational structure or meta-agreements do not specify a decision-making process, you can respond to the tension in whatever way you see fit, including deciding individually, as per the "role authority."
You are expected, however, to provide transparency in your decisions whenever possible through communication channels and at meetings. If you have doubts about how to proceed, seek advice from other members.
Members can define a layer of agreements that establish expectations and limitations of authority between them. This layer, called "Organizational Structure", is organized in a hierarchy of Circles and formed by Roles and Policies. Each Circle governs its Organizational Structure, which can only be changed in Governance Mode.
A Role is defined by: