In 2010, farbenmeer GmbH was founded by Roman as a self-organised entity based on the Teal approach by Frédéric Laloux. His thoughts at the time were:
Classic hierarchies, where leadership is tied to formal positions, never worked for me. I am convinced: creativity, commitment, and genuine care only emerge where people have the freedom to consciously decide on their actions—and that includes the choice of whom to entrust with leadership. When I founded farbenmeer, there were fortunately already pioneers like Frédéric Laloux, Silke Hermann, Wohland, and Wiemeyer who showed that self-organisation doesn't have to be an experiment, but a viable model.
Roman
Teal according to Frédéric Laloux is not a rigid framework like Scrum or Holacracy, but rather a mindset. It requires a high degree of trust and the willingness of the leadership level to let go of genuine control.
The three core principles of teal
According to Laloux, an organisation must achieve three breakthroughs to be considered "Teal":
Self-Management
There are no classic boss structures or middle management. Teams organise themselves. Decisions are made where the expertise lies, not where the highest title sits.
Wholeness
In traditional companies, we often wear a "professional mask." Teal encourages coming to work as a whole person—with emotions, intuition, and personal values. This creates trust and releases enormous energy.
Evolutionary Purpose
Instead of dominating the market or setting profit maximization as the primary goal, the organisation asks: "What does the world want from us?" Strategy is not dictated from the top down; instead, the organisation listens to where it naturally wants to evolve.
Implementing teal at farbenmeer
Implementing Teal into our organisational culture was not a one-time event at our founding, but is an ongoing process. Our team has grown over time, conditions and needs change, and we are constantly learning. Therefore, we continuously work on our organisational culture.
Self-Management
At farbenmeer, there is no "boss." No one has the authority to give orders to others. Every member can make decisions for themselves—for example, regarding the number of working hours, how much vacation to take this year, or when to go on vacation. However, this must be communicated transparently to the team to give others the opportunity to question or provide feedback on these decisions.
Decisions for the entire team are made via consent. For instance, one or more people may drive decisions in a specific area because they are currently dealing with the topic or have more expertise than others. However, there is no one who can make decisions alone; instead, the decision proposal is communicated, and everyone has the opportunity to raise objections.
Furthermore, there are no fixed working hours at farbenmeer; instead, every member organizes their own day. Every person is productive in different ways and should decide for themselves which tasks can best be implemented today and when to start and stop working.
Wholeness
Even during the application process, we encourage people to show their whole selves. There is no weakness that needs to be hidden for fear of being pigeonholed. Within the team, we communicate openly about illnesses, depression, bad days, fears... naturally only if one wishes to share. It is important to us that you can be the person you are. This also includes speaking openly with one another when something doesn't fit and occasionally working through conflicts.
Evolutionary Purpose
As a company, we naturally want to operate economically. This includes generating profit, as it allows us to increase salaries, make investments in the company, and donate to charitable causes. However, we do not pursue this at all costs; we primarily look at how we are doing as a team and a company and where we want to go this year. The health of everyone is the top priority. Additionally, we regularly do pro bono projects for non-profit organisations, such as the website for the Hamburger Zukunftsentscheid in 2025. It is important to us that we contribute to society as a company and that the team is doing well.
Challenges of self-organisation
Self-organisation is intended to help people feel better, look after themselves free from pressure and constraints, and thus work more productively. However, self-organisation is not as easy as it sounds, because most of us have been socialised through external management.
Self-organised or overwhelmed?
Organising oneself is actually in human nature—after all, every cell in our body functions autonomously. In everyday work, however, this means that one's own decisions have a major impact on the team. Therefore, various perspectives must be considered. Being able and having to decide independently for oneself and the company is a big task. Sometimes it is simply easier if others do it for you. Wanting and being expected to participate requires openness, reflection, empathy, and a will to decide.
Wholeness or uncomfortable?
In classic structures, one always tries not to show weakness to avoid being disadvantaged, pigeonholed, or even terminated. This is a behavior one must first learn to unlearn. Openly sharing what is on your mind or entering a discussion with someone who has been with the company longer and perhaps has more expertise is outside the comfort zone for many. Learning to bring in your whole personality requires courage, will, and the reflection of one's own behavior. Wholeness does not mean you can vent your own struggles on others, but that you share them and are ready to work on them.
Evolutionary or uneconomical?
Not having a 5-year financial plan also means we never know exactly what's coming next year. This is a significant uncertainty that gives us the flexibility to pay attention to our needs as a team and those of society. However, it also means not knowing how much we will earn and what lies ahead for us next year. This uncertainty can mean freedom for some and stress for others. Here, it is important to communicate openly and steer together.
Want to learn more about how we work together? Just write to us and let’s chat!
