Did you know? Coaching in Holacracy is regulated by a certification process that coaches must obtain. This certification grants an organization the status of « Provider, » meaning it is officially authorized to support businesses in implementing Holacracy.

Sarah, Juliette, and I (Jeanne) recently earned our certification after intensive training! Our motivation? To support our clients with a strong, structured approach while mastering the Holacracy Constitution.

What is Holacracy?

For a quick 2-minute explainer video, click here.

Coaching in Holacracy: supporting organizations and individuals

What does being a Holacracy coach really mean? In Holacratic terms, the correct title is « Holacracy Coach. »

A certified coach enables organizations to autonomously practice Holacracy. Certification requires passing an exam and continuously updating one’s skills. Holacracy coaches form a community of practice, where they exchange knowledge and improve together.

What does a Holacracy coach do?

Holacracy coaches work directly with organizations adopting the system. The goal isn’t to teach but to guide clients through their transition. Adopting Holacracy means embracing new ways of working and relating to colleagues. It’s a significant shift that challenges traditional management practices.

Coaches play a dual role: ensuring the proper implementation of Holacratic processes while supporting individuals in their new responsibilities.

Supporting leaders

• Helping them lead effectively within their roles.
• Clarifying their implicit expectations for others.
• Translating the numerous tasks they undertake into explicit, defined roles.

Supporting team members

• Encouraging autonomy within their roles.
• Defining clear expectations for leaders and colleagues.
• Identifying and making visible the « invisible » roles they fulfill daily.

Why working with certified coaches?

Why go through such an intense certification process? The Holacracy coach certification ensures a high-quality experience for clients. HolacracyOne, the organization behind Holacracy, established the certification to guarantee that coaches have deep expertise in the Holacracy Constitution and can balance structure and flexibility in their approach.

To pass the exam, candidates must already have substantial hands-on experience with Holacracy. This requires extensive training, handling diverse scenarios, and continuous learning. The feedback from assessors is precise and practical, helping candidates refine their coaching techniques.

Today, there are only four certified Holacracy Provider organizations in France and about fifty worldwide.

The intensive training process

The certification exam is conducted remotely with two assessors. Candidates must pass two tests:

• Coaching a team in a tactical meeting (focused on operations).
• Coaching a governance meeting (focused on defining roles and structure).

In both cases, the assessors play the role of beginners in Holacracy. The coach must find the right balance between smooth facilitation and effective transmission of Holacracy principles.

Sarah, Juliette, and I spent a full year training to refine our approach and master the nuances of Holacracy Constitution 5.0. We practiced extensively, role-playing different personas—sometimes naive, skeptical, overly enthusiastic, or resistant—to prepare for every possible client scenario.

Training for Holacracy is like going to a dojo: you know you’ll fall, get back up, try again, and ultimately improve. The key is to support leadership in all its forms while ensuring clear, structured processes.

Bringing certification benefits In-House

Our certification isn’t just about coaching clients—it also strengthens Holacracy within our own team. Now, with four certified coaches, we can facilitate both internal and external meetings, share knowledge with our colleagues, and, in the future, train new team members to become certified as well.

Certification: the beginning, not the end

Earning certification is just the start of the journey. Rather than being a final milestone, it opens the door to real-world coaching experiences.

With our training and expertise, we are excited to help more organizations explore and implement Holacracy!