Temporary Roles in Holacracy: Limited Authority for Limited Work

Not all work is permanent – and not every role needs to be. Holacracy allows temporary roles: roles with expiration dates. They’re created for a specific purpose and disappear when that purpose is fulfilled.

At SI Labs, we use temporary roles for events, projects, and experiments. This pattern is closely related to role evolution - roles grow, change, and sometimes end. This article explains when and how.

When a Role Should Be Temporary

The decision between permanent and temporary role is a design decision.

Clear Indicators for Temporary Roles

1. Defined End

The work has a natural end. After this date, the role is no longer needed.

Example: “Christmas Party Organizer” – after the party, the work is done.

2. Project-Related

The role exists to achieve a specific outcome. Afterward, it’s superfluous.

Example: “Website Relaunch Lead” – after the launch, the role ends.

3. Experimental

The role is a trial. If it works, it becomes permanent. If not, it disappears.

Example: “Podcast Pilot Project” – evaluated after 6 episodes.

4. Seasonal

The work only occurs at certain times.

Example: “Trade Show Coordination” – only active during trade show season.

When a Role Should NOT Be Temporary

Ongoing work: If the accountabilities are permanently needed, a permanent role is appropriate.

Uncertainty: If it’s unclear whether the role should be temporary, start permanent and delete if needed.

Avoiding commitment: Temporary roles shouldn’t be used to keep options open.

The Proposal Template with Expiration Date

Temporary roles are created through governance like permanent ones – with an additional element.

The Proposal

“I propose to create a temporary role ‘[Name]’ with the following purpose: [Purpose].

The role has the following accountabilities:

• [Accountability 1]
• [Accountability 2]

Sunset date: [Date]. On this date, the role ends automatically unless a new governance decision extends it.”

The Sunset Date

The sunset date is the key to temporary roles. On this date:

• The role ends automatically
• All projects of the role are transferred or concluded
• The role is removed from records

Important: No further governance decision is needed to end the role. It ends through time expiration.

Extension

If the role is needed longer:

1. Someone brings a new proposal before the sunset date
2. The proposal extends the sunset date
3. Governance processes the proposal as usual

Project Roles

The most common form of temporary roles.

What a Project Role Is

A role that exists to enable a specific project. It has:

• Purpose: Achieving the project outcome
• Accountabilities: Project-related activities
• Sunset: Project end (or milestone)

When Project Roles Make Sense

Clear authority needed

The project needs a person with explicit decision authority that goes beyond normal role boundaries.

Coordination across circles

The project affects multiple circles and needs a central coordination point.

Special resources

The project has its own budget or resources that need to be managed.

Example: Project Role “App Launch”

Purpose: Successfully introduce the new app to market.

Accountabilities:

• Coordinate launch timeline
• Prepare go/no-go decision
• Ensure cross-functional alignment
• Orchestrate launch communication

Sunset: 4 weeks after launch date

Event Roles

For recurring or one-time events.

One-Time Event Roles

Example: “10-Year SI Labs Anniversary Celebration”

Purpose: Plan and execute the anniversary celebration.

Sunset: 1 week after the event.

Recurring Event Roles

Example: “Quarterly Offsite Organizer”

Purpose: Plan and execute quarterly offsites.

Here the role can be permanent (recurring) or temporary with renewal (reconfirm each quarter).

Event Roles vs. Accountabilities in Permanent Roles

Sometimes event organization belongs to a permanent role (“Office Management” also organizes the Christmas party). A separate temporary role only makes sense when:

• The event is outside normal work
• Special authority is needed
• A different person can do it better

Sunset Mechanisms

How roles end cleanly.

Automatic Sunset

The simplest: The role ends on the defined date. No decision needed.

Preparation:

• 2-4 weeks before sunset: Transfer or complete projects
• 1 week before sunset: Final documentation
• Sunset date: Role ends

Trigger-Based Sunset

Instead of a date, an event:

“This role ends when [event occurs].”

Example: “This role ends when the migration is completed.”

Advantage: More flexible with unclear timeframe. Disadvantage: Can drag on endlessly if the event isn’t clearly defined.

Review-Based Sunset

“This role will be reviewed on [date]. If no extension decision is made, it ends.”

This forces a conscious decision about continuation.

Temporary vs. Permanent Roles: Decision Guide

A checklist:

Question	If Yes →	If No →
Does the work have a clear end?	Temporary	Permanent
Is the work project-related?	Temporary	Permanent
Will the work be needed recurrently?	Permanent	Temporary
Is it an experiment?	Temporary (with review)	Permanent
Am I unsure?	Permanent (easier to delete)	-

The Default

When in doubt: Start permanent. Permanent roles can be deleted anytime through governance. Temporary roles that are needed permanently require active extension.

Temporary Roles at SI Labs

Our experiences:

What We’ve Learned

Take sunset dates seriously. When a role ends, it ends. This forces clean closure.

Not too many at once. Many temporary roles create administrative overhead. We use them targeted, not inflationary.

Projects don’t always need roles. Sometimes a project within an existing role is enough. The temporary role is the tool for larger undertakings.

Typical Challenges

• Forgetting that a role ends (calendar reminders help)
• Emotional farewell to temporary roles (“But I was so good at it!”)
• Unclear sunset definitions (“when the project is finished” – what does finished mean?)

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Research Methodology

This article is based on the Holacracy Constitution and our practical experience with temporary roles at SI Labs.

Source selection:

• Holacracy Constitution and official materials
• Practitioner experiences from the Holacracy network

Limitations: Temporary roles are less standardized than permanent ones. Practice varies between organizations.

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Disclosure

SI Labs GmbH has practiced Holacracy for over ten years. We regularly use temporary roles for projects and events.

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Sources

[1] Robertson, Brian J. “Holacracy.” In The Management Shift, edited by Vlatka Hlupic, 145-168. Chichester: Wiley, 2012. DOI: 10.1002/9781119197683.ch9 [Book Chapter | N/A | Citations: N/A | Quality: 60/100]