The name Teal Partners was not chosen randomly. A 'teal' organization is built on employee autonomy and self-management. The dictionary defines self-management as "the ability to lead yourself. What does it mean in practice? We asked some colleagues at Teal Partners.
Wido Steenmans (26) works as a developer. After studying Electronics & ICT and completing his internship, he quickly ended up at Teal Partners, where he has been working for three years.
"I was intentionally seeking a job in a smaller company since I didn't want to be a number. My interview at Teal Partners was my first job interview ever. Everything sounded great: the personal approach, the no-nonsense way of working, the philosophy of self-direction. I must admit, I was suspicious (laughs). It all sounded too good to be true. I went to interview with some other companies, but I decided to take the plunge. Fortunately, all those 'too good to be trues' turned out to be the real deal.
That first interview was not with 'someone from hr', as in a traditional company. I spoke with three of my future colleagues. It was great to get to know them right away. Through self-management, you not only take more ownership of your own work, but also of other tasks in the company, like hr or marketing.
The absence of hierarchy means that things progress faster. I like to do meetings with clients myself. Elsewhere, that is often the task of a project manager. No one is going to walk away with the credit for your work. On the other side, there's no way to hide. You take responsibility for your actions in an environment where you're allowed to make mistakes.
One particular effect of self-direction is that you feel supported by the team. If you take responsibility, instead of looking to a boss, and the rest of your team does too, you are never alone. There are no bosses opening umbrellas or employees shifting responsibility to a higher level. Together you solve everything.
Through self-management, you not only take more ownership of your own work, but also of other tasks in the company, like hr or marketing.
I understand that the idea of self-management can seem somewhat floaty. But applied to our company, we notice that it works. Some people like hierarchy because it provides a handhold. For them, a Teal organization is probably not a good fit. The success of self-management depends on the team and the founders' personalities. They have to dare to hand over a lot. Koen and Jelle feel comfortable with that.
I think the size of the company also matters. Growth comes with growing pains. We doubled in size in a few years, and with forty people, self-management is different than it is with three. It's trial and error where the principles are not set in stone. But we don't solve problems by appointing managers. We tried that, and it didn't work. If a team gets stuck, we split into smaller groups that can pick up speed. Because of our open communication, things always work out.
The success of self-management depends on the team and the founders' personalities. They have to dare to hand over a lot. Koen and Jelle feel comfortable with that.
I would have difficulty getting used to a hierarchical structure. It's nice that I can choose my working hours. But it is much more than that: I feel part of the whole here. Together we work towards the same goal. Together we tell our story."
I'm currently working on an internal project called VIREN. VIREN helps companies in rule-driven industries make better financial decisions using artificial intelligence. I also signed up for the Growth team because I am interested in marketing. For example, I help our sales and marketing responsible, Isabelle, choose articles for the newsletter."
