Holacracy Triage Session Template

The Holacracy triage session is a stripped-down working meeting whose only job is to clear tensions fast. It mirrors the triage portion of a tactical meeting but drops the checklist and metrics rounds, making it ideal for a circle that needs to process a backlog of operational items without a full agenda.

When to use it

Use a triage session when operational tensions are piling up between regular meetings, when a circle is moving fast and needs frequent short syncs, or when you want a focused block purely for converting blockers into actions. It complements the weekly tactical rather than replacing it.

Who attends

The circle members holding the relevant roles, usually three to ten people. A facilitator drives the triage and protects the format, and a secretary captures every next-action, project, and request so the work is not lost when the meeting ends.

How to run it

Open with a quick check-in, then build a one-word agenda with no discussion. The work is the triage itself: take items one at a time, and for each one ask the person who raised it what they actually need. The output is always concrete, a next-action they will do, a project to track, or a request to another role. The rest of the circle exists to help that owner get unblocked, not to debate the topic broadly. Have the secretary read back the captures so nothing slips, then close with a short round. Speed comes from discipline: one item, one owner, one clear output, then move on.

Facilitator tips

• Serve the item owner; the circle helps them, it does not hijack the topic.
• Force a concrete output for every item: next-action, project, or request.
• Keep agenda building free of discussion so triage stays fast.
• Read back the captures before closing so nothing is dropped.

Common mistakes

• Letting an item sprawl into open debate instead of serving the owner.
• Ending an item with a vague agreement and no captured action.
• Sneaking role or policy changes into triage instead of governance.
• Forgetting to record requests made to other roles.

Clear your tension backlog without the overhead. Run it in OrgTP and keep every next-action, project, and request captured and visible.