Hi Reader, In Pim’s latest newsletter, he shared how we bought and transformed Indaero into a self-managing company. But what if you’re not the owner? What if you’re the transformation agent or consultant leading the charge? How do you make it work when you don’t have the power to make unilateral decisions? For the past month, I’ve been deep in the mechanics of self-management transformations, analyzing Q&A sessions from our Masterclass cohorts with Jabi Salcedo from the consulting team K2K. Jabi and his colleagues have spent years doing what many organizations only dream about—ditching hierarchy and building companies that run on trust, autonomy, and collective decision-making. But let’s be real: this stuff is hard. You don’t just wake up one day and say, “Hey, let’s be self-managing now!” and expect it to work. Self-management isn’t a switch—it’s a process. And it’s messy. So how do you do it without completely derailing your company? K2K’s method is one of the most structured, no-nonsense approaches I’ve seen. It’s practical, battle-tested, and most importantly—it works. Here’s the playbook. Step 1: Get Your House in Order (3-4 Months)Before you even think about making the leap, talk to the people who can kill the transformation before it even starts.
Why this matters: Step 2: Get Employees Involved Early (3 Months)Self-management doesn’t work unless people actually want it.
Why this matters: Step 3: Diagnose Before You Operate (2 Months)Once employees say yes, the deep dive begins.
Why this matters: Step 4: Move Fast or Get Stuck in Chaos (3-4 Months)This is where companies screw up. They say, “Let’s go slow so people can adjust.” Wrong. Slow kills momentum. Slow confuses people. Slow creates chaos. Once people are on board, you act fast. The first three changes happen immediately:
Why this matters: Step 5: Train People How to Function Without Bosses (40-80 Hours of Training)If you think people can just “figure it out,” you’re setting them up for failure. These training is not optional.
At K2K, employees go through 40-80 hours of training to build these skills. It’s not just about learning—it’s about creating a common language so everyone is on the same page. Our Self-Management Bootcamp is perfect for this. Why this matters: Step 6: Adjust, Iterate, ImproveNo company gets it perfect on Day 1. Self-management isn’t a destination—it’s a system that keeps evolving.
Why this matters: The Bottom Line: K2K’s Process WorksK2K’s approach is the blueprint in structured transformation. It’s not magic. It’s not a guessing game. It’s a clear, step-by-step process that helps companies ditch hierarchy, avoid chaos, and actually make self-management work. If you’re serious about making this happen in your organization, follow the structure. Don’t half-ass it. Don’t skip steps. Do the work, and the results will follow. Ready to Build a Self-Managing Organization? This is exactly what we help companies do in our 6-week Corporate Rebels Masterclass. If you’re ready to go beyond theory and start designing your own self-managing organization, our next cohorts kick off in March & April. Spots are limited—secure yours today. Updates from Corporate Rebels HQHere's a quick overview of everything happening at Corporate Rebels:
New articleA new article has been published on our blog earlier this week:
What inspired usHere's something noteworthy we discovered this past week that you’re going to love:
Cheers,
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