Transa's Organic Transformation: From Hierarchy to Self-Management in the Swiss Alps
While exploring the website of Swiss outdoor company Transa, it was hard not to draw parallels with the California-based giant Patagonia. But where Patagonia is a singular brand, Transa takes it a step further, offering a variety of products from different brands, alongside services such as a repair center and gear consultations. Their slogan, "Raus. Aber richtig." ("Go outside. But be prepared.") captures their no-nonsense approach to outdoor adventure perfectly.
Founded in the mid-1970s by Beat Stünzi, Till Lincke, and Jakob Huber, inspired by an eye-opening safari in Africa, Transa grew from a humble garage operation selling high-quality expedition equipment into a company with 440 employees across 1 headquarter and 10 branches - proving that adventure can fuel business success without sacrificing values.
Inspired by Laloux's "Reinventing Organizations," Transa began exploring self-management approaches in 2016 and by 2018, it boldly ditched the traditional C-suite, implementing new decision-making structures and embracing a more collaborative way of working.
But Transa’s journey is more than just a growth story—it’s a transformation process inspired primarily by Sociocracy 3.0. In my conversations with Martin Eisenhut (Organizational Development) and Jenny Zehnder (Marketing & Communications), we delved deeper into Transa’s unique path and the valuable lessons it has to offer the world.
A balancing act: Internal and external dynamics
Transa’s shift toward self-management presents an intriguing question: How does one balance transformation at an organizational level while keeping sight of daily operations and ensuring a customer-centric approach?
Internally, Transa focuses on developing resilient structures, investing time, space, and intention into personal development, and maintaining harmony within the organization. This includes fostering an environment where employees can grow and develop their skills, supported by the organizational structure.
Externally, Transa is driven by market forces and customer needs. The company strives to remain responsive to market demands, requiring a flexible and adaptive approach. The tension between internal stability and external adaptability is a recurring theme, requiring continuous adjustment and balance.
Organic transformation vs. rigid frameworks: let go of the cookie cutter
Transa’s organic transformation allows the organization to adapt its structure gradually, making it less threatening to departments and teams. This approach fosters curiosity and broadens horizons without jeopardizing existing structures. Transa avoids using a one-size-fits-all management system like Holacracy and instead fosters a dynamic approach that evolves new structures in line with the needs of the organization’s members through trial and error.
Systems like Holacracy can sometimes act like a cookie cutter, cutting out valuable potential by sticking to the framework. This is not the case for everyone, but it is something to be aware of when choosing full framework implementations.
By allowing old structures to coexist with new methods and decision-making patterns, Transa encourages a collaborative environment where employees can explore new ways of working together. This creates a space for innovation and learning by creating healthy tension, allowing the organization to evolve naturally.
The power of co-creation and inclusivity
A significant hallmark of Transa’s transformation is its commitment to co-creation and inclusivity. Changes are not dictated from the top down; instead, they emerge through joint meetings and collaborative decision-making processes. This inclusivity ensures all voices are heard, encouraging a sense of ownership and shared vision among employees.
Involving teams and departments early in decision-making processes fosters commitment and ownership, reducing resistance to change. This collective investment shapes a collective vision for the organization’s future.
Managing tension and resistance: embracing the pushback
One of the challenges faced by Transa during its transformation is managing tension that arises when teams adopt changes at different paces. As the intersection between teams no longer functions effectively, tension (often dissatisfaction) can build. Transa cleverly used these moments to transition traditionally organized teams to a role-based design, allowing each to evolve at its own speed while keeping the overall transformation intent intact.
This approach acts like a “pressure relief valve,” enabling teams to gradually adopt new roles and navigate their transformations smoothly. By carefully managing the timing of these changes, Transa ensures that any dissatisfaction is addressed promptly, preventing the buildup of excessive tension. Though this results in a hybrid system temporarily, it also supports a gradual shift towards self-management at a time when teams are ready.
The role of timeframes and milestones
A key insight from Transa’s journey is the critical role of setting clear timeframes and milestones. Despite the flexibility of their organic approach, without clear endpoints, employees may feel stuck in a constant state of change, unable to see tangible results, which can lead to exhaustion and disengagement.
Setting specific timeframes and milestones not only provides direction, but also helps manage expectations, recognize progress, and build a sense of accomplishment. It allows employees to pause, reflect, and recognize their achievements.
Moreover, it creates a rhythm which is crucial for maintaining motivation and momentum. A structured change plan also boosts transparency, allowing the organization to learn from deviations and apply those insights to future steps, which is essential for continuous improvements and keeping the transformation dynamic and purposeful.
Communicating structure and clarity
From the beginning, Transa prioritized structure and clarity in its transformation. Initially, the absence of rigid processes relied heavily on person-to-person interactions. The introduction of structured methods was largely welcomed, as employees understood the need for clarity in their roles.
One example is their decentralized HR process. When a team identifies a hiring need, they draft a job description refined by HR for bias and diversity. The team leads the hiring process, fostering shared responsibility. This decentralized approach extends to performance feedback and role-fitting, promoting 360-degree feedback and a culture of continuous improvement.
Understanding and managing resistance
Resistance is a natural part of any transformation. Often, it arises not from fundamental opposition but from a lack of understanding and clarity about new priorities. As Martin Eisenhut notes, “Resistance is not typically against the transformation itself but arises when personal priorities clash with project goals.”
This moment of truth can be a turning point. When individuals align personal and organizational priorities, they become more deeply invested in the transformation. Resistance is natural as people move through stages of acceptance and adaptation, but recognizing and addressing these conflicts early on can significantly reduce resistance and smooth the transformation process. Clear and effective communication is key, as it helps employees understand the changes and see how they align with the organization’s goals.
Integrating organizational development with daily operations
Transa recognizes the challenge of separating organizational development from daily operations. Creating distinct spaces for organizational changes without it intersecting with everyday activities is difficult. Some unexpected and unrelated issues attributed to the transformation can lead to confusion.
Standardized governance meetings have been key to this integration, providing a regular forum for discussing and managing processes. This structure allows Transa to stay agile while completing transformation projects and ensuring ongoing adaptability.
The transparency introduced by these meetings brings hidden issues to light, enabling comprehensive problem-solving. This approach ensures that issues are promptly identified and addressed, preventing them from derailing the transformation efforts or daily operations. It makes sure organizational development remains a continuous aspect of Transa’s operational strategy rather than a standalone initiative.
Relationship-centric approach
At the heart of Transa’s culture is a strong focus on relationships. This relational emphasis is evident in the company’s response to change, particularly in HR and customer-facing roles. Building strong relationships improves hiring practices, onboarding experiences, and team dynamics.
Encouraging employees to take ownership of challenges fosters a deeper connection to the organizational context, empowering them in their roles. This relationship-centric approach ensures that employees feel engaged and invested in the company’s future.
External perception and feedback
Interestingly, Transa’s transformational efforts initially went unnoticed by the external world. By focusing on internal changes first, they established a solid foundation before seeking external validation. Over time, as the transformation solidified, curiosity grew from customers and partners, showcasing the importance of internal clarity before external messaging.
This approach allowed Transa to boost efficiency and service without compromising quality, ultimately winning the trust of customers, suppliers, and other external stakeholders
Culture and people-centric transformation
Transa’s transformation journey is deeply rooted in its culture and people. By driving change from a place of curiosity rather than fear, where clear processes, KPIs, and performance measures support but do not dominate the transformation, they create an environment where employees feel empowered to voice their ideas.
Conversations often occur organically—over coffee or during team meetings—reflecting the inclusive and open nature of Transa’s culture. This balance ensures that both the structural and human aspects of transformation are navigated thoughtfully.
Balancing idealism with economic thinking
Balancing idealism with economic pragmatism is one of the most challenging aspects of transformation. Transa recognizes that solely focusing on idealistic beliefs can lead to practical failures, while purely economic thinking may overshadow the company’s values.
To achieve a harmonious balance, Transa continuously evaluates its approach, ensuring that both purpose and profitability are prioritized in every aspect of the organization. This self-awareness enables them to maintain their mission while remaining economically viable.
Final thoughts: The importance of relationships and balance
The essence of Transa’s transformation lies in the interplay between relationships and organizational structure. Strong connections among employees foster a culture of trust and collaboration, enabling healthy tension and debate—essential components for growth and innovation.
Transa’s journey shows that successful transformation isn’t about choosing between structure and culture, or idealism and economic thinking. Instead, it’s about integrating these elements in a way that supports the organization’s vision and goals. This process demands time, effort, and a deep commitment to building resilience through respectful communication, transparency, and balance.
As Transa evolves, its experience stands as a powerful example of an inclusive, relationship-driven transformation. By addressing both the human and structural sides of change, they have built a resilient organization ready to tackle the challenges of the future.
In conclusion, the central message of Transa's transformation journey highlights the importance of balancing structure with culture, and idealism with economic thinking, to foster sustainable change. Key takeaways include:
- Balancing structure and culture: Transa emphasizes the significance of maintaining a balance between implementing clear structures and nurturing a supportive organizational culture. Both elements are essential for driving meaningful change and innovation.
- Integration of idealism and economic thinking: Rather than favoring one over the other, Transa recognizes the need to harmonize idealistic beliefs with practical economic considerations, ensuring a purpose-driven yet financially sustainable organization.
- Inclusive decision-making and relationship building: The success of Transa's transformation hinges on inclusive decision-making processes and strong interpersonal relationships. By involving employees and fostering open communication, Transa creates a supportive environment for change.
- Continuous learning and adaptation: Transa’s journey underscores the importance of continuous learning, and remaining agile and responsive to evolving internal and external dynamics. Transformation is an ongoing process, not a one-time event.
- Transparency and communication: Effective communication and transparency are critical throughout the transformation journey. Keeping employees informed and engaged builds trust and alignment, facilitating smoother transitions.
Ultimately, Transa’s experience shows that successful organizational change requires a holistic approach that integrates structure, culture, idealism, and economic thinking while prioritizing inclusivity, transparency, and continuous learning.
