Discover how Haze Shift, a Brazilian innovation consulting firm, achieved 90% role clarity, 35% fewer meetings, and boosted its Customer Health Score from 86.1 to 94.3 by transforming its organizational model with unFIX, replacing hierarchies with autonomous teams and agile governance.

This use case was written by **Maria Raicoski**, Head of Operations and People at **Haze Shift**, who played a key role in leading this organizational transformation.

Haze Shift is a Brazilian innovation consultancy specializing in strategic design and committed to delivering memorable results.

The company focuses on unlocking the innovation potential of organizations by connecting and empowering people to act as positive change agents within their businesses.

Its innovation programs contribute to the development of broader ecosystems by strengthening the networks that are shaping the future. Through agile and human-centered approaches, Haze Shift helps organizations redefine the relationship between people and business, generating positive social and economic impact.

Since 2023, Haze Shift has been driving innovation in its organizational structure by adopting unFIX, a flexible model that replaces traditional hierarchies with autonomous crews and strategic forums. This transformation was driven by the need to quickly adapt to the market while promoting autonomy, collaboration, and operational efficiency.

After two years of implementation, the results are clear: more agile teams, improved workflow clarity, and a more sustainable management model.

Timeline

Transition began: January 2023
Ongoing results: evaluated quarterly through internal surveys

People involved

The organizational transformation with unFIX involved the entire Haze Shift team, with strategic support from the global unFIX community and our spin-off Inovadores & Inquietos, focused on organizational experimentation.

Leadership played a crucial role in tailoring the model to the company’s specific context, ensuring balance between flexibility, efficiency, and strategic alignment.

Challenges and opportunities

Adopting the unFIX model brought valuable challenges and learning opportunities. A key challenge was transitioning from traditional team networks to the crew-based logic, which required a new approach to collaboration and leadership.

In the versatile design proposed by unFIX, crews differ from conventional teams in one crucial aspect: there is no line manager. Instead, the Crew Leader is responsible for managing the system and leading people without concentrating career decisions like promotions or compensation. To address this, Haze Shift introduced the Career Leader role, intentionally separating delivery management from professional development. This decision reinforces principles from Management 3.0, prioritizing stronger relationships and organizational climate, and fostering people-centered leadership.

On the other hand, the opportunities were transformational. The model significantly increased team autonomy, allowing each crew to have greater control over decisions. Strategic collaboration also improved, particularly with the creation of the Strategic Planning Forum, which enabled continuous alignment between teams and organizational goals. Moreover, the modular unFIX structure allowed for quick adjustments without unnecessary bureaucracy.

Objectives

Create a more adaptable and flexible organization to respond quickly to market changes.
Redefine roles and responsibilities to foster distributed and effective leadership.
Improve team collaboration and decision-making processes.
Continuously measure the model’s impact and iterate accordingly.

Initiatives

The transition to unFIX involved a complete overhaul of how Haze Shift structures its teams and deliveries. The first step was replacing traditional hierarchies with value stream–oriented crews, enhancing the connection between teams and the company’s strategic goals.

An agile governance model was also established, based on strategic forums like Haze Labs and Reimagining the Future, which became essential for process automation, knowledge sharing, and team alignment.
Communication was key throughout the transition, and a continuous feedback process was structured to support ongoing model refinement.

Technology adoption was also critical. Automation tools and task management platforms were widely implemented to decentralize decision-making without sacrificing efficiency. Additionally, Haze Shift introduced multiple AI agents (Silas, Zoey, Vera, Lia, and Theo) to automate processes across sales, operations, finance, and services—enhancing workflows, supporting data-driven decisions, and reinforcing governance practices.

unFIX in our journey

We approached unFIX not just as a structural shift, but as a catalyst for cultural transformation. With crew autonomy and agile governance, unFIX enabled a wave of initiatives that are reshaping how we work and fostering a sustainable innovation model.

1) 4-Day Workweek (4DW)

By integrating unFIX with the 4-Day Workweek, we implemented a flexible work model without compromising productivity or delivery quality. The autonomy of crews allowed for continuous testing and adjustment of this reduced schedule, resulting in greater creativity, engagement, and well-being.

👉 Learn more about our 4-Day Workweek here

2) Haze Labs and Agile Governance

Within the unFIX model, Haze Labs played a key role as an innovation forum, enabling crews to co-create solutions to internal and external challenges. Agile governance, with continuous feedback cycles and team autonomy, allowed structural changes to stay aligned with operational needs.

3) Remote First: Flexibility and Efficiency

unFIX strengthened Haze Shift’s Remote First culture, boosting the efficiency and flexibility of remote work. Crew autonomy and decentralized decision-making enhanced team integration and agility, maintaining consistent performance across the board.

Results

The transition to unFIX brought significant evolution to Haze Shift’s organizational structure. Our quarterly effectiveness surveys revealed an increase in organizational maturity from 3.7 to 4.1. Over the past two years, our Customer Health Score (CHS) also improved considerably, rising from 86.1 to 90.8 in 2023, and reaching 94.3 in 2024, clearly reflecting the positive impact of the new model on customer experience and delivery quality.

Another key outcome was a 35% reduction in time spent in meetings, driven by redesigned meeting structures and the adoption of asynchronous processes. This led to more strategic, focused conversations.

Additionally, 90% of team members reported greater clarity regarding their roles and goals, directly enhancing delivery quality and team agility.

The company’s adaptability also improved significantly. With a more modular model, Haze Shift was able to implement strategic changes with minimal impact on productivity. Teams began working in a more integrated way, and decentralized decision-making enabled organizational shifts to happen more fluidly and dynamically.

Model Evolution Over the Years

Current State of Haze Shift’s unFIX Model in 2025

How unFIX Enabled the Success of the 4DW

The 4-Day Workweek (4DW) at Haze Shift was more than just a change in working hours – it marked a deep cultural transformation. The unFIX model was essential to making this transition possible by providing teams with the autonomy and flexibility needed for successful implementation.

The Role of unFIX in Supporting the 4-Day Workweek

By giving crews greater autonomy and decentralizing decision-making, unFIX created the right environment for implementing a shorter workweek. Teams could organize their workflows more efficiently and adapt quickly, maintaining both productivity and quality without compromising employee well-being.

Visible Results: Greater Satisfaction and Less Anxiety

The 4-Day Workweek pilot, supported by unFIX, delivered clear benefits for our team:

61.5% decrease in frequent work-related frustration, indicating an improved quality of life
38.5% reduction in anxiety, showing a significant positive impact on mental health and engagement

unFIX not only enabled the 4-Day Workweek but also helped build a work environment where flexibility and productivity go hand in hand. Agile governance and empowered teams were key to making this shift possible, and the measurable results in both productivity and well-being confirm the success of this approach.

Best Practices and Lessons Learned

Role Redefinition: New roles focused on individual development and value delivery strengthened our organizational culture.

Autonomy and Collaboration: Decentralized decision-making gave teams greater control over their work.

Continuous Measurement: Quarterly surveys enabled iterative model refinement.

Community Connection: Engagement with the unFIX community helped refine our transition and avoid common pitfalls.

Remote First & Flexibility: Boosted collaboration, with teams working independently yet staying aligned.

AI Agents for Process Optimization: Enabled faster decision-making and freed up teams to focus on high-value tasks.

Conclusion: The Continuous Evolution of unFIX at Haze Shift

Our journey with unFIX was not just a structural change but a cultural transformation. The model enhanced autonomy, organizational clarity, and the overall work experience.

We learned that agile organizations require flexible and adaptable systems. Today, unFIX is embedded in the DNA of Haze Shift, supporting our continuous evolution and inspiring others to rethink how they work for a more dynamic and sustainable future.

💡 What is M3K?

M3K is the next evolution of Management 3.0 and The unFIX Company, created to help leaders and organizations thrive in an AI-driven world.

We combine human-centric leadership with intelligent systems to redefine the future of work.

Let’s explore the future of leadership together! 🌟

unFIX in practice: how Haze Shift revolutionized its organizational structure to boost agility and collaboration