Getting your player ready...
Are you as disenchanted with your employer as you are with the economy? Tired of working for top-heavy companies with antiquated management principles and an inability to anticipate and respond to a crisis? Consider searching for a job with an employer that embraces democracy in the workplace.
Traci Fenton, founder of WorldBlu, a company that focuses on democratic business design, describes organizational democracy as “freedom within a business framework.” She says, “We are in an age of participation and cooperation and influence that we’ve never seen before. This requires a democratic style of business.” Qualities to look for While not every company embraces identical values with regard to organizational democracy, Fenton advises professionals to look for these characteristics: Leadership happens at every level of the organization, not just at the top. Employees are paid for the value they bring to the organization, not their job titles. Everyone knows to whom and for what they’re accountable. Transparency isn’t considered scary. Formality and polices are avoided in favor of informality and principles. Humor and having fun is actually encouraged. Change equals life, not death. Incentives aren’t used to motivate employees – meaningful work is. Failure is seen as a right-of-passage to success. Thinking differently and challenging assumptions is encouraged. Questions to ask When interviewing with a company, ask plenty of questions about the organizational philosophies it practices. “Inquire about democracy,” Fenton says. “Ask, ‘Will I have a voice here? Will I have a vote? Will I have a say as to who is on my team? Does accountability go both ways?'” Look for answers that will indicate decentralized power and a transparent culture in which you’ll have a voice. Have a discussion about the company’s purpose and vision to make certain it is compatible with yours. Believing that the best indicator of a democratic workplace is when a company practices open-book management, she recommends, “You should be able to look at real-time financial information about your organization’s performance anytime you want.” Getting hired
