Would you like to build or transition your organization into a democratic workplace? Here is a general overview of what it takes to get there:
1 :: Commitment, Confusion and Clarity
We’ve found that there are three general phases to becoming a democratic organization – making the commitment, inevitable confusion, and eventually clarity.
The first step is to get the top leaders of an organization committed to becoming a democratic organization. Although organizational democracy can start at any level, in order for it to be sustainable, you have to have commitment from the top.
Once you start the process, there will be inevitable confusion, dead-ends and tweaks that need to occur. Democracy can be messy and is not for everyone. But in the end, the clarity will come – as well as a healthy, profitable, and thriving democratic organization.
2 :: Implement the 10 Principles of Organizational Democracy
After accepting the three C’s of the organizational democracy implementation process, the second phase is the core of the process.
Begin by looking at each one of the 10 principles of organizational democracy and determine which principles you already practice and which ones you need to still implement.
Next it’s important to know that there is no “cookie-cutter” approach to organizational democracy. You need to find the best practices of the principles that work for your organization’s size, scope, vision and goals. There are plenty of examples and tools on our website, so discover some great ideas and put them to work for you.
The key to remember is that you can’t just follow a few of the principles — you need to implement all ten democratic principles in order to truly have a successful democratic organization.
3 :: A Continual Evolution
Organizational democracy is both a means and an end goal. It’s a way of thinking and interacting with others that is built on authentic dialogue. Your practice of it must continually evolve and strengthen as your organization grows and adapts to the needs of your team and the world.
