Recently, the consulting giant Deloitte interviewed me for their internal newsletter called Decibel, which goes out to over 146,000 employees. They were very interested in organizational democracy and how it could relate to their world of work.

I had a great talk with the guy who wrote the story and he was hopeful that Deloitte was taking steps, however small, towards becoming more democratic. I thought the way he wrote the article was really fun – he said I “spoke with the passion and conviction of a Vince Lombardi pre-game speech,” so I thought I’d share it with you here. Enjoy!

Nothing to Prove: Organizational Democracy
By Patrick Mobley

A recent email bubbled to the top of my inbox, aided by a creative header. The mail told me to get naked at work. The message came courtesy of acolleague, who last week forwarded Traci Fenton’s article, “Make Your Workplace More Democratic: Initiate Change from the Bottom (or Middle!) Up.”

Fenton is the founder and CEO of WorldBlu, Inc., which claims to be the world’s only business design studio specializing in organizational democracy. I recently spoke with Fenton.

From the outset you could tell she was dedicated to her philosophy and spoke with the passion and conviction of a Vince Lombardi pre-game speech. She focused on what she termed a new style of organizational design and leadership. She placed the spotlight on increasing collaboration among all levels of a corporation without regard to status or opinion. In Fenton’s world, everyone has a say.

Fenton made it clear that both the organizational leader and employee must not be consumed by the feeling that he or she has something to prove. Rather, the leader and employee must understand the power of teamwork among all levels to reach a decision. According to Fenton, all of this leads to higher morale, quicker distribution of products, and lower employee turnover. It sounded like a corporate Garden of Eden (although my garden would also include an all-you-can-eat buffet and midday massages).

Her articles listed ‘10 Principles for a Democratic Workplace’, the product of a decade of research. She also offers ideas for how people can implement these principles in their organizations. Getting “naked” was top on the list. I wondered how this would all translate to our world, the year-end process, and whether exposing myself would get me to that elusive ‘1′ or get me floored with the first ‘6′ in firm history.

The 10 principles:

1. Get naked.
Be as authentic, open, and as transparent as possible. In your next meeting, don’t have a hidden agenda. Share what you might otherwise keep secret. Watch how it helps build trust with others.

2. Have a conversation.
Don’t perpetuate the dysfunctional silence that characterizes most companies. Invite people to engage in a dialogue about the issues that matter.

3. Loathe rankism.
Treat others fairly and with dignity. Forget the high school clique mentality of treating people like “somebodys” or “nobodys.”

4. Understand the meaning of life.
Understand what your purpose and vision is for your life and make sure it’s
aligned with the work you are doing. If it’s not, think about changing or
finding a new job.

5. Point fingers.
This finger pointing is not to be done in the typical blaming way, but
instead in a liberating way. Get clear about who is responsible for what and
then hold yourself and others accountable.

6. The individual is as important as the whole.
Each person has unique gifts. Overcome the feeling of being a cog in the
machine by recognizing the value each person plays in achieving collective
goals.

7. One size doesn’t fit all.
Do what you can to make sure you and your colleagues have a choice
regarding the kind of work they do and the schedule they work. Choices
keep people from feeling trapped.

8. Have backbone.
Integrity is the name of the game, so make sure all work is done ethically.
Freedom takes discipline.

9. Be vain.
Commit yourself to looking in the mirror each day and asking, “How can I
be better?” Reflection leads to improvements that help you and your
company perform on a whole new level.

10. Say no to pyramid schemes.
Although there are times where we all want to pull a power-trip, don’t. Do
what you can to empower your colleagues by distributing power rather than
hoarding it.

Get a buddy, start practicing these principles, and watch the results. The
best way to win at work is to create an environment in which everyone can
thrive. Find a way to make progress in a democratic direction each day,
and your workplace will never be the same again.

Closer to home
Many of these principles can be seen in the Deloitte member firms’ culture.
They exemplify some of what works here and they are also laden with
truths about some things we need to fix. According to Fenton, leadership in
a democratic workplace should not be centered on command and control.
The old image of your boss, Ebenezer Scrooge, who looked down upon you
with no regard for anyone’s wellbeing, will now be replaced with a more
open and honest leader: Dr. Phil. According to Fenton, ‘Dr. Phil’ will lead by
example, hear your opinions, and work with you to solve a problem.

Deloitte Consulting recently began rolling out a new program called Mass
Career Customization (MCC). This allows employees to manage and shape
their careers according to the expectations they have in life. This will
provide more flexibility to — among other things — work from home, raise
children, or participate in community events. Fenton said this program
exhibited steps 6 and 7 of her 10 principles. She was pleased to hear that
such a large company was taking measures to develop a democratic
workplace.