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"Our company involves everyone from the clerks in the mailroom to the president in decisions." Sounds like a dream come true, doesn't it? Everyone's opinion counts. No one's ideas are ignored just because of title (or lack thereof). A truly democratic process that makes people feel needed--it empowers them.
But that's until you find that your staffers are starting to challenge all your ideas. Or perhaps you find that the staff is more concerned with voicing its opinion than in getting work done. Then there are all those ideas that, however well-meaning, are off the mark, impractical, or just plain stupid. You soon realize that participative management wasn't what Mae West had in mind when she said that too much of a good thing is wonderful.
A Step at a Time
This is not to say that participative management is wrong or impractical. To the contrary, it can boost morale, increase productivity, and give otherwise "invisible" people a chance to speak out. The problems begin when a sincere effort at participative management is allowed to degenerate into a corporate town meeting.
If your company implements a participative program, or if you want to encourage more active participation from your staffers, it has to be done slowly. Participative management can be a strong force, and when carried to extremes (however unwittingly) it can actually disrupt production and deflate department morale.
A Few Pointers
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