WHAT IS PARTICIPATIVE MANAGEMENT?

Participative management is a method, which gives employees responsibility, accountability, and appropriate authority over their work. The method provides simple tools for employees to improve their work performance and positively impact the bottom line. The process provides an environment to make employee needs known and creates a vehicle for improved communication between all areas of the organization. What differentiates this work is that people’s recommendations are actually implemented and acted upon. People solve their own issues and feel empowered within the process of doing so.

BE PATIENT, THIS IS THEORETICAL TO BEGIN WITH 

Executives and employees learn to redesign their workplace to be participative and self-managing. This does not mean you do away with management.  People are not asked to do things that they are not capable of accomplishing. There may well be training involved to increase abilities of emplyees.  This does not resemble laissez-faire management in any way. Managers and employees look at a piece of work and ask what roles and responsibilities need to be placed within the boundaries of the work in order to achieve individual and organization goals? The idea is to allow as much responsibility, accountability, and reasonable authority to people actually doing the work. Participative management addresses the criteria for superior performance. These proven points have been extensively studied, in the plant tested in every country with surprising results in many types of work environments. Participative management produces a labor force that is dedicated to attaining positive outcomes for their companies for example improved production and quality. People are engaged and motivated and are willing to put forth more personal energy to improve work performance. Participative management works best when the organization has a clear and compelling mission and vision. Employees can then align their personal mission and vision to support the organization.

Participative Management provides goal clarity while management retains organizational control without appearing overly dominant. There is still a hierarchy but it is not a dominant hierarchy, which dictates everything to employees. A non-dominant hierarchy has as many levels as are necessary to do the work of the organization.  People have clear roles and responsibilities and manage themselves as much as possible. Leadership notifies their people what the strategies and expectations are relative to outcomes but permits the people to shape and figure out how deliver on management’s requirements. Top management still decides strategy and front line employees still focus on their primary tasks.

Leadership, in a majority of organizations, is frequently endeavoring to motivate people to be more occupied with organizational improvement. People run up against a brick wall because of the bureaucratic structures that still exist in their organizations. This occurs even after many attempts at improvement. Management has not made it to people’s advantage to participate, communicate, and share what they know with teammates.

HERE THE THEORETICAL BECOMES PRACTICAL – PROFIT & SUCCESS!

Examples of participative management…

Results working with Participative management consultant-business at a Manufacturing Plant were dramatic.

Productivity: 2500 lbs per hour to 4000 lbs. More than 50% improvement

Waste: scrap and reject reduced 85% 

Safety: 6 incidents to once a year

People’s ability to participate has greatly improved the speed and quality of production.

Mental Health Clinic helped turn around the performance and increase productivity.

Increased face time with clients by 33%.

Freedom to choose preferred assignment

Greater fit between the individuals interests and skills improves both the quality of service and overall morale.

Long-term Results: created cross-functional teams, Improved communication, other clinics use the work to improve their own work processes. 

Oil Company in Canada

40% increase in productivity with minimal technical changes.

Costs were reduced 20%.

If organizations want to create an environment where people give their best and create positive results then Participative Management is a useful and practical tool. These are methods that honor people and the creative talent they have to offer. With Participative Management all stakeholders win- management, employees, clients and the community. 

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