Participate in this!

Democracy is an old and tired system. In the modern form it has evolved from the flowering of British republicanism mixed with the secret societies that conspired to launch the American Revolution, into a system citizens barely care exists.

The organisation I work for challenges the ideas of a democratic mandate and promotes the vision of a participative culture. That everyone affected by a decision should participate in the decision making process. That debate around a decision will in almost all circumstances improve the quality of decisions taken. And in its truest form participative decision making is much more than the tick box system of amodern consultative processes. The UK planning system might be a example of where government has tried to introduce participation, but even that system is under attack from the Barker review and the forces of darkness.

So after the first day of three, of a Management course that looks at how, as an organisation, we are supposed to have an internal participative culture it’s hard not to laugh. Maybe senior management needs to be sent for re-education?

The recent decisions that I have witnessed with my union hat on, are clearly not in any way participative. The debates about the future of the organisation have been shredded by my colleagues as not being in any way participative. And it is increasingly clear that there is them, the senior managers, and us the middle managers, and them the workers.

But there is certainly participation on the colour of the paint, and the price of paper clips

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