Above all, in our daily lives, most of us work in organizations, companies, or government agencies where the formal power structure resembles that of a dictatorship. The top priority is to follow regulations, adhere to instructions, and obey superiors.
The right to criticize and take initiative is strictly limited. The prestigious universities continue to teach our future “elites” that they possess innate wisdom and natural authority to drive change “from the top” and impose their views on “the rank and file.” So let’s not be surprised that things are going from bad to worse.
Collective intelligence is stifled. But a quiet movement is gaining momentum—it’s called shared governance. Many organizations, starting of course with cooperatives, are embracing it, and things are beginning to change. Perhaps a true revolution must begin in the workplace before spreading to the political sphere.
To find out, read issue 29 of Approches Coopératives, produced in partnership with “l’Université du Nous,” a training cooperative that for over 15 years has been reinventing “working together” through its own experience with cooperation and collective intelligence, and shares its insights with organizations wishing to follow this path.
In the first part of the issue, the founders and facilitators of the Université du Nous shed light on the concepts and challenges they have encountered through their experience. In the second part, we give the floor to leaders of several organizations, associations, cooperatives, and companies that have committed to shared governance practices.
They share the difficulties they have overcome and the benefits they have gained. As you read this issue, you may discover questions you haven’t yet asked yourself or answers to questions you may be asking. Here’s a thought-provoking quote for today’s world: Give someone monarchical authority, and sooner or later there will be a ROYAL blunder.
Issue 29 of Approches Coopératives is available in French, English, and Spanish
Dominique BÉNARD
The Cooperative World Magazine
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