It would be good to see a short article titled, "The Business Case for Knowledge Management Systems." I can share with you an article entitled, "The Business Case for Professional Photographers in the Digital Age." It might be a good model.
I just read your 2003 HBR article on "A Company of Citizens".
I don't know if you've come across any firm that fulfills your ideal so maybe you'll be encouraged hear about our company Equal Exchange.
We are a 100+ staff, $35M firm that operates pretty much exactly on that model of Athenian democracy (minus the slavery, 2nd class status for immigrants, etc.)
We're 100% employee-owned AND governed on a one person/one share/one vote basis. Its a representative democracy model where the leaders are elected from amongst the rank & file. There is also a significant amount of direct democracy, too. For ex., the "worker-owners" determine the Mission (which really does guide the firm) as well as the 20 Year Vision (which provides yet more specific direction to management).
And it works. We're 22 years old & consistently profitable. We've avg'd 30%+ annual growth (& are still growing @ 15%) and continue to be a lead our main categories.
Thought you'd like to have a real world example to look at and maybe point to.
Regards, Rodney North worker-owner Board of Directors, Vice-Chair 774 776 7398
Going to just post a quick message to say hello, and looking forward to subsequent posts. The game changing potential in facilitating greater social interaction behind organizational purpose and intent is something critically needed today, be it commercial, non-profit or other. Looking forward to hearing more.
Herb, interested in your article as well and will reach out separately.
I'd love to hear your observations about the current health care debate, specifically the town hall meetings, in the context of public debate in ancient Athens. Were there hecklers back then? How were they dealt with? What level of antagonism was permissible back then? How did such seemingly intractable issues result in community consensus in Athens?
Or perhaps you have observations about how knowledge management may have aided the debate on health care. Would a common set of "facts" agree upon by all been possible and/or useful?
5 comments:
Brook:
It would be good to see a short article titled, "The Business Case for Knowledge Management Systems." I can share with you an article entitled, "The Business Case for Professional Photographers in the Digital Age." It might be a good model.
Great website.
Herb Rubenstein
Brook:
I just read your 2003 HBR article on "A Company of Citizens".
I don't know if you've come across any firm that fulfills your ideal so maybe you'll be encouraged hear about our company Equal Exchange.
We are a 100+ staff, $35M firm that operates pretty much exactly on that model of Athenian democracy (minus the slavery, 2nd class status for immigrants, etc.)
We're 100% employee-owned AND governed on a one person/one share/one vote basis. Its a representative democracy model where the leaders are elected from amongst the rank & file. There is also a significant amount of direct democracy, too. For ex., the "worker-owners" determine the Mission (which really does guide the firm) as well as the 20 Year Vision (which provides yet more specific direction to management).
And it works.
We're 22 years old & consistently profitable. We've avg'd 30%+ annual growth (& are still growing @ 15%) and continue to be a lead our main categories.
Thought you'd like to have a real world example to look at and maybe point to.
Regards, Rodney North
worker-owner
Board of Directors, Vice-Chair
774 776 7398
Going to just post a quick message to say hello, and looking forward to subsequent posts. The game changing potential in facilitating greater social interaction behind organizational purpose and intent is something critically needed today, be it commercial, non-profit or other. Looking forward to hearing more.
Herb, interested in your article as well and will reach out separately.
Cheers!
Dear Brook,
I'd love to hear your observations about the current health care debate, specifically the town hall meetings, in the context of public debate in ancient Athens. Were there hecklers back then? How were they dealt with? What level of antagonism was permissible back then? How did such seemingly intractable issues result in community consensus in Athens?
Or perhaps you have observations about how knowledge management may have aided the debate on health care. Would a common set of "facts" agree upon by all been possible and/or useful?
I look forward to seeing further postings.
Best wishes,
Marc Chimes
I admire what you are trying to do but greed has its own imperial logic and wins every war until,as we just saw, the last one.
Bill
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