Workplace Democracy Enables Haiti Partners to Respond Nimbly in Crisis

John Engle says his organization’s commitment to workplace democracy has enabled it to respond nimbly in the aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake that devastated Haiti.

Engle is the co-director of Haiti Partners, an organization committed to helping Haitians change the country through education.

Workplace democracy principles and practices have been woven into the organization’s core since its inception, a key principle being that the people who are impacted by a decision, including those who will be responsible for carrying it out, need to help shape that decision.

That principle was a guidepost in the weeks following the earthquake as Haiti Partners grappled with how to respond to the urgent needs of the time.

“During the weeks following the earthquake we relied primarily on face-to-face meetings and telephone calls to determine with our partner schools and their commuities what Haiti Partners should be doing to help them,” says Engle.

The workplace democracy approach has also enabled the organization to develop and execute elaborate response plans very quickly, with a high level of engagement from people involved.

For instance, the not-for-profit, which has never been involved in building structures before, is rolling out the construction of three new learning centres in a short timeframe.

Building these centres is a top priority for Haiti Partners considering the thousands of schools demolished in the earthquake.

Engle also credits the organization’s history of respecting all voices with smoothing the way in the broader community for getting these building projects done.

“Thanks to good relations with people in the communities where we work, Haitians have stepped forward to donate land (for the schools),” says Engle.

Haiti Partners has been named to the 2010 WorldBlu List of Most Democratic Workplaces, one of 44 organizations to receive this designation for their commitment to such democratic principles as transparency, accountability and choice on a leadership, individual and systems and processes level.

Open space meetings, which invite the participation of all attendees in all aspects of the meetings, including setting the topics for discussion, have been a key democratic activity of the Haitian organization.

Engle says elements of Haiti Partner’s democratic approach that he believes can contribute to the health and vitality of other organizations include “making sure that the information is understandable and flowing smoothly, and that the voices of everyone having a stake in the outcomes are being heard.”

In Haiti, this often means putting documents in three languages — English, Haitian-Creole and French — so that no one feels excluded. If people feel excluded they will be less likely to speak their voice and engage, says Engle

Related to that, create environments that welcome the contribution of everyone, part of which includes being comfortable with silence during a meeting.

“If you let people know that you’re going to welcome silence and that it’s an opportunity for people to think carefully about what they want to talk about, and you’re comfortable with that, it’s very likely that voices are going to come forth that might not have,” says Engle.

He adds that one way Haiti Partners gauges its success in fostering the democratic approach is when participants in meetings begin to take on a leadership role in encouraging the contribution of others.

If you have feedback on this article please contact michelle(at)axiomnews.ca, or call the newsroom at 800-294-0051.