Semco is one of Brazils fastest growing companies
Named Best company in Brazil to work for Three Values: Democracy, profit sharing,
information Encourage experiment and conceptual
change Treats employees as “responsible adults”
Democracy and Employee Involvement
Four obstacles To Participatory Management Size Hierarchy Lack of Motivation Ignorance
• Anthony Jay’s 1950’s Corporate Man
Semco designed an organizational circle to replace the organizational pyramid
Contains 3 concentric circles
First-Counselors Second-Partners Associates and
Coordinators
Switched because of their view on organizational pyramids
Pyramids emphasize power whereas the circle promotes employee involvement
Some decisions made by company-wide votes
Example: Purchase of new factory
Treating employees as if they are adults allows workers to use common sense and in turn promotes personal responsibility
Therefore, letting them do whatever the hell they want breeds a culture of capable, accountable, and responsible employees
If you don’t appoint a leader, one will emerge
Roles FIND the person Results not status
Profit Sharing
Corporate profit sharing is today’s mammoth meat
Most successful when there is a broad program of employee participation
Information
Sharing all of the information & not holding back anything Confidential Salaries… The relevant information became
insignificant
Choosing your own: Pay Job Title Dress Code Office Decorations Work Hours
Semco is a company with a unique system
The level of employee involvement could be considered as overwhelming to many companies
Employee’s are “treated as adults”
Semco’s Three Core Values Democracy, Profit-sharing, information
http://www.freibergs.com/resources/articles/leadership/semco-insanity-that-works/