Today there is a growing tendency to promote participation in the internal democracy of professional associations, sports clubs, unions, associations, companies and all kinds of organizations. And on many occasions it is taken for granted that the benefits of democratic participation are already known to all. This can lead some organizations to implement policies in this direction without understanding their relevance and without acquiring a real commitment. Before undertaking an initiative to increase member involvement in the organization's democratic processes - such as assemblies and elections - it is important to understand why you are working to achieve higher levels of involvement and how this will contribute to improving your organization in the long term.
Participation beyond elections
Having an active and involved social base is a symptom of democratic health. Organizations in which members devote part of their time to helping others or developing projects tend to have more fruitful relationships with their board of directors. In addition, projects that are promoted by the organized membership can result in significant savings for the organization, since the detection of problems is immediate and diagnoses can be more accurate.
Although many identify elections as the participation process par excellence, there are members for whom elections are not the main instrument for expressing their political preferences. However, elections exclude groups that, without having the legal status of members, interact with the organization on a daily basis - such as employees, suppliers and other stakeholders. This can result in issues important to the organization being left out of the debate during the election period. This is one of the reasons why it is important to promote participation and collaboration with all stakeholders beyond the elections.
Telematic participation
Technology is a great ally is a great ally that helps boards of directors achieve higher participation rates with less effort. Digital queries, polls, surveys, debates or online voting and petitions are just some of the options that organizations have at their fingertips to receive immediate and quality feedback. In addition, it is now possible to reliably identify users.
By developing online engagement initiatives in your organization, you will improve your ability to understand the opinions of diverse stakeholders, as well as the desires and concerns of your constituents. This 360-degree view of your members' reality will help you put the focus where it is really needed. In addition, members will have the opportunity to provide feedback on projects and are less likely to be dissatisfied with the results.
Measuring the impact of participation
Democratic participation ultimately enhances the confidence of the organization's members. When members see their boards actively listening to them, they feel valued. This unspoken pact of loyalty helps reduce levels of apathy, which leads to greater political effectiveness (an indicator used to measure the trust levels of the membership base). In other words, by opening up to participation, you send a message to your associates that they can count on you.
As communities see increased trust in their board of directors, organizations prosper socially and economically. A good democratic participation strategy not only has advantages for the members, but also for the managers who apply them intelligently. If you need help in fostering democratic participation in your organization, please contact us.
