Singapore’s Tickled Media among world’s most democratic workplaces

Tickled Media, the company behind LiveJournal Asia and theAsianparent.com, has become the first Singapore company to make the WorldBlu List of Most Democratic Workplaces.

To become eligible for the list, employees from the company must complete an assessment evaluating their organisation’s practices. The test was developed based on a decade of research into what constitutes a democratic organization.

The certification is open to both for-profit and non-profit organizations which are operating for at least one full year and have five or more employees.

“WorldBlu is very impressed with Tickled Media’s dedication to democracy in the workplace combined with its outstanding year-on-year revenue growth,” said WorldBlu Founder and CEO, Traci Fenton.

Since transitioning their company towards being a democratic workplace a year ago, Tickled Media has seen revenues spike 800 percent.

Roshni Mahtani, the company’s CEO, explains: “Tickled Media’s democratic practices have made its employees happier. They want to come to work and they take ownership for what they do.”

The company has implemented a team “lunch and share” session every Friday where one employee gets a chance to share their thoughts on their choice topic while the rest listen, relax, and eat.

They also go on yearly holiday destination retreats to foster the company’s sense of unity and provide an opportunity for anyone to voice their  opinions or suggest improvements.

WorldBlu, founded in 1997, is a company that specializes in organizational democracy. 47 organizations from around the world, including Malaysia, India, and New Zealand, have been certified. Some prominent members include Zappos.com and DaVita.

The companies are rated based on the WorldBlu 10 Principles of Organisational Democracy, listed below:

1. Purpose and Vision
A democratic organization is clear about why it exists (its purpose) and where it is headed and what it hopes to achieve (its vision). These act as its true North, offering guidance and discipline to the organization’s direction.

2. Transparency
Say goodbye to the “secret society” mentality. Democratic organizations are transparent and open with employees about the financial health, strategy, and agenda of the organization.

3. Dialogue + Listening
Instead of the top-down monologue or dysfunctional silence that characterizes most workplaces, democratic organizations are committed to having
conversations that bring out new levels of meaning and connection.

4. Fairness + Dignity
Democratic organizations are committed to fairness and dignity, not treating some people like “somebodies” and other people like “nobodies.”