Those companies or organizations that have a participative and collaborative model get the worker to get more involved in the project, since they feel that they are part of it, since their voice is heard and valued.
Beyond the advantages it brings for working people, it also has some for companies: labor turnover is reduced, productivity is increased and a good working climate is created, as we have been able to see from Suara Cooperativa.
In our organization, for example, we promote a model of participation, in which all working people, whether members or not, are a key part of the daily construction of Suara Cooperativa from our workplaces.
In order to encourage participation in the workplace, the autonomy and personal growth of female workers is promoted by promoting teamwork, spaces for debate and exchange and empowerment in decision-making on a day-to-day basis work day To meet this challenge, it is also essential to train working people so that they can have the essential knowledge for decision-making.
On the other hand, in accordance with our cooperative model, we are a democratic and horizontal organization, in which all working partners participate in decision-making. In this context, we organize two assemblies a year through which the main strategic lines and the course of action of Suara Cooperativa are decided. In these, everyone participates on equal terms and without any distinction, therefore, everyone has the same voice and vote.
Commitment
One of Suara Cooperativa's strategic challenges is to achieve a 360º two-way commitment from the organization to people and the environment and vice versa. In this context, when we talk about the importance of people making this commitment to Suara, it is that they feel involved and identified with the organization, its values and way of doing things, but how is this achieved?
Well, at Suara Cooperativa we understand that participation is a key tool to achieve this commitment from both working people, whether they are members or not. This model based on participation goes beyond the professional field and also involves people served in the different services, as well as clients. Therefore, one of the strategic lines to assume this commitment is the generation of the Suara Cooperativa community, in which members, workers, clients, clients and the community as a whole participate. With this, the aim is to create a participation model that we all co-create together.
However, at Suara Cooperativa we are also aware that to encourage this participation we must provide the necessary tools and spaces. Therefore, our primary mission is to create and generate these spaces that promote this participation and in which we are all People Who Decide.
In addition, as a result of the commitment we have made to people and the environment, they are at the center of our action, which is why we keep them in mind in each of our decisions. For this reason, we promote a holistic view of people, both workers and clients, to guarantee their psychological, emotional and physical well-being.
Contrasted positive results
As we have seen from Suara Cooperativa, participation and this holistic view of the person guarantee the commitment of the workers. In this context, last June, Suara Cooperativa conducted a survey among 1,342 members, which obtained 1,095 responses: 80% said they felt committed to the organization.
Apart from these results, other very positive ones were also collected: 96% of the people surveyed stated that they were proud to work at Suara Cooperativa and that they would not change jobs; 94% who contribute their bit within the organization; 88% feel that the cooperative looks after the well-being of working people; while 81% perceive that the team they work in facilitates and enhances participation.
For this reason, on the eve of May 1, International Workers' Day, we urge companies and organizations to reinvent themselves to encourage the participation of working people. This is essential to create and encourage professionals to feel valued and listened to, which will undoubtedly lead to them becoming more involved in the business project and generating a good working climate. Working people also want to be a key piece in building the organizations in which we work.
Monica Vazquez
Director of the People area
