Exploring Organizational Democracy: Tobias's Journey at Image at Work
Scrolling through LinkedIn this past week, we came across a short post by Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Groups. The post read, “We all shine more when we are given the freedom to work on what we love, and when we find our unique talents.”
The quote sounded familiar, but we had no other source to attribute it to until we realized that it echoed our culture. We strongly believe in democratic leadership, a phenomenon that allows our staff to express themselves fully without feeling tied. This kind of leadership has been instrumental in unleashing innovation and potential within our organization.
Today, we direct our focus on Tobias, one of the youngest members of our Image at Work team, as he takes us through his experiences in the organization.
“I joined Image at Work in 2021 as a packer,” says Tobias. “It was during the Covid-19 lockdown, and there was a huge demand for masks.”
The covid era would elapse and that meant there would be no demand for masks. But as someone who had always been adventurous, Tobias believed he needed to keep learning to grow into a force to reckon with. His dream found fertile ground as our company culture allowed him to explore other departments.
“I had always had a passion for clothing manufacturing, but I had no means to pursue it as a career,” he says. “So, with the freedom to try new ventures, I would frequent the clothing manufacturing department to learn how to sew.”
He adds that his passion made it easy for him to quickly grasp concepts and fulfill his dream of being a clothing designer as he was doing something he loved.
“With the help of my seniors, it took me a month to learn,” Tobias says. “Now I can handle big projects with confidence, and I keep expecting new challenges that come with growth.”
“Sewing has always been associated with women,” he adds. “But in modern days, the interest men have shown in the fashion craft has blurred its association with only women. I do not care what those blinded by baseless traditional beliefs say about my choice to be in clothing manufacturing – I am part of a great industry.”
Asked about Tobias’ performance in the clothing manufacturing department, the head of the department, Tkay, said: “Tobias is one person driven by the eagerness to learn new things.”
Tkay adds that some of the things Tobias can do in the department were self-taught.
Tobius recently showed interest in the digital department where he is currently working and learning how to operate printing and laminating machines.
“My goal is to learn how to operate the Roland machine and I am already in the learning process,” says Tobias. “I would also like to join the Graphics team someday and learn all the processes in that department as it works hand in hand with the digital department that I am currently working in.”
“The reason I want to learn everything in this organization is that I can provide relief whenever there is a lot of work in other departments,” he says. “This helps reduce pressure in all the departments as they are interconnected. Besides, it also contributes to my personal growth.”
Asked about where he draws motivation to work hard and ensure relevancy, he says: “My drive to work hard is inspired by my gratitude towards opportunities I am given to grow every day in this company.”
He adds that he is motivated by the privilege he has had to learn great skills through the in-house training platform without having to pay.
All companies have their cultures that enable their growth. At Image at Work, liberalising our workspace is part of our culture. This enables our staff to freely position themselves where they feel comfortable and excel. With this policy in place, we have given our staff the freedom to unleash their full potential.