We are all experts in our jobs

To turn hierarchy on its head and make workplaces fairer, we at OFEN propose that people should be autonomous in their roles. 

We believe that everyone is an expert in their field of work. Therefore, we should all be encouraged to speak up when we share concerns, ideas, suggestions, and opinions about work-related issues. A dancer is an expert at the profession of being a dancer in the same way a director is an expert at the profession of being a director. Both can speak from their expert positions with their unique needs, and neither has to pretend to know everything about the other’s job. For an organisation, it’s a great way to decentralise power and decision-making. This doesn’t mean that there is chaos, but quite the opposite. Codes of conduct, work agreements, and rules are known, and rewards and punishments are administered consistently.