All Rise

Respect for the dignity of others is a value often sadly lacking in today's society. In All Rise, author Robert W. Fuller makes the case that abused power inherent in rank - rankism - is the main obstacle in maintaining functional organizations where a "dignitarian" society would no longer tolerate dictatorial bosses, condescending teachers, arrogant doctors, or impervious bureaucrats. This book gives everyone from parents to teachers to managers tools to help build a dignitarian society, a society in which rank-holders are held accountable, where rankism is disallowed, and where dignity is broadly protected. Fuller uses the term rankism to describe the abuses of power. For example, those who hold the higher position in a particular setting command an advantage that forces others to submit to their authority. There are 10 ways to combat rankism in the workplace and transform a corporate culture into a dignitarian one: Recognize and listen: Leaders should acknowledge the importance of every job and the individuals who hold them. Choose listening over defensiveness and instill a policy of respect. Facilitate questions, protect dissent: Good managers create an open work environment where everyone, regardless of rank, exhibits a questioning attitude. People should feel free to challenge any action. Hold people accountable and assign responsibility: A critical element of a dignitarian work environment is accountability. The expectation of accurate work must be established at the outset, and the consequences for anything less are applied equally regardless of rank. Incorporate "flex-rank": Companies faced with ever-changing missions and circumstances can reassign ranks to facilitate each new undertaking. There is no favoritism, and care is taken to protect the rights and privileges of those deemed subordinate. Compensate equitably: A dignitarian way to restore fairness in compensation is for the board to take into account the views of all employees, customers, and shareholders. That way, everyone involved reaps benefits. Delegate: Leaders should be able to treat employees with respect, delegate power, and hold those who assume it accountable. Break the taboo on rank: By discussing rank, its rights and responsibilities, people gain the power not only to recognize it but to eliminate it. Be transparent: Censorship and secrecy come with rankism. And what cannot be seen cannot be effectively evaluated. By extending transparency to budgets and compensation, favoritism is discouraged. Flatten unnecessary hierarchies: Flattened hierarchies, instead of vertical ones, should be run by happy employees who are proud of their products. Dignity comes from a decentralized organization because it approaches its employees respectfully. Consider peer-to-peer organization: Networks - a free cooperation of equal partners performing a common task for the common good - are replacing hierarchies everywhere. Peer-to-peer projects help to build a common resource that cannot be sabotaged by any one contributor. Eventually, common ideas result from the contribution of many. The dignity movement is already underway and quietly gaining momentum. No one can say how quickly a dignitarian society will evolve. In due course, the dignity movement will be plain for all to see. As the dignity movement grows in numbers, nobodies will feel liberated and the somebodies will lose their will to resist. For this to happen, reform will need to support a broad dignitarian culture, one that is different from today's status quo.