CONTACT
Richard Sheridan
President & CEO
Phone: + 1 734 748 3837
E-Mail: rsheridan@menloinnovations.com
(also available for interview)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Menlo Innovations LLC Wins Worldwide Award for Democracy in the Workplace

Ann Arbor, Michigan (April 14, 2009) -- Ann Arbor-based Menlo Innovations has been named as one of forty companies on the annual WorldBlu worldwide List of Most Democratic Workplaces^TM, an award sponsored by WorldBlu, an Austin-based non-profit specializing in organizational democracy. Organizations from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, England, India, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Malaysia made the list; however, Menlo Innovations is the only Michigan company on the list.

The announcement comes as part of the third annual Democracy in the Workplace Day on April 14th, sponsored by the WorldBlu organization. The purpose of this day is to celebrate these organizations and the positive ripple effects their workplace practices are having on increasing freedom and peace in the world. Individuals are invited to use this day to examine how their workplaces can adopt and further develop their practice of democracy.

"We have found that democracy in the workplace creates the most authentic expression of employee empowerment. This then creates an environment that is joyful, creative, productive and fun not only for employees but for management as well," said Richard Sheridan, President and CEO of Menlo Innovations, "Today's current economic crises are magnified wherever there is a lack of ethics and lack of transparency. A more engaged, democratic workforce brings these problems to the forefront earlier, when they are still small and correctable. This creates a healthier ecosystem of transparency, honesty, and productive conflict that leads to more resilient workplaces."

Menlo Innovations has used the spirit of flexibility to define a work culture unlike most organizations. They have done away with the traditional ingredients of many workplaces such as cubicles, assigned personal computers, and set job assignments. Instead, employees at Menlo work in a wide open space, have the flexibility to organize their own workspace, and are regularly grouped and re-grouped into working teams for different projects. The result is more innovation, faster learning and deeper client engagement which in turn creates better business results for Menlo and their clients.

Earning a place on the list of Most Democratic Workplaces^TM is great achievement because it is as much a vote of confidence from the employees as it is recognition from the outside. WorldBlu surveys employees and asks them to evaluate their organization's practice of ten democratic principles, such as transparency, dialogue and listening, integrity, accountability and choice on a leadership, individual, and systems and processes level. WorldBlu developed the survey tool based on a decade of research into what makes a world-class democratic organization.

For more information:
http://www.menloinnovations.com
http://www.worldblu.com

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