ORPHEUS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA RECEIVES
Only arts organization to receive Honor from WorldBlu, Inc.
New York , NY March 7, 2007: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is among thirty-four companies that are the first winners of the “Worldwide Award for the Most Democratic Workplaces” sponsored by WorldBlu, Inc., a Washington, DC-based organization specializing in organizational democracy.
The announcement came as part of the first Democracy in the Workplace Day, sponsored by the WorldBlu, Inc. organization. Other organizations on the list include the Great Harvest Bread Company, GE Aviation’s Durham Engine Facility, Honest Tea, and Linden Lab (creators of the Second Life virtual reality world). Recognized companies are based throughout the United States, Canada, the Netherlands and Russia and represent industries ranging from technology, telecommunications, media, manufacturing, and retail. Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is the only representative organization on the list from the performing arts industry.
Orpheus General Director Graham Parker said “ Orpheus is honored to receive this designation from WorldBlu, Inc., and to be included in such an impressive grouping of other world-class democratic companies. Since its inception over thirty years ago, Orpheus has remained committed to demonstrating the power of democratic structure and leadership in the orchestral world. We applaud WorldBlu Founder and CEO Traci Fenton for her vision in broadening the understanding of how democracy in the business world is essential to long term health, success and creativity of companies both large and small.”
Organizations from the for-profit, non-profit, non-governmental and government sectors with five or more employees that have been in operation for a minimum of three years were invited to apply for the WorldBlu award. Orpheus employees completed a survey evaluating their organization’s practice of ten democratic principles such as decentralization, accountability, choice and integrity on a leadership level, individual level and systems and processes level.
WorldBlu developed the survey tool based on a decade of research into what makes a world-class democratic organization. The “WorldBlu List of Most Democratic Workplaces” is a list, not a ranking, and in the future organizations will be honored for the length of time they are on the list.
“Democratic companies understand that the future of business is less about pomp and more about participation, less about titles and more about meaning, and less about fiefdoms and more about being flat in order to be competitive in this new, democratic age,” explained WorldBlu Founder and CEO, Traci Fenton.
WorldBlu has declared today “Democracy in the Workplace Day” to celebrate these organizations and the positive ripple effect 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 mature their practice of democracy.
WorldBlu, Inc. is a Washington, DC-based leadership and business design studio specializing in organizational democracy and freedom-centered leadership. Founded in 2003, WorldBlu works with CEOs and executive teams to design, develop, and lead the most successful democratic companies in the world. WorldBlu’s approach is principle-based, freedom-centered, and results-driven. For more information, visit the WorldBlu website at www.worldblu.com.
A listing of additional companies receiving the award can be found here 
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