How would you like to work where you felt like an equal instead of a subordinate?

The clinic where I work isn’t your average one. It’s not a situation where there’s a boss and the rest of us are employees, no, it’s more of a co-op situation. We all work as equals, and make decisions about the business as a whole together.

We have admin staff who run all the financial aspects of things, the accounts payable and ensuring that our salaries are paid, but inviting new colleagues into the group is a decision we all make, not just one person higher up than the rest. We work in a nice little building, with nine different offices, each of us having our own office. Not all of us are psychologists like myself, but we are all health professionals of one sort or another. It’s a very equitable, calm, and pleasant working environment, and I’m very happy to be a part of it.

Last month the contract came up for the company we had cleaning the offices. None of us were really happy with the company that had been doing the job previously, so we decided to search for a new group. We found one we liked who excel in office cleaning (I believe they’re hiring, by the way) who have a very good reputation, so we’re trying a three month probationary contract with them. This is something that we all decided upon, and it leaves me quite happy knowing that I’ve got a measure of control over my working environment.

Many of my patients are stressed greatly due to their jobs, and I am often frustrated when trying to help these people because their working environments often resist the change that could help these people be more relaxed and happy. In one case an older gentleman who was coming to see me because he wasn’t sleeping, told me that he was greatly stressed at work because he had to use the bathroom facilities a lot (it happens when you’re older!) but he felt like his boss was always noting the time not spent in his office working. We worked up a plan of management for the patient, and eventually he was feeling much better, but it did take longer than it had to if there had have been an atmosphere of support at his work.

I remain, working away happily,

Morgan D