“I woke up one fine day and realised that the Dream a Dream had become a very different organisation from what I envisioned.This was not the kind of organisation that I wanted to be a part of.”
Vishal Talreja, Co-founder, Dream a Dream.
In 2009, Vishal Talreja, Co-Founder of Bangalore based not for profit Dream a Dream, went through severe burnout and saw the organisation he had built in 1999, becoming a toxic workplace. Dream a Dream’s first decade was eventful albeit not always smooth, however the organisation grew and gained insights on understanding what a young person coming from adversity needs to thrive, and soon by the end of 2010, the organisation had already witnessed proven and evidenced impact on the ground with two of its flagship programmes that continues even today After School Life Skills Programme and the Career Connect Centre. Buoyed by the growth and the impact on the ground, the success story also meant increased decision-making being centred around few individuals. Being excessively founder-centric, the work place was increasingly espousing a lack of culture of trust and the situation worsened with delayed decisions and founder-weariness, resulting in the impending implosion that saw 50% of the staff and a board member leave! Vishal knew that Dream a Dream needed to be a work space where young people could see a world of possibility, however he also knew that it would require a different mindset and a radical way of looking at people and practices.
Building a trust-based work culture
To make this happen, a team of people from Dream a Dream worked together to craft a roadmap on ensuring people were at the centre of enabling accountability, trust and dignity in the organisation. So, from a non-intentional approach to Human Resources to having zero processes outlined for leaves or hiring, the team worked to build an unlearning journey to look internally and understand the reasons behind the breakdown. The process was not easy, it meant finding ways to solve the solo-founder conundrum, to build sustainable systems and work towards processes that come alive in true spirit. Facilitating change is never easy, the process to redefine internal processes and change a culture within the organisation is cumbersome. However, the organisation decided to invest the next 2-3 years in bringing together its bespoke people philosophy that outlined people practices, with its core values focussed on accountability, trust and dignity. The values laid emphasis on the belief that every person within the organisation constantly strives to increase the impact of their work and therefore needs to be accountable for this change that they wish to bring in the world. Further, it enlisted trust in every individual’s ability to make the best decisions and choices for themselves and for the organisation, even as it acknowledged that ensuring dignity would mean recognising and appreciating the unique abilities within ourselves and others.
The People Philosophy was created with a vision to build a community of changemakers who own the change they want to make- which meant that each individual in the organisation took the ownership for their work, become decision makers and create equal impact through their work. It also helped decentralise leadership and break hierarchies within the workplace, making it a more collaborative work space. It also had clearly defined roles, process of employment and salary structures, learning opportunities, leave policies, financial support and educational support. When the Dream a Dream board was presented with this philosophy, they were taken aback and wondered if growth in the organisation was left to every individual, then everybody would want to move, however they were not averse to experimenting with the people philosophy. However, the People Philosophy turned into an example of the trust placed on the employees, where the organisation witnessed how employees became accountable for their work and growth, and took ownership of the impact they created, which eventually also resulted in Dream a Dream being a thought leader. The next few years of the growth of Dream a Dream was a testimony of how well the People Philosophy had worked for the organisation.
Why have a People Philosophy (Version 2022)
In 2020 with the disruption caused by the COVID pandemic, Dream a Dream decided to take a pause. The pause also brought with it a clarity on what was not working internally as far as ensuring everyone in the organisation could grow together and thrive. There was a need to look beyond ordinary work culture and create a space where everyone felt supported, included and proud of the impact that they can create. This required the team to relook at the philosophy from a different lens especially since the world had dramatically altered and the future seemed uncertain. Could Dream a Dream create a work culture that embodies the values that we wanted the ecosystem to be to enable our young people to thrive? Could the People Philosophy 2022 ensure equity, dignity and inclusion for everyone in the organisation? Could it weave an intersectional lens to create a truly inclusive workplace? To make this happen, a team of 39 people from Dream a Dream volunteered to join the process whereby they identified and acknowledged their own biases and promised to develop a work culture built around the tenets of equity, inclusion and dignity. But most importantly, it was enabling role modelling of a microcosm of the world that Dream a Dream envisioned for our young people.
The People Philosophy 2022 simplifies and outlines the different facets of employee growth, engagement, benefits and policies, and was built on months of in depth research to incorporate different concerns emerging from the team, building knowledge around legal standpoints and engaging with partner organisations/ individuals to understand how we could embody the values of Equity, Dignity and Inclusion within our policies. The 2022 version includes support for those facilitators wanting a full time role, work from home options, new leave policies (gender reassignment leave, period leave for menstruating women, bereavement, paternity and rehabilitation leaves), introduction of mental health insurance and child care benefits that allows all employees having dependent children to avail day care support. Dream a Dream partnered with Ungender towards building a gender neutral Prevention of Sexual Harassment Policy and towards building a safe workplace for everyone.
Even as Dream a Dream’s People’s Philosophy evolves it remains rooted in ensuring every member of the organisation crafts their own thriving journey strengthened with the knowledge that they are wholly and completely supported and are proud of working in a space where they feel welcome, safe, happy and have fun!