Empowering People to Control their Work and Life

 

Definition: Sharing power and authorizing people to think and make decisions

 

Benefits:

— Encourages productive thinking

— Frees initiative

— Improves quality

 

Steps:

Step A. Define job direction and boundaries.

Step B. Give people autonomy to initiate within the boundaries.

Step C. Support people as needed.

 

Introduction

Empowerment means that:

• Employees have the authority to make decisions that improve the quality of their work.

• Employees can make some improvements at work without first checking with their supervisor.

• Employees have significant control in their jobs.

 

Empowerment might include using technology to allow people or teams to work productively at home and providing them with flexible time. It might also include opening up information and giving people data, tools and the authority to use them to increase customer growth.

 

Thus, effective empowerment initiatives improve quality and commitment, free initiative, and give employees a greater sense of control. Leaders who want to make empowerment more than an empty slogan and want to avoid a cynical backlash think of this concept in terms of direction, autonomy and support. This skill will help you process those three dimensions of empowerment by taking three steps:

 

Step A: Define job direction and boundaries

 

What it means:

Setting achievable goals and clarifying limits of authority

 

Steps:

— Establish agreed-upon stretch targets.

— Communicate clear metrics and standards

— Establish boundaries and transfer authority

 

Task:

In the spirit of empowerment, what could you do to define the direction and boundaries for your employees?

 

 

Step B: Provide autonomy

 

What it means:

Enabling people to take control of their work and their life

 

How it works:

— Offer flexible work option

— Provide opportunities for learning and development

— Involve people in decisions that affect them

— Challenge associates with meaningful work

 

Task:

What ways could you free initiative within your organization in the following areas:

Flexibility:

 

Learning and development:

 

Involvement in decisions:

 

Meaningful work:

 

How do you make autonomy not look like neglect in a virtual environment?

 

How do you as a leader give up seeing what people are doing and still feel good about that?

 

What can you do to demonstrate that you are managing by results rather than by tasks or time?

 

 

Step C: Support people as needed

 

What it means:

Making discriminations regarding the amount of coaching, consultation, direction, and collaboration is required for each individual to succeed

 

How it works:

— Inform

— Equip

— Communicate

— Resource

 

Task:

What are some of the ways you can support empowerment in your organization?

 

Communication:

 

Information:

 

Tools:

 

Staff:

 

Training:

 

Authorities:

 

Other: