Empowerment is the supreme thing, which nature has bestowed mankind with. He who rules over an empire gets a real taste it by exercising the empowerment phenomenon across the corporate. I have been always prone to the ancient time and great conquerors and found that from Hannibal to Genghis khan, all possessed great characteristics to be a leader of their people. But why are we referencing all of these ancient times notions? Because what am I about to tell you has a strong relating with the fact of “Power delegation”.
Let us have a look over some interesting and splendid examples from the pages of history to current era.
- When Alexander the great conquered Persian Empire, and empowered its citizen to make decisions and live as per one’s consent by abiding the law of an empire., than they accepted him whole heartedly because they haven’t experienced such motivating and freedom proned leader before. Then, Persia made a thriving growth in the heart of earth.
- Once, British general in WWII began to study the difference between the German troops and Britain’s. After thorough analysis, he concluded that the Nazi forces are free to make decisions in the face of threat, while British army was bound to wait for the further order.
- Toyota is a living and legendary example of empowerment. It is said that whenever any malfunctioning in process occurs, than the whole process is stopped and top management itself come down (Gemba walk) to see what caused the problems. But most of the time, workers at station rectify the issue and let the production continue, themselves. Every worker of Toyota on average gave 69 ideas last year. It is indeed a result of empowering culture
- It is no surprise that Google go to great lengths to provide a creative and inclusive work environment. Google Cafes encourage individuals to interact with people from other departments, promoting shared ideas for both work and play. Meetings by asking questions,
- Engro is also one the leading manufacturing company and yet offers a lavish lifestyle to its employees, making them feel, secure and empowered.
- Motorola, once estimated $30 dollar return on every $1 dollar spent on employees
Similarly the list may go on and on with 3M, Pizza hut, Southwestern airlines culture etc., but it would take us far away from the subject. The thing is, if you want to play globally (& I really want you to be) than practicing an empowering nourishing culture in your company would not befall any harm.
So, what exactly is employee empowerment? It is the delegation of power in a way to promote the problem solving attributes among the workforce. Indeed, for every manner accountability may fall into the horizon.
Employees are like a honey bees. As many honey bees work together to complete a nest full of jaw dropping honey ,likewise, team members are the real treasures for any organization they constantly act as the revenue driving stream for an entity. The morale of team players is vital in achieving, which once was perceived impossible, and only leader can behave as a catalyst in getting it materialize. The generic plan by Nick McCarty for employee empowerment, in my opinion, can serve as to initiate such strikes.
Thus, “Encouraging the staff by enabling them to engage in change process system, company can create a flourishing culture”
Getting started with Employee Empowerment
To get started, following bulleted points may lead you to mastering the art of it.
- Top management must be whole heartedly willing to bring in the empowerment revolution, though, by keeping the ultimate decision power in their own hands.
- Start with a clear strategic vision i.e.: Acknowledge the all level staff with the job descriptions, yearly targets, extent of delegated authority & the accountability content.
- Make sure everyone is on the same page i.e.: Avid biasing in rolling out the targeted goals etc.
- Recognition of effort i.e.: Shower some financial rewards over the achievement of extraordinary.
- Don’t go too hard, if something doesn’t work out. Give staff a time to grasp and contemplate the matter as per their capability.
- Provide assistance and training i.e.: Create an friendly environment ,in which opinion sharing over problem encountered would be praised, solutions to the anticipated problems be appreciated and regular trainings over team building and essential skills must be around the clock too.
- Keep monitoring your employees but not in a detective manner.
As Bill Gates famously said, “As we look into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.”
Remember that the best culture makes all employees feel safe and welcome, never excluded or uncomfortable. Focusing on “culture fit” alone makes it difficult to hire and welcome employees who are different than the prevailing culture, even if they’d be an asset and great counterbalance at your company. Your company culture needs adjustment if it causes you to end up with a homogenized team who think and act the same