EMPLOYEE EMPOWERMENT Empowerment is the process of enabling or authorizing an individual to think, behaves, take action, and control work

and decision making in autonomous ways. It is the state of feeling self-empowered to take control of one's own destiny. Employee Empowerment is Employee Involvement that matters. It could also be defined as controlled transfer of authority to make decisions and take actions. Successful implementation of empowerment requires change in corporate culture. Empowerment involves actively soliciting input from those closest to the work and giving careful thought to that input. Keys to Employee Empowerment 1. Involve your employees in the decision-making process. In many companies, important decisions regarding the business come from senior level management. While this is a prudent approach to ensure the companys overall success, many times these decisions directly affect the lower level employees. If the final outcome of the decision is a less than positive one for the employees, often they feel mistreated and unappreciated. You can keep morale high and empower your employees by involving them in business decisions that directly relate to them. For example, if your company is considering a dress code change, allow your employees to voice their opinions on the new dress code and offer suggestions for portraying a more professional image. This does not mean you have to follow every decision your employees make; it simply offers them an outlet to feel a part of the team and a contributor to the companys overall success. 2. Involve your employees in the planning process. In corporations across United States, self-directed work teams meet regularly to brainstorm ways to save money and work more efficiently. They take an active role in the goal-setting and planning process for the

company as well as themselves. By doing so, they are not only becoming empowered, but they are also learning their own capabilities and limitations. 3. Offer praise freely. When was the last time you praised an employee for a job well done? In too many companies, management inadvertently neglects to offer praise on a regular basis. As a result, many employees are left to wonder how their performance rates. Without such guidance they can easily become apprehensive about their job requirements and how to handle challenging situations. In order to empower your employees and develop a sense of competence and confidence, praise them for their performance, encourage them to take risks and acknowledge their accomplishments, no matter how small. This is particularly important when employees are beginning to work on new tasks or when an employee moves into a new job description. When your employees know they are doing a good job, they will want to repeat the process again and again. Theyll also be more willing to try new ideas and challenges in order to meet your customers needs. The result will be motivated employees who are eager to help the company grow. 4. Provide continual training and support. If you want your employees to feel confident of their abilities, they need the proper job training and support. Many companies offer an introductory training period when a new employee comes aboard, but then that training stops after a certain length of time. Unfortunately, most job responsibilities are continually evolving as the company matures, and employees are left without the skills they need to complete their newly assigned tasks. Employees should always be encouraged to ask for assistance and support. If your employees feel intimidated to seek out training, they can become frustrated with their job and lose interest. Let your

employees know that asking for help is not a sign of weakness; rather, it is a sign of strength. When your employees come to you for help, be sure not to turn them away with comments such as, You still dont know how to do that? Instead, ask. Where are you having problems? What can I clear up for you? When your employees know they can get the assistance they need, theyll be empowered for greater job efficiency. Ten Principles of Employee Empowerment: 1. Demonstrate That You Value People: Your regard for people shines through in all of your actions and words. Your facial expression, your body language, and your words express what you are thinking about the people who report to you. Your goal is to demonstrate your appreciation for each person's unique value. No matter how an employee is performing on his or her current task, your value for the employee as a human being should never falter and always be visible. 2. Share Leadership Vision: Help people feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves and their individual job. Do this by making sure they know and have access to the organization's overall mission, vision, and strategic plans. 3. Share Goals and Direction: Share the most important goals and direction for your group. Where possible, either make progress on goals measurable and observable, or ascertain that you have shared your picture of a positive outcome with the people responsible for accomplishing the results. If you share a picture and share meaning, you have agreed upon what constitutes a successful and acceptable deliverable. Empowered employees can then chart their course without close supervision. 4. Trust People:Trust the intentions of people to do the right thing, make the right decision, and make choices that, while maybe not exactly what you would decide, still work. When employees receive clear

expectations from their manager, they relax and trust you. They focus their energy on accomplishing, not on wondering, worrying, and second-guessing. 5. Provide Information for Decision Making: Make certain that you have given people, or made sure that they have access to, all of the information they need to make thoughtful decisions. 6. Delegate Authority and Impact Opportunities, Not Just More Work: Don't just delegate the drudge work; delegate some of the fun stuff, too. You know, delegate the important meetings, the committee memberships that influence product development and decision making, and the projects that people and customers notice. The employee will grow and develop new skills. Your plate will be less full so you can concentrate on contribution. Your reporting staff will gratefully shine - and so will you. 7. Provide Frequent Feedback: Provide frequent feedback so that people know how they are doing. Sometimes, the purpose of feedback is reward and recognition as well as improvement coaching. People deserve your constructive feedback, too, so they can continue to develop their knowledge and skills. 8. Solve Problems: Don't Pinpoint Problem People: When a problem occurs, ask what is wrong with the work system that caused the people to fail, not what is wrong with the people. Worst case response to problems? Seek to identify and punish the guilty. 9. Listen to Learn and Ask Questions to Provide Guidance: Provide a space in which people will communicate by listening to them and asking them questions. Guide by asking questions, not by telling grown up people what to do. People generally know the right answers if they have the opportunity to produce them. When an employee brings you a problem to solve, ask, "what do you think you should do to solve this problem?" Or, ask, "what action steps do you recommend?" Employees can demonstrate what they know and grow in the process. Eventually, you will feel comfortable telling the employee that he or she need not ask you about similar situations. You trust their judgment.

10. Help Employees Feel Rewarded and Recognized for Empowered Behavior: When employees feel under-compensated, under-titled for the responsibilities they take on, under-noticed, under-praised, and underappreciated, dont expect results from employee empowerment. The basic needs of employees must feel met for employees to give you their discretionary energy, that extra effort that people voluntarily invest in work. For successful employee empowerment, recognition plays a significant role. Example of Employee Empowerment: Nestle India: By increasing the responsibility levels and skill sets of the employees, they have been able to reduce accidents, waste, unplanned stoppages, quality defects and consumer complaints, and improve productivity. After employee empowerment programs: Reduce laminate waste by 35% and powder waste by 87% Reduce shift-end times by 44%; increase mean time between operational failure by 68% Reduce minor operation stoppages by 25%.