Live Action (2) : Confidence from Empowerment

The Confidence that Comes from Empowerment

“Empower your people” is the new mantra to deal with the speed of the ground game that is being played in business today.  Innovation has a shelf life and speed to market is critical to success. For the employees, empowerment is emotional, and it involves personal discretion and the freedom of choice to make the necessary decisions.

A key component of empowerment is confidence: the motivation to pick up the mantle and act. Giving and receiving power is a two-way transaction. Empowerment awakens you to your responsibilities; it breeds entrepreneurship and has a positive effect on building self-confidence. Employee engagement is increased as individuals own both the problem and the solution.

Since you cannot wave a magic wand and suddenly empower people, here are some simple steps to promote empowerment in the workplace:

1. Ensure that the whole operation has a deep understanding of the business strategy.

2. Clarify job roles with clear boundaries and performance expectations.

3. Commit to training—coach employees to take control and manage risks.

4. Empower people with the authority to get the job done. (As hard as that is you’ve got to do it)

5. Give support and encouragement as needed.

6. Request progress reports.

7. Praise and reward accomplishment and skill.

High-caliber employees genuinely want to be empowered to perform, and in the fast-paced game of business, companies can’t survive without those who take responsibility and are motivated by the action and thrill of delivering results.

This is the second in a series from Donna Sturgess’s book, Eyeballs Out. Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved. image credit: businessweek

Click here if you missed Part 1

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Donna Sturgess is the President and Co-founder of Buyology Inc and former Global Head of Innovation for GlaxoSmithKline. Her latest book is Eyeballs Out: How To Step Into Another World, Discover New Ideas, and Make Your Business Thrive