Are You Sabotaging Your Employee Empowerment?

by James Canada

One of the most interesting corporate paradoxes I experienced was related to employee empowerment. An executive memo was issued, making this grand statement, “as of [this specific] time and date, all employees will be empowered to do what is right for the customer.”

Although the writer’s intentions were admirable, the memo represented the old-style thought pattern, “management knows best and is in control”. Fortunately, the memo looked so much like all the other edicts and protestations, that almost everyone failed to notice—and chaos was avoided!

We’ve all seen similar situations where employees try out their new empowerment and do something that was clearly right for the customer, yet get hammered when their decision contradicts the rules. “If that’s empowerment, then I don’t need it,” is the typical response. The most glaring omission in the memo was any indication of employee input. As business owners, the mistake we too often make is trying to mandate empowerment instead of cultivating it.

Over the years, I have learned that if we want to have effective empowerment, we want to follow these guidelines:

-Create a supportive environment for employees
-Encourage employee growth and development
-Listen to their feedback and try to implement their ideas
-Provide them with the tools they need to be successful
-Accept their mistakes without reprimand, and encourage them to learn
-Give them an opportunity; get out of their way so they can accomplish it
-Release the control of the environment
-Never mandate that you will have employee empowerment

Keep in mind that we don’t want to oversell empowerment. When the entire team follows a combination of sustained initiatives, that’s when it happens. Then, we can enjoy watching it flourish and grow.

James H. Canada is managing partner/CEO for Alliance Technologies LLC, ITEN mentor and author of “Corporate to Entrepreneur: Strategies for Success.” Contact Jim at james.canada@alliancetechnologiesllc.com, 636-734-2337 or www.alliancetechnologiesllc.com.