Employee empowerment allows non-managerial staff to make decisions without consulting their bosses. It can lead to happier employees and a greater sense of self-worth, but requires open-minded managers who are willing to relinquish control and consider suggestions.
“Employee empowerment” is a term that is used to express the ways non-managerial staff members can make decisions without consulting their bosses or executives. These decisions can be big or small, depending on how powerfully the company wants to invest its employees. Employee empowerment can start with training and converting an entire company to an empowerment model. Conversely, it may simply mean giving employees the ability to make some decisions for themselves.
Happier employees
The thinking behind employee empowerment is that it empowers individuals and therefore makes employees happier. By being able to make choices and participate on a more responsible level, employees become more invested in their company. They often see themselves as representatives of the company.
When employees feel they have a choice and can make direct decisions, this often leads to a greater sense of self-worth. In a model where power is closely tied to a sense of self, having some power is a valuable thing. An employee who doesn’t feel constantly watched and criticized is more likely to view work as a positive rather than a negative environment.
Open minded manager
For employee empowerment to work properly, the management team must be truly committed to empowering employees to make decisions. Managers may want to define the scope of decisions their employees can make. Building decision teams is often one of the models used for employee empowerment, as it allows managers and workers to provide ideas for running the company.
Autocratic managers tend not to be able to use employee empowerment. These types of managers, often called micromanagers, tend to oversee all aspects of their employees’ work and usually do not relinquish control. A manager dedicated to employee empowerment must be willing to relinquish control of certain aspects of the business.
Suggestions encouraged
An easy way for managers to start empowering their employees is to install suggestion boxes, where workers can enter suggestions without fear of retribution or punishment. However, simply placing a hint box somewhere is only the first step. Managers must be willing to read and consider suggestions. They might provide a forum where questions or suggestions are answered, such as a weekly or monthly newsletter. Additionally, managers can hold meetings where suggestions are addressed.
Answers needed
At least some suggestions need to be approved for employees to feel they are having some effect on their company. Failure to approve or implement any suggestion reinforces that all power belongs to managers and not to workers. Employee empowerment of any form can only work when managers are willing to be open to new ideas and strategies. If no such will exists, employees are likely to know that they have not been enabled at all.
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