A manager who has created empowered employees is a
happy manager. However, achieving this state is not an easy battle and requires
a great deal of strategy and restraint.
You are a manager. Your job is not to do one job
extremely well anymore. However, your brain is still programmed to seek
the challenge and reward of executing certain tasks to perfection. You
must now be satisfied with shaping the aggregate of many imperfect tasks to
form the most optimal outcome.
The best executive is the one who has sense enough to
pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from
meddling with them while they do it. - Theodore Roosevelt
Pick the Right Person
- In management, it is a very important lesson to
learn early on that there are some skills and abilities that you can lead
a person to and some attributes a person just plain has to have
when they walk through the door.
- Whatever it is that you need someone to be
empowered to do make sure that they possess those “dealbreaker”
attributes before you begin. It will save you both a tremendous
amount of time and aggravation.
Provide Tools
- Make sure they have access to the right
technology and resources needed to become knowledgeable about a
given subject and communicate it.
- Share your experience but do so objectively in a
“This is something that has worked for me” or a “I tried this once and
this was the result.” Take yourself out of the advice and make it as
objective as possible. The minute you share a story with the
undertone of “You should” the empowerment has ended.
Don’t Fixate, Cherish the Process
- Don’t
nag, it’s
annoying!
- Attempt to create an environment where those you
empower update you on what you need to know without having to ask
specifically. Every time you ask someone about a specific item you
tell them that you care only about that item, that result. Instead talk
about action steps, strategies, and tactics. Show genuine
interest in their methodology and they will tell you exactly what
you want to know.
Don’t “Do”
- If you are a person who often says to themself
“If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself…” STOP! Don’t say that
ever again!
- If you don’t trust someone else to do at least an
adequate job on a certain project they’ll see in in your eyes. The
trouble with talented people, which often are those who become managers,
is that their aptitude is high for a lot of things. Understand you can’t do
everything and let go!
Step Away and Watch People Succeed
- Trust yourself that you have adhered to
the aforementioned tenets.
- In turn, trust those you have empowered to
get the job done.
I am interested to hear your strategies for empowering
others. Feel free to comment with your experiences.
About the Author: Carol James is an EssayLab psychology department writer and senior editor. She
has MA degree in social sciences and is an excellent specialist in this field.
Carol worked with numerous materials on the subject and is eager to share her
knowledge with our readers.
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