“Empowerment” …is it just a fluff, buzz word we talk about? Or is it something that could change how a company does everything?
What is empowerment? We see empowerment as the belief you have the ability to make decisions, take action and make a difference.
Empowered employees have higher satisfaction levels, lower turnover, and overall higher productivity. We know it’s important that we empower our employees and empower our team.
How exactly do we empower our employees? Below are 6 ways to empower your employees and empower your team.
Share Your Vision – You need to share your vision. Your team and your employees need to know the ‘big game.’ They need to understand what the end goal is and the WHY behind what you do (and what the company does). This will help them keep in mind the big picture on every decision they make.
Encourage Skill Development – Make sure to invest (time and money) in your team’s skills. By giving them access to more technical, leadership, and management skills/information, you put them into a better position to make better decisions.
Challenge Them – You need to constantly challenge them to take on more responsibility. Baby step them into taking on bigger roles. Allow them to get some small wins along the way and build up their confidence. And slowly bring them into stretch roles.
Allow For Mistakes – If you give people responsibility to make decisions and put them into ‘stretch’ roles, you have to allow for mistakes. You will need to correct the mistakes, but you need to expect them. And be ready to tackle them as they come. The worst thing you can do is make your team so worried about making a mistake they are slow to make decisions and take risks.
Appreciate Them – Your team and your employees need to know that you appreciate them. One of my favorite quotes is “A person who feels appreciated will always do more than expected.” Appreciate them every chance you get.
Praise Them – When your team does well or makes a courageous decision, PRAISE THEM! Praise every win. Praise them for the win because they will need it when they have a loss.
Do you have other suggestions on empowering your employees? Share how you will empower your employees this year!
