ORGANIZING for EMPOWERMENT

Possibly one of the most important ways to wield power is to share it. This is because no single individual has all the answers or can make all decisions. Effectively running an organization takes everyone’s knowledge and good judgment. Good managers find ways to involve everyone, so that everyone’s input can be used. This is what is known as empowerment.

Empowerment is trusting employees to make decisions and to take responsibilities for their decisions and actions. 

 

Empowered Employees and Empowering Organizations

Empowered employees have a say in how things get done – they have a voice at work, and they use it. Because they are encouraged to point out problems without fear, empowered employees can improve work processes. Also, if they have some control over the products or services they create or deliver, these employees will be motivated to contribute to decisions to improve work design, production processes, and quality. They can take responsibility for organizing their work and setting goals individually or in self-managing teams. Empowered employees tend to be more engaged and committed, which drives them to surpass average performance.

An empowering organization will have systems and processes that encourage employee involvement, such as suggestion programs, or quality circles (structured groups that examine and improve work processes). These organizations may also have support programs that enable employees to deal directly with conflicts, such as mediation processes or access to ombudspersons. Additionally, empowering organizations often feature compensation programs that support collaboration and quality, such as profit-sharing plans.

Finally, empowering organizations discourage micromanagement. Micromanagement is the practice of over controlling others and their work, as well as paying far too much attention to details and how employees do their work. Micromanagement is common and destructive. It is a waste of everyone’s time, employees and managers alike. And it causes employees to feel resentful, discouraged, and disrespected – a recipe for ineffectiveness and dissonance in the organization.

Empowering organizations support managers and leaders in learning new management skills that focus on excellent communication, accurate assessment of employee’s abilities, group and team facilitation, and creating an environment that is marked by trust, commitment, and openness to learning. These skills help managers avoid the pitfalls of micromanagement.

Empowerment and Theories X, Y and Z

Theory X states that the average employee is inclined to be lazy, without ambition, and irresponsible. This attitude toward workers can result in micromanagement (the opposite of empowerment). Besides being insulting, theory X results in poor relationships with employees, a dissonant and unpleasant environment, and eventual burnout for the manager. It’s simply impossible to guide employees’ every move, and stand ready to reward or punish behavior all the time. Today’s workplace doesn’t allow for that.

Theory Y states that workers are inherently ambitious, responsible, and industrious, and they will work hard to help an organization reach its goals. This stance fosters an environment that is conducive to employee involvement, participation, and decision making – in a word, empowerment. Most people thrive in such an environment.

Theory Z states that in organizations that have strong, relational cultures, employees have discretionary freedom in local decision making and are trusted to work autonomously. In other words, they are empowered.

            Although on the surface Z organizations look ideal, it is nearly impossible to imagine a present-day organization that will offer lifetime employment. In organizations like this, kind but nevertheless directive leaders control the most important processes and decisions. This can backfire over time, because it can result in a workforce that is overly dependent on management. However, despite these drawbacks, the Z approach can generate positive morale and loyalty. Leaders who follow a course of benevolent paternalism are genuinely concerned about their employees, and employees show loyalty in return.

The Empowerment Movement Today

First, organizations are “flatter” today. Flat Organizations have few levels of hierarchy, which drives a need for more people to make decisions.

Second, organizations have become much leaner, meaning that fewer employees are doing the work than in the past, and employees are often exceedingly busy. It simply is not practical for managers and leaders to make all decisions all of the time. When work is organized, and when employees manage day-to-day activities and are empowered to make certain kinds of decisions, the more senior managers can spend their time on bigger issues such as spotting industry trends and creating a resonant environment that sparks passion and leads to excellent performance.

The empowerment movement is also taking hold because it has become clear that the person closest to the work process can often make better decisions than managers or leaders who are farther removed from the process. Finally, empowerment is more important today than ever before because the nature of the employment contract is changing. In the past, employment equation went something like this: “I will come to work and do my best to fulfill the organization’s expectations in exchange for respect, reasonable pay, decent working conditions, and a promise of lifetime employment”. Today, the equation is more like this: “I will share my talents and expertise with this organization only as long as I am fairly compensated, has opportunities to learn and grow, can do and be my best, and feel that my contributions are valued”. If these conditions are not met, people can and will leave.

            Empowering people at work is good for organizations.  “If you sum it all up, employee participation has a positive impact on business success. It is almost never negative or neutral”.

            In my experience, I participated a seminar/workshop on “Shifting Patterns in Tertiary Level Teaching and Learning” in order to update and assure that our skills are in line to the demands of our work. In these, we do feel personally responsible and want to improve our daily work processes, performance and relationships.

            I am empowered in my job because I love what I’m doing. Teaching our students is an empowering deed that makes them encourage and pursue whatever course they are into. As Randy shared to us that “Teaching is a vocation”. It should start within LEAD by examples.