Empowerment: The Key to Success

Written by: Jordan Rothenberg

Solving For Why

P.O. Box 1754 Bloomington, Indiana 47401 T (317) 708-7640

Jordan@Solvingforwhy.com http://www.solvingforwhy.com

Solving For Why

Humble Beginnings:
Its All About Empowerment
Empowerment is, and will continue to be, the most important skill set for continued growth and improvement. The reduction of human interaction, its resulting success in the sales process, and the desire for self-employment might indicate the demise of the loyal employee. However, if one possesses the ability to accurately recognize, assess, and recalibrate empowerment in accordance to the perceptions of the employee, it will enable employees to be agents for a success that will surpass job descriptions and measurements.

What is Empowerment?
Empowerment is the capacity of individuals or groups to make choices that result in desired actions. The capacity by which desired results are achieved is facilitated by ones agency and social structure. Employees work to complete the jobs for which they are hired, so naturally, they are paid to have the best interest of the organization in mind. But completion of all aspects of their job is still subject to their degree of empowerment. An empowered employee is one who consistently makes choices that result in desired outcomes. Research suggests that empowerment of employees within organizations presupposes desired outcomes, but not necessarily mutually shared outcomes. James may be encouraged by his boss to expense dinner with a client in order to make the client feel loved, but he might complete this action strategically to sample the new restaurant that opened in town. The reason James takes the client is irrelevant, rather the element of note is that his self-interest coincides with the result that his boss intended.

Empowerment: The Key to Success

Solving For Why

Rewards of Empowered Employees

Empowered employees exist when an employee... 1. Looks forward to work 2. Feels excitement by what he or she has yet to accomplished. 3. Meets challenges head rst and has difculty leaving it unnished. 4. Inspires others through their work related successes. 5. Creates new initiatives, methods, opportunities that benet the organization. 6. Shows sincere enthusiasm for work while performing job functions. 7. Can be found outside of work talking up the product or service to friends and family. 8. Uses the words we and our to describe the organization and product. 9. Loves telling people who they work for and what they do. 10. Defends attacks on the organization from loved ones, friends, and even strangers.

How do you develop empowered employees?

It may appear counterintuitive to reward self-interested behavior as a means for empowerment, but as the sole proprietor, his/her self-interests and that best interests of the organization might not be aligned. So how do we develop this empowerment? Upon research on proper empowerment methods and measurements, I have added to my experiential knowledge to arrive at the two key components of empowerment: agency and social framework. Agency can dened by psychological, social, nancial, human, or informational resources. Social framework can be dened by the formal and informal existence of rules, policies, regulatory structures, behavioral codes of ethics, and social standards.1

Aslop, R., & Heinsohn, N. (2005). Measuring empowerment in practice: Structuring analysis and framing indicators. World Bank , doi: Policy Research Paper 3510
1

Empowerment: The Key to Success

Solving For Why

Degrees of Empowerment:
In order to identify how empowered one might be, I have created a classication of 5 degrees of empowerment: helpless, unaware, ambivalent, empowered, and loyal.
Helpless Agency & Social Framework Exists Knowledge that improvement is possible Uses agency and framework to produce only self-interested results Uses agency and framework to produce benecial organizational and self-interested results Uses agency and structure that only produces benecial organizational results No Yes Unaware Yes No Ambivalent Yes Yes Empowered Yes Yes Loyal Yes Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

Yes

What does it mean to NOT be empowered?

The empowered differ from the disempowered in a singular way: Emotional connection. All the resources and opportunities to facilitate action can do nothing to motivate a person, it can only inspire. Motivation certainly necessitates the proper agency and social framework. Motivation is force that is internally derived. Employee empowerment is entirely dependent upon the perceptions of each employee.

Empowerment: The Key to Success

Solving For Why

Indicators of Empowerment
This chart below represents the indicators of empowerment from the perspective of an individual.
Surface Level Ability to accomplish tasks Feeling of having power over ones life & destiny Use of efforts and resources to achieve success New Visions and possibilities Certainty of achievement of goals Command over events Faith and growth in skills Ability to cope with the unexpected Control over resource allocation Dignity Positive attitude Self-efcacy Belief in success Assertiveness Determination Paid work Personal control Direct own choices Intermediary Level Ability to effect the behavior of others Understanding power & status of groups Collective group efcacy Community organization Individual assertiveness within group Mutual support Decision making, Exercising inuence Feelings of shared fate Group Identity Macro Level Ability to make a difference and have command over events Awareness of rights and increased collective political power Critical reection of social problems and understanding their place in society Increased control and access to resources Ready to take action and participate in social change and reconstruction
Aslop, R., & Heinsohn, N. (2005). Measuring empowerment in practice: Structuring analysis and framing indicators. World Bank , doi: Policy Research Paper 3510

Self-esteem Self-respect Self-sufciency Self-worth Upward mobility Proactive Condence Motivation Competence

Ability to make a difference Problem Solving Release of hidden resources Support systems Community participation

Empowerment: The Key to Success

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Recommendations on how to improve empowerment:

Determine area of improvement Make Resources available Create Social Framework Educate of opportunities Demonstrate Success with Opportunities Praise Success

* Evaluate what actions or results you want to empower your employees to accomplish * Identify which individuals or groups you wish to target * Create a personalized loyalty incentive program for each division or even employee. It doesnt have to be formalized. * Develop three phrases that detail the wealth of opportunities of your organization and tell everyone every day * Have lunch with a different employee each week to get to know them and solicit suggestions of how to improve the organization * Brag about your employees to other managers whenever possible * Get your employees involved in other organizations * Set everyone up with a mentor * Educate everyone of all the options available for your mutually desired results * Remind employees of things they are not obligated to do * Monetarily reward employees for going above and beyond * Provide continuous opportunities for growth * Publicly recognize employees for making the right decision

In Conclusion
Competitive salary, 401k contributions, medical and dental insurance, and paid vacation have become expected. In order to stand out, alternative types of compensation must be afforded to prospective and current employees that foster individual growth. Employees will require a greater ability to exercise self-directed decisions, develop an emotional connection to the organizations cause, and have an organizational impact. One must recognize the difference.

Empowerment: The Key to Success