The Perils of Empowerment

WHY EMPOWERMENT?

To determine why empowerment is a viable option, I will state the obvious, as follows. The workforce today is increasingly diverse. Competition is fierce. Controlling costs, increasing revenues, generating motivation, and continuously improving innovation are key components of success. The new millennium marks an expectation of profound change.

These statements of the obvious are all aspects to consider when meeting the challenges of running organizations today, public or private. Empowerment as a systems and process shift from command and control can yield significant payoffs. The probable increase in employee effort and subsequent impact on the bottom line is the key argument most often cited. CEO’s, COO’s and CFO’s are excited at this bottom line prospect and no doubt so are shareholders or owners in the for-profit segment of the economy. However there is much more that speaks to the rest of the workforce. Empowerment provides abundant returns to the rest of the organizational chart. Much of the yield is qualitative and abstract, but nevertheless fulfilling for a workforce that hungers for satisfying life and life balance. Most of these payoffs are based upon my experience as a performance consultant working with private sector clients as diverse as property management and manufacturing, public sector clients in the business of regulation and human services, and non-profits such as charity organizations and churches.

Payoffs include:

1. More joy at work. People truly enjoy coming to work in an atmosphere of synergy, true collegiality and professionalism.
1. A sense of control. Having more control over one’s work and being able to initiate positive change is rewarding.
2. Civility. When coworkers communicate with respect and authenticity, the quality of working relationships changes for the better.
3. Reduced job-related stress that is unhealthy. Job stress that pushes productivity or "good stress" also known as eustress will always be with us. But the need to control "bad stress" for the sake of wellness is a strong argument for empowerment. Access to wellness enhances the quality of life and should also reduce benefit costs.
4. Integrity. A product of true empowerment is a system in which empowered partners operate in a state of integrity.
5. The growth of self-mastery. An empowered environment is one in which people seek to put forth their best efforts and continuously learn and improve. The system learns and improves as well.
6. Improved self-confidence. Empowering leaders encourage and acknowledge and empowered employees contribute more and develop a sense of self-esteem.
7. Manageable turnover. In an empowered setting the system tends to support commitment and reduce unnecessary turnover of valuable employees who want to stay and grow with an organization that supports their desires to grow and contribute. While allowing for a natural evolution of the composition of the team as those who, in an atmosphere of growth and candor, realize they need to move on.