Your success—and the success of your organization—is directly dependent on the success of your employees. So empower them already! The more your employees are motivated and empowered to step up and lead, to see the big picture, and to take action for the benefit of your business, the more your business will grow and thrive.
At Hiring & Empowering Solutions, we’re huge advocates for empowerment in the workplace. So much so that he word “empowering” is in our company name, and we’ve even written a book about how to empower employees.
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But more immediately, we want to help you help your employees to take ownership of their responsibilities, feel proud of their work, act freely in a way that benefits your organization, and understand their role in the greater scope of your company’s operations. Here are some simple tips for how to empower employees and promote empowerment in the workplace:
Set boundaries, but generous ones: If your employees know exactly what they have the authority to do—waive a transaction fee, spend X-amount of money to keep a customer happy, etc.—then they’ll solve problems on their own, without having to consult with a manager.
Listen to your employees: Forget about all those things you want to hear from your employees and start tuning into what your employees are actually saying.
Know that ordinary employees can accomplish extraordinary things: Every individual is excellent at something. Not some individuals. Every individual. Find the areas where your employees excel and allow them to do what they do best.
Be forgiving: Everyone makes mistakes, and, in fact, if your employees aren’t making mistakes, they’re not trying hard enough. Help your employees understand the difference between acceptable mistakes and those that will cause a mission to fail. And never, ever, ever punish acceptable mistakes. If you do, your employees will be overly cautious about employing new and potentially game-changing strategies!
Empower employees to grow: If you don’t provide growth paths for your employees, they’ll find them at another company. Keep your talent happy and provide robust growth paths—even it’s less than convenient for your business.
Praise effort, not talent: When you praise effort rather than talent, you’ll encourage employees to learn and grow rather than focus on the few things they already do really, really well.
Ask thought-provoking questions: It’s one thing to tell employees to do something. But as it goes, teach a man (or woman) to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime. Instead of demanding work, ask thought-provoking questions that allow employees to achieve your business’s goals on their own. “How can we create a product that is 10x less expensive that our competitor’s product?” Questions like that empower employees to problem solve, and because they are being given the freedom to think outside the box and get creative, you can count on the best possible outcomes.
Earn their trust: Your employees should know, without doubt, that your company has their back in good times and in bad. If you don’t think an employee is worth supporting when things get thin, then don’t hire them! When employees trust you, you’ll in unparalleled loyalty and tenacity.
Time is sometimes just as good as money: It’s not always in the budget to give your employees big bonuses or raises. But giving them time—whether to work on their own passion projects or to manage their personal lives—can oftentimes motivate employees just as much to product the best possible results.
Your ego is not your amigo: You should not be the smartest or most talented person in your organization or on your team. Hire people who are better than you—you’ll look great, and your company’s performance will reap the rewards.
These are just a few simple tips for how to empower employees at your organization. Check out our book for more guidance on how to promote empowerment in the workplace. Because remember, when your employees succeed, you and your business also succeed.
Contact Hiring & Empowering Solutions
At Hiring & Empowering Solutions, we offer several programs for employee training and development, all designed to empower employees and managers to be the best leaders they can be. Schedule a free 30-minute discovery session with one of our management consultants to learn more about all we have to offer, or to brainstorm solutions for your company’s current challenges.
