An empowered workforce can accomplish remarkable things. Start with star performers with potential. Then empower your employees and supercharge your people for high performance.
Case Study - Many years ago an engineer was working in a jet engine engineering unit that was a leading edge factor in the market. They were developing advanced technology and transforming it into products that would attract attention worldwide. As was common in the company, he was assigned a bright new person, who had just finished his masters research. The protégé had a computer program ready for application in fracture mechanics, which was relatively new in engineering work. [This technology assumes a crack or internal defect in material, and predicts failure after so many cycles of stress.]
The engineer found a good application in welded assemblies. On many occasions in the past he had been called to the x-ray lab to review films showing internal defects. The usual recommendation was to grind out the defect and re-weld, a laborious process. Using the new method introduced by his protégé, they were able to justify proceeding without laborious rework of welds, a great cost savings. The engineer encouraged making this part of the analytical package; the boss agreed. The protégé was also instrumental in translating complicated mission profiles into usable simplifications that were valid.
This got the attention of an important customer, The US Air Force. They started applying it to aerodynamic structures. This advancement would not have been possible if the employees had not been empowered to make an improvement.
Levels of Empowerment - Employee empowerment starts with encouragement. Employees are coached to play a more active role in their work. Employees should develop into active rather than passive players, showing more initiative. Next, newly empowered employees take responsibility for doing things in increasingly better ways. Continuous improvements to processes can be found and implemented, improving products and services. Then empowered employees are enabled to make more and bigger decisions without seeking approval from the manager. Start with small steps and encourage bigger steps as experience grows. In time benefits will accrue: getting closer to the customer; improving service delivery; innovating continually; increasing productivity; and gaining the competitive edge.
Encourage stepping out into new areas - World class companies are characterized by managers who cheer their talented workers into higher levels of performance and inspire them to great achievements, which can't be accomplished without employee empowerment. If empowering the employee requires procuring new hardware and software, then the manager should facilitate the change. In this way dreams are transformed to reality, and progress can be made towards high performance products produced at lower cost. One example is inertia welding, which has been applied to metal and plastic parts, too. Fasteners are eliminated, and parts take on a smooth modern appearance. This important improvement was made possible by an empowered employee who was allowed to be creative.
An empowered work force is an informed work force - Your team must be informed of company goals and plans on a regular basis. 'Keeping in the dark' is not in the empowered employee vocabulary. Likewise, the employee will communicate to his team mates and management what he is doing and what he is expecting from certain developments. This may trigger helpful suggestions from team mates. One employee that is having trouble with a specific detail may find the answer from a team mate. Many project execution tools can inform team mates and uncover and identify problems. Even more basic is a dated progress narrative that shows accomplishments, problem areas, and tentative means of solving the problems.
An employee empowerment system can be expressed with the following steps:
1.Provide an inspiring vision and launch a crusade.
2.Help people connect their personal goals to business goals.
3.Create an environment where continuous innovation is part of the culture.
4.Encourage entrepreneurial creativity and experimentation.
5.Keep everyone involved, trust empowered employees.
6.Coach and train your people to greatness.
7. Encourage teams and build teamwork, use the leverage of diversity of experience.
8. Motivate, inspire, energize people, and recognize achievements.
9. Encourage risk taking.
10. Make business fun.
The Importance of Employee Trust in Management - Announce What It Will Be, Then Do It
In order for a business to thrive, employees must believe in and trust their management. Management must believe in and trust employees. Distrust has many negatives to the business. Building trust is a worthwhile effort.
Why is Work Process so Vitally Important?
Having good, clear, documented work processes is not beaurocratic. Following a process does not take longer. Conversely, a good, clear work process actually streamlines a lot of employee work and reduces stress. Everyone knows exactly what they are supposed to do. Better teamwork is a major benefit.
Managing Difficult Co-workers - Often More Difficult than Relations with the Boss
Difficult people and difficult co-workers will always be with us, but how we handle them is what makes the difference. We can't control others, but we can control ourselves. Here are some tips for handling difficult people at work.
