The Real Meaning Of Empowerment

The Real Meaning Of Empowerment

“Be of service. Whether you make yourself available to a friend or co-worker, or you make time every month to do volunteer work, there is nothing that harvests more of a feeling of empowerment than being of service to someone in need.” Gillian Anderson

Everyone seems to be talking about empowerment these days as the cure-all for under-achieving organizations and employees. Employers, department heads, and private and government leaders who do not endorse it are considered outdated and damned.

But wait, If  empowerment were the magic potion guaranteeing success, why didn’t we drink it long ago? The answer is – it does not guarantee success. But why? Because both employers and employees must be ready for it. Empowerment will succeed only if there is real readiness and commitment to facing these irritating issues:

Barriers between employees and their supervisors are not dealt with continuously.

“Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know.” Jim Rohn

“Skill in the art of communication is crucial to a leader's success. He can accomplish nothing unless he can communicate effectively.”

Communication is the key to growth and success. When communication break down, failure is likely. Open communication between people allows a free flow of ideas and thoughts. Everyone is clear on where they stand, and what each person wants and expects from the others. By expressing our thoughts and ideas, we can begin to see the reality of our situation. When we have the freedom to speak our minds, we begin to feel empowered. When there is clarity, proper action can follow.

Employees are rarely asked to recommend solutions.

“Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you'll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you'll find that you have more of it.” Ralph Marston

People thrive when they feel they are respected and appreciated. That is why listening to customers is critical to the success of any business. When employees cab speak up and freely voice their opinions, they feel empowered, even if their ideas are not always implemented.

Want to motivate your staff? Empower your employees—don’t delegate. The result? Increased job performance and company success.

Abilities remain untapped.

“Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on one's ideas, to take a calculated risk - and to act.” Andre Malraux

Few of us can duplicate the brilliance of Leonardo da Vinci, but each of us can get closer to meeting our potential. The desire to explore possibilities is not limited to geniuses: The keys are persistence, focus, and hard work. Ability is only  potential until it is tapped. As we learn how to best apply our own gifts, we can better see talents in others and how to help them become all they can be.

Employee never initiate action, but wait for orders and directions.

“Initiative is doing the right things without being told” Elbert Hubbard

“You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence.” Abraham Lincoln

“Success depends in a very large measure upon individual initiative and exertion, and cannot be achieved except by a dint of hard work.” Anna Pavlova

Most people resist new ways.

Refusal to accept change causes stagnation. When people resist this natural flow of life, they move backwards. Businesses that resist change lose to competitors. To change when needed is the essence of growth.

“When we allow deep-seated habits to control our lives, we work against ourselves.”

Employers spend little time or money on training.

Training is the vehicle for change. Plans and goals without training are useless. To fail to train is to deny the importance of preparation, productivity and profit.

Most people who leave are keepers.

More often than not, people who leave go on to what they believe will be a better opportunity. Most of the time when this happens, these people are valuable now, and would be in the future. The ones we should be most concerned about are the poor performers who will never leave unless pushed out. They are the cause of low productivity, bad morale, and poor customer relationships.

Policy manuals and rulebooks are getting bigger and bigger.

It takes time and energy to read and understand rules and regulations. More rules mean less time that can be devoted to more creative endeavors. More rules also decrease the size of the box we must work within.  People who like to think outside the box must spend more time to reach beyond the imposed limits of rules and regulations. Rules create a “safe” environment because you know exactly what you can and can’t do. The “it’s not my job” syndrome does nothing to empower people or encourage them to explore their potential. More often than not, people hide behind rules and use them as an excuse to explain why something didn’t happen as it should.

People who don’t improve receive the same compensation as those who do.

When people are not paid based on merit and accomplishments, you favor idlers. The best employees then believe you don’t appreciate the difference between them and the problem people. This is the easiest way to squelch initiative. They feel powerless in an environment that does not recognize them. Boredom, frustration, and resentment lead to departure at the first opportunity.

More time is spent talking about bad situations than fixing them.

Some people just like to complain. Complaining is easier than finding a solution because it requires little thought and takes no energy. Improvement always requires initiative and added work. To improve a bad situation, someone must be willing to come foreward, take charge and be a leader. Many people would prefer to sit backstage and criticize others who are attempting to solve problems. Empowered people have the confidence and self-esteem to withstand criticism. Getting the job done is more important to them than being liked.

“Winners measure improvement. Losers hope for miracles.”

Lead yourself and Empower Others

“Every time you teach someone else how to do something new and they follow your lead, you free yourself from that activity and increase your productivity”

“When you start devoting more of your prime time to your priorities, you’ll discover that you won’t have time to do most of the time-filler things you used to do. A lot of them were simply avoidance items – some of which others may do or, perhaps, don’t need to be done at all.”

“The greatest desire in the world to be a positive producer is of no value if a person’s work is simply wheel spinning business rather than forward-moving productivity.”

Leading Yourself and Empowering Others – How Do You Rate? Do you…

• Start the day or evening by thinking through, and writing down what you need to do to further yourself toward achieving your dreams and goals? Think through a task before staring it.
• Complete tasks to the best of your ability rather than leaving them partially done?
• Do the most important tasks first even if they are more challenging?
• Inspire and encourage people to pursue their dreams, accomplish their goals, and achieve their own success?
• Empower people to keep stretching beyond what they’ve done before?
• Say no if someone asks you to do something that would interfere with your priorities?
• Do you use a machine or computer when it’s more effective than doing things manually?
• Leverage well by inspiring and empowering others to do things themselves rather than trying to do everything yourself?
• Regularly venture out and do new things toward achieving your dreams and goals?
• Have an open mind doing things differently rather than being held back by your old ways of thinking?
• Redirect yourself if you go off on a tangent and get off track, for example, by starting projects you have little interest in or know you probably will not finish?
• Teach others, first of all, how to accomplish easy short term goals to help them build their confidence?
• Operate by preventive planning instead of waiting until a crisis occurs?
• Put people first by handling associates’ and clients’ concerns as soon as reasonably possible?
• Refuse to socialize either in person or on the phone with friends or family during a time when you need to be productive?
• Do you avoid being distracted during times of potential positive productivity by such things as newspapers, magazines, TV, friends, hobby activities, sports, playing on the computer, low priority voice mail or email, mail, and other non-productive activity?
• Group errands efficiently together rather than making several individual trip?
• Ask for help from your leader or mentor about ways to become more of a positive producer?
• Always focus on the best use of every minute of every day and help others to do the same?

"Control over attitude is one of the Secret of Winner.”

Leverage Your Time and Empower Others to Do What You’ve Been Doing


Four Questions about what you’re doing in your career or business:

• Is what I’m doing part of the system of success I’ve been taught for the business or industry that I’m in? (Am I empowering or distracting with my example?)
• Is it duplicatable? (Can my associates easily do what I’m doing?)
• What do I need to do next to teach my associates how to move on more effectively to achieve their dreams and goals?
• Is there someone more knowledgeable and experienced than I am who could help me better leverage myself?

“To be an effective positive producer, you need to invest your time and energy wisely by consciously leading yourself and empowering others to do the same. Continually ask yourself, ‘How much return on my investment of this hour am I getting right now? Am I doing the highest priority task in the best way possible? Am I doing whatever it takes?’”

“If you’re excited about building a business, don’t let anyone – especially yourself – slow you down. The reason you became an independent business owner, to begin with, was because you have a dream or goal and you like the challenge and excitement of the work. Right? Stay psyched-up. It’ll keep the stress away and keep you energized through the challenges.”

“Few people during their lifetime come anywhere near exhausting the resources within them. There are deep wells of strength that are never used.” By Richard E. Bryd

Challenge Are Opportunities for Growth – Welcome Them with Open Arms. It is in the overcoming and teaching others to overcome that we grow and become the best we can be. The bigger the challenge, the bigger opportunity for growth.
___________________________________________________________