Volume 2 Issue 2

EMPOWERMENT

In recent years, the concept of empowerment has become a hot topic. Many books have been written and much has been spoken about the subject. Yet, even with all that attention, I often hear managers at all levels blame failure on a lack of empowerment. They talk about being given the responsibility to accomplish certain things, but also complain about not being given the necessary authority to get them done.

Empowerment establishes a greater degree of teamwork among people by the delegation of responsibility and authority across the organization. Essentially, empowerment is a process that facilitates the redistribution of decision?making from traditional, top?down hierarchy to individuals and teams at all levels. 'True empowerment' starts with effective delegation.

Delegation
As managers, we must decide how much work we should do ourselves and how much work should be given, or delegated, to others. Delegation is the assignment of duties, responsibilities and authority to others in order to achieve the desired results. Delegating allows managers to extend their influence and power beyond their own limits of time, energy and knowledge. Delegation is not the same as passing the buck.

Stumbling Blocks to Delegation

Some managers believe that delegating is the same as a giving away; a loss. They cannot bring themselves to delegate because they fear losing power, control and authority. This belief fuels a resistance to delegation, if not a total avoidance. It's important to understand that when you delegate, you are not losing anything. What you are in fact accomplishing is extending or sharing your authority and your right to manage with others who can help you reach your objectives.

Lack of Confidence

Many managers are not confident in the abilities of their people to perform duties or assume responsibilities for which they are ultimately accountable. When you lack confidence in someone's abilities, your natural tendency is to avoid delegating. When this happens, why not take steps to increase your employee's level of knowledge and skills? Recognizing the strengths and shortcomings of our employees is a basic management function. We must then focus on helping our people fill the gaps. Training, along with a supportive attitude, may very well be the answer. This way, you increase your confidence. Long term, I guarantee it will make your job easier.

Delegation of authority
When we delegate a task or responsibility to an employee, we must provide that employee with all the tools necessary for success, and that includes authority.

For instance, let's say that your objective is to delegate to your lead hand the responsibility of chairing the department's weekly safety meeting. Your decision is based on your beliefs that this individual is trustworthy, and has sufficient skills and knowledge to fulfil this role. Once the individual agrees to take this on, it is imperative that you also delegate sufficient authority so that your lead hand can assume this responsibility and be successful at it. It's a good idea to ask yourself, "What authority do I have with respect to the safety meetings? I have the authority to:

It is important to communicate the change of chair to all team members before the next meeting. This demonstrates, to all involved, that the lead hand has your support, enabling that individual to earn credibility. By extending your authority, you are delegating effectively and moving one step closer to 'true empowerment'.

A fundamental principle of organizational development states that a manager should not assign or delegate responsibility to a direct report unless that same manager is prepared to assign or delegate sufficient authority to perform. Otherwise, managers run the risk of positioning their employees to fail.