Creating a good working environment where employees are happy, motivated and productive, and therefore engaged, has never been more important. The question is, how can an organisation go about empowering its people?
Marshall Goldsmith wrote in his Harvard Business Review blog, "It isn’t possible for a leader to ’empower’ someone to be accountable and make good decisions. People have to empower themselves." Whilst I agree with statement, I do believe there are things managers can do to help their people feel more empowered and confident to make the best decisions.
Give a clear definition of strategy
In some organisations, employee turnover can be due to a lack of opportunity or a lack of knowledge on how individuals contribute to the business and its goals. Therefore, it is important for employees to understand the business strategy, where they fit into it, and how they can support it on a day-to-day basis. In fact, Towers Watson’s Global Workforce Study found that 88% of employees that were highly engaged, understood how their job contributed to the organisation achieving its business goals.
Training for management
Training line managers on how to let go and trust their teams is really important. In many cases, micromanagement can disengage employees and lead them to feel undervalued and unmotivated. If people feel trusted and appreciated by their manager, they are more likely to feel secure and valued, and empowered to make decisions.
Make use of 360° reviews
360° reviews provide a great opportunity for managers and teams to give and receive as much feedback as possible and celebrate success. They can also help identify areas for development, helping people to improve their skill set. Encouraging dialogue between a manager and a team member is vital in building confidence and helping people develop.
Develop appropriate KPIs
Setting key performance indicators on employee retention rates for example can help with measuring rates of employee engagement within the organisation. While many businesses set KPIs for profits and customer feedback, often little is done in formally measuring employee morale.
Ultimately, for people to feel empowered to make decisions they need to feel supported and confident. Managers can play a key role in ensuring this happen by regularly giving constructive feedback and praise, whilst also ensuring their team members understand the bigger picture of the organisation. After all, if more people are empowered it can only result in positive results such as improved engagement and productivity.
Gerelateerde bronnen
Wilt u blijven leren? Bekijk onze producten, klantverhalen en de nieuwste branche-inzichten.
Blogpost
Hoe kun je de volgende generatie werknemers aantrekken en behouden?
Vincent Belliveau, Chief International Officer, Cornerstone
Blogpost
Anders werken in een nieuwe wereld: HR-voorspellingen 2024
Op het kruispunt van technologie en personeel nemen HR-leiders daadkrachtig het voortouw bij het transformeren van de wijze waarop organisaties omgaan met de complexe werkwereld van vandaag. Met de intrede van 2024 vraagt het snelle tempo van verandering, aangejaagd door technologische vooruitgang, om een scherp inzicht in opkomende trends.
E-book
Anders werken in een nieuwe wereld: HR-voorspellingen 2024
Hoe goed weet uw organisatie om te gaan met de snelle veranderingen die op ons af blijven komen? 41% van de werknemers zegt niet te beschikken over de benodigde middelen om hun skills te ontwikkelen, terwijl 59% op zoek is naar meer loopbaanbegeleiding. Daarom is het voor HR-managers belangrijker dan ooit om op de hoogte te blijven van de nieuwste trends en te begrijpen wat deze voor hun personeel en organisatie betekenen. Toch maakt meer dan 60% van de organisaties geen gebruik van AI-technologie om hun talentprogramma te optimaliseren.