| One of the most frustrating but common | | | | Management consultants, motivational speakers |
| problems I come across in my consulting work is | | | | and the like discuss empowerment in motivational |
| that of retaining key talent. Companies spend | | | | terms. However, all long-term motivation is |
| untold amounts of capital investing in tomorrow's | | | | intrinsic anyway, so the notion of empowerment |
| leaders, only to see them hastily depart down the | | | | as a motivational tool is nonsensical. |
| road for what they view as better opportunities | | | | Empowerment can be more accurately defined as |
| elsewhere.Many executives believe that money is | | | | the ability of employees to make decisions that |
| a major reason behind many of these departures. | | | | affect the outcomes of their jobs. What kind of |
| Money does play a part, but only a very minor | | | | decisions are we talking about?-decisions about |
| one. Money as a motivator is insufficient, though | | | | hiring practices-decisions about how to deal with |
| lack of money can be a demotivator. So, the old | | | | customer service issues-decisions about local |
| notion of throwing money after an employee who | | | | management practices-decisions on how to |
| is unhappy and looking elsewhere will only serve | | | | manage overtime-decisions about physical working |
| to create an unhappy employee who is better off | | | | conditionsAnd so on. Empowered employees |
| financially.Employees are motivated by a variety | | | | make quicker decisions, are more confident in |
| of factors, and thus there is no simple "shotgun | | | | their abilities to get the job done right, increase |
| method" to motivate mass numbers of | | | | customer satisfaction, and decrease corporate |
| employees. Motivation must be intrinsic. It comes | | | | costs associated with remediation work (work |
| from within each individual and cannot be "caught" | | | | that has to be duplicated due to employee |
| or passed on (much like a common cold). To that | | | | mistakes, which results from lack of |
| end, I have come up with three keys to | | | | accountability).Empowered employees engage in |
| improving your employee retention. If you are in | | | | innovation rather than problem-solving. Innovation |
| the process of developing tomorrow's leaders, | | | | involves a continuous improvement in the |
| make certain you understand these principles. | | | | status-quo, whereas problem-solving always |
| Otherwise, you will serve only to further the | | | | results from failure. Someone makes a mistake, |
| corporate ambitions of your leading competitors | | | | causing a decrease in the status-quo, and time |
| through serving only as a corporate pit-stop of | | | | and energy is spent fixing the problem, which |
| sorts for the best and brightest.Key #1: Build a | | | | results in the previous level of production. |
| Better CultureIf you want to retain those | | | | Empowered employees innovate due to increased |
| employees in whom you have invested time, | | | | freedom, satisfaction, and personal accountability. |
| capital, and relationships, you must first improve | | | | To this end, it is crucial that your company invest |
| your entire corporate culture. What does that | | | | in advanced personal development opportunities |
| mean? It could mean:-looking at your corporate | | | | for your employees rather than boring, remedial |
| hierarchy structure. Is it vertical or horizontal? | | | | training. The former promotes innovation, the |
| Vertical structures tend to result in decreased | | | | latter problem-solving.The biggest benefit to |
| communication (due to increased layers of middle | | | | empowering your employees is the loyalty it |
| management), poor employee empowerment | | | | generates. Human tendency is to value those who |
| (due to the ubiquitous need for approval from | | | | value our contributions, and empowered |
| higher-ups) and general lack of day-to-day | | | | employees certainly feel valued and respected by |
| knowledge by higher-ups of corporate functioning | | | | their employer.Key #3: Improve Your Relationship |
| (which results from the old "management by | | | | SkillsThe bottom line in any corporate culture is |
| walking around" phenomenon). Horizontal | | | | that relationships make or break a company. |
| structures tend to do the opposite, and decrease | | | | Relationship skills are an overlooked aspect of |
| friction and power struggles between | | | | corporate culture. With respect to relationships |
| management and employees due to increased | | | | and relationship skills, does your company:-have |
| visibility and accountability.-improving employee | | | | numerous exemplars among its ranks that display |
| input and communication mechanisms. Do your | | | | your ideal "corporate" personality traits |
| employees have an avenue for direct | | | | (genuineness, empathy, sense of humor, family |
| communication with their management and | | | | values, etc)-value people more than |
| leadership? Where do they go with legitimate | | | | outcomes?-actively invest in advanced |
| concerns or innovative ideas?-analyzing middle | | | | development opportunities for your employees? |
| management's tendencies toward micro-managing. | | | | (seminars on relationship building, etc)-have chief |
| If you want employees that feel respected and | | | | executives of all kinds that are readily accessible |
| valued, middle management needs to understand | | | | and easily approached?-listen more than it talks? |
| that micro-managing results in the opposite | | | | (most people believe communication is about |
| effect.-remember that all investments that | | | | improvements in one area and not the other, |
| improve the quality of life for your employees are | | | | which is crazy)-listen and incorporate customer |
| surefire winning investments. Work supports life, | | | | and client feedback readily?The better the |
| not vice versa. Employees that lead balanced, | | | | relationship skills among your employees and |
| healthy lives come to work happier and are more | | | | management, the better your corporate culture. |
| productive.- forget about downsizing as a profit | | | | In any area of corporate productivity, an |
| management tactic. First off, downsizing sends a | | | | improvement in relationship skills and process will |
| direct message to ALL employees (not just the | | | | readily increase profitability.Leif H. Smith, Psy.D., |
| ones that are let go) that they are expendable | | | | has worked with hundreds of individuals and |
| commodities. Second, downsizing has never had | | | | executives to improve personal and professional |
| any positive effect on company morale. Eliminating | | | | performance and effectiveness. He specializes in |
| jobs rather than eliminating problems in capital | | | | executive coaching and leadership development, |
| management processes is plain dumb.Key #2: | | | | and has worked with corporations such as The |
| Empower Your EmployeesEmpowerment is an | | | | American Lung Association, America Online, |
| oft-discussed but seldom understood concept. | | | | Purdue University and others to this end. |