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