What Is Employee Empowerment? Essay Example

Introduction

In order to increase productivity from the employees, companies have always opted for measures such as employee empowerment to ensure the attainment of the company’s objectives. Employee empowerment is usually aimed at making the employees have the feeling of ownership in their jobs and the ability to freely make decisions that affect their work.

Different work environments require different empowerment strategies for the challenges differ from one work place to the other.

Smash the clock

In order to initiate a process improvement under this environment it is important to make the employees feel appreciated. Whenever employees feel that their employer values them it softens the ground for inception of new operational procedures and/or methodologies. The employer’s attitude towards the unique ability of every employee should be one that makes them feel as people who are part of something that is bigger than their own personal wants. This can be achieved by ensuring that the employees have easier and timely access to the organization’s mission and vision (Blessing, 2010). Research shows that the companies whose employs clearly understand the companies’ vision and mission statements enjoy about 29% more returns than those in which the two statements are not appreciated. The moment it is resonated among all the members of a given organization about in which direction the company is supposed to move the ground becomes favorable for the employee to feel proud of what he/she does and this in turn increases the excitement and motivation within the employees. Through the vision and mission statements, the company’s own image and capabilities are stretched to the shape and possible direction of the company’s future (Blessing, 2010).

Managing Flexible Work Arrangement

Process improvement can be realized if the employer develops trust in the intentions of the employees to make the right decisions and even to make choices that the employers would not have chosen. Clear expectations from the employer during the improvement process results into relaxed employees who trust the employer. Employees therefore focus their energies on accomplishing but not on wondering or second-guessing on what the reaction of the employer could be. The employer has to make sure that the people’s accessibility to the information that will enable them to make critical decisions is attained (Konrad, 2006).

More success can also be achieved through the employer embracing some mechanisms that involve the delegation of authorities. Sometimes such moves that involve delegation of other things other than work increase fun at the work place and are a necessary and good way to break from the usual monotony of work delegation. Such delegations may include committees that influence the development of products and important meetings. This will give the employees a chance to grow and develop new skills that will be significant in handling the projects the customers and other people will notice. This will be advantageous to the employer as well for it will reduce the amount on his or her plate giving them a chance to concentrate on giving or availing their own contribution. If this is fully embraced the employers will shine and this will in turn result in the shining of the employer (Blessing, 2010).

Finally, in order to maximize the success in this type of environment, there is need for a frequent feedback from the employer about the progress of the employees. This feed back may in some instances be accompanied by rewards and recognition. There is also the need of improvement in coaching (Konrad, 2006).

Calibrating Staff Performance

To achieve this, the employer has to put in place mechanisms that will ensure the progress on goals is observable and achievable. The progress of the employees in the adapting to the process change can be calibrated and measured by use of several steps. The employer will first of all have to perform a workplace performance diagnostic so as to establish the existing business objectives in a consultative process. This will establish the strategies needed to be stimulated in the new workplace in order to ensure maximum productivity. Secondly, the employer will have to thoroughly identify the specific drivers of the business objectives. This will help in the creation of new process at the workplace for continual improvement. This will also assist in the developments of new designs at the work place the use of new technologies to increase the profits and performance in general (Konrad, 2006).

The company will need a mechanism of the quantification of baseline performance or the current level of performance of the employees. This will help in measuring the efficiency of the current workplace (Konrad, 2006).

Finally the employers will have to embrace the various methods that are used to optimize the workplace. After identifying the dozens of objectives it intends to achieve, together with the performance drivers the employer will be in a position to successfully put in place specific tactics and/or strategies that will result improved performance.

Reference

Blessing, W. (2010). Employee Engagement Report 2011.

Konrad, M. (2006). “Engaging Employees through High-Involvement Work Practices”. Ivey Business Journal.