EMPOWERMENT!

Empowerment is generally explained in terms of allowing employees greater freedom, autonomy and self – control over their work, and responsibility for decision – making. The term empowerment can be seen as flexible and even elastic and has been used very loosely by practitioners.

Perceptions of empowerment also differ depending on your leadership position. Leaders needs to relinquish close control it favours of greater empowerment of employees. This gives a sense of personal power and control over their work and responsibility for making their own decisions.

Empowerment takes a variety of forms. Leaders frequently have different intentions and organisations differ in the degree of discretion with which they can empower employees. To empower people is a real part of leadership as oppose to management and this gives example of the way empowerment can set people free to do the jobs they are capable of. True empowerment is much more than conventional delegation.

Empowerment says that employees at all level of an organisation are responsible for their own actions and should be given authority to make decisions about their work. It's popularity has been given by the need to respond quickly to customer needs, to develop cross-functional links to take advantage of opportunities that are too local or too transitory to be determined centrally. Better morale and compensation for limited career paths is other advantages. Potential difficulties include the scope for chaos and conflict, a lack of clarity about where responsibility lies, the breakdown of hierarchical control, and demoralisation on the part of those who do not want additional authority.

Successful empowerment will typically require feedback on performance from a variety of sources, rewards with some group component, an environment which is tolerant of mistakes, widely distributed information, and generalist leaders and employees. The paradox is that the greater the need for empowerment in an organisation, the less likelihood of success. It must be allowed to develop over time through the beliefs/attitudes of participants.

Empowering staff right through the organisation structure, every employee will have the power to be innovative and ensure performance is good. Conflict will be abolished works towards the same goals and training will increase learning. Employees should thrive the additional responsibility from empowerment.

An empowered employee is thus given more space to use his or her talents, thereby facilitating much more decision – making closer to the point of impact. Empowerment makes greater use of the knowledge, skill and abilities of the workforce; it encourages team-working.

Empowerment can be one of the most effective tools in raising both productivity and profit. It is know to develop individual knowledge so they take a broader and more proactive orientation towards their job, are more willing to suggest new ways of doing things and to engage in meaningful team-working.