As a business owner, it is necessary to look for candidates with the essential skill sets and experience to ensure that your company is in great hands. If you really want your employees to be top performers, you should know how to boost their morale. For this reason, all business leaders should learn how to empower employees under their wing.
Staff empowerment requires you to rely on your employees, allowing them to fulfill their roles as they see fit. It is the opposite of micromanaging as you hand your employees the responsibility and independence to deal with their tasks, establish their goals, and make decisions on how to achieve them. Most employees granted this sense of freedom tend to be more productive, better at handling customers, put in more effort at work, and act as dutiful brand ambassadors.
As business leaders, it is up to you to do things effectively. Otherwise, the autonomy you give your employees might come back to bite you. This is a significant risk, especially for businesses that allow remote operations. In this article, you will learn how to trust your employees’ judgment with excellent results, even when you can’t deal with them face-to-face.
1. Establish mutual respect and trust.
Empowerment in the workplace is not as easy as it sounds. It may sound like all it takes is to smile and offer people words of encouragement and appreciation. It does not work that way. You don’t see the results right away because the process takes time. You need to create a safe environment for your employees, one that will spark their confidence and harness their potential. One of the best ways to do so is to teach everyone in your company to be kind and treat each other with trust and respect.
2. Set a clear path for them.
A positive impact on performance drives business leaders to push for staff empowerment. One way to bring it to fruition is to give employees a glimpse of their potential future. Giving them something to look forward to in exchange for meeting expectations will motivate your staff members to work harder. Give them a goal and let them strategize and find ways to reach for it. This is a more unique approach than giving them a to-do list that they need to complete. To take things up a notch, you could incentivize outstanding performers with bonuses, awards, etc.
3. Ask and listen to what they have to say.
In company meetings, you should always ask for your employees’ take on the topic at hand. Soliciting opinions will not take away your position or power. Instead, this simple gesture can motivate your employees to contribute. Employees given the chance to communicate their thoughts might become more invested in bringing their A-game to work.
4. Show transparency.
The management should also be keen on communicating. Your employees shouldn’t have to rely on gossip to know what’s happening in the company. There is often a barrier between the C-level executives and the rest of the employees. You can bridge this gap by sharing relevant information and letting them in on significant matters. Empowering your employees begins when they feel included. Even in remote setups, you need to inform your staff of the company’s activities.
5. Recognize people with unique skills.
Each employee has something special within them. If you notice some members of your team showcasing their strong attributes, why not applaud them for it? It’s a good confidence booster because people feel more inclined to serve and cooperate when others, especially their superiors, recognize their strengths.
6. Be generous with resources and tools for growth.
How do you empower employees who feel stuck? Most employees working remotely feel a bit out of touch with the organization they are in. Oftentimes, leaving them feeling isolated and hopeless. They go about their routine tasks as usual, but lack motivation as they go. The quickest way to get them out of this pickle is to encourage them to grow and increase productivity. When they feel nurtured, they feel empowered. So don’t skimp out on providing your staff with tools and resources.
7. Don’t forget to offer feedback.
Business leaders have a massive role in staff empowerment. How do you empower employees by giving them feedback? First, increase the frequency. Providing feedback daily will provide your employees the support and guidance they need without giving them strict instructions. Moreover, timely feedback can help both of you monitor their performance. Make it a habit to offer constructive feedback, suggestions, and encouragement whenever necessary.
8. Foster a culture of creative thinking.
All good leaders are forward thinkers. Therefore, you should inspire your employees to be creative and get off the beaten path. When they see themselves exploring their skills and pushing the limits, they tend to do more. Moreover, enhancing their creative thinking skills is not only beneficial for them. It also works out for your benefit. Your employees will be able to fix problems by looking at a situation in different ways.
9. Add more responsibility.
One of the secrets of how to empower employees in the workplace is by giving them more challenges. This seems counterintuitive because you don’t want to give staff members more work if they are not ready. But here’s the thing — how will you know if they are? Give them a chance to prove themselves. Designate new responsibilities according to their strengths, but make sure it’s enough to encourage them to push back the frontiers.
10. Never micromanage.
Last but not least, refrain from micromanaging your employees. This is highly inevitable in remote work. But as a leader, learn how to control your tendencies. It’s never empowering to be monitored, rectified, or worse, talked down. At the end of the day, you need to go against your better judgment, stay calm, and avoid jumping into things quickly. Let your employees sort things out for themselves and offer guidance when needed. However, don’t be too lax. Always hold your employees to work standards and strict deadlines, no matter what.
Summary
Each person can grow and develop new skills. These days, people are no longer satisfied with having enough money in their bank account. Everyone is seeking their personal worth, and work has become a part of their way of life. It’s no longer just one avenue.
Be compassionate. Understand that empowering your employees is a work-in-progress. Moreover, if you start implementing this culture of autonomy, it is a win-win for everyone. Your staff will go to work with a smile on their faces and give everything they do in the office their best shot. When the day ends, all of you will go home with smiles still on your faces.
