Empowerment is a word I hear leaders use often. It sounds grand and has good intentions, enabling team members to make decisions, take ownership of areas and grow in their role. Great leaders do this easily, it's part of their DNA. But so many more don't. They think that it means something else, often due to never having an effective role model who has empowered them.
Instead I see what a colleague calls ‘seagull management’. This is where a leader delegates a task with no expectations setting, coaching, follow up or communication. They leave the person alone until something doesn’t go as they wished. Then they ‘swoop’ in and take over, crushing the poor person who is trying to figure out what went wrong. So how then can we avoid this happening?
What is Empowerment?
Empowerment in the workplace goes beyond delegation. It involves giving individuals the autonomy, freedom, and resources to make decisions and take action. True empowerment means trusting your team to handle tasks without constant oversight, relinquishing control over how things are done, and enabling people to grow by providing them with the necessary tools and support.
This concept hinges on a few key behaviours: trust, relinquishing control, enabling growth, and removing judgment. When leaders truly empower their people, they allow them the space to explore, learn, and even fail.
This means creating an environment where team members feel safe to try new approaches without fear of judgment or blame. Importantly, empowerment is not about abandoning your team to figure things out on their own. Instead, it’s about giving them “freedom within a framework”; a set of agreed-upon guidelines that ensure both leader and team member understand the expectations and boundaries. This fosters trust, encourages psychological safety, and allows individuals to take ownership of their work and keep you updated to stop you stepping in.
Why it’s useful
Empowerment benefits the team and team members but also enhances a leader’s effectiveness.
Firstly, it develops people by building their capabilities. When team members are empowered to come up with solutions, make decisions, and execute plans, they become more proactive and less reliant on constant direction. This growth in capability allows them to take on more significant responsibilities, which is crucial for succession planning and leadership development within the organisation.
Additionally, empowerment frees up leaders to focus on strategic priorities. When team members can operate autonomously, leaders can delegate more effectively and spend their time on higher-level tasks.
Moreover, empowered teams tend to be more creative because they bring diverse perspectives and ideas, leading to innovative solutions that might not emerge under closer supervision.
Finally, empowerment is deeply motivating. It taps into the key drivers of autonomy, mastery, and purpose, making team members more engaged and committed to their work.
What gets in the way?
Several obstacles can hinder empowerment.
Processes: While processes are important, becoming too rigid can stifle creativity and prevent team members from making decisions that suit the specific challenges they face. This rigidity often strips away the autonomy that empowerment aims to provide.
Lack of trust and a culture of blame. Being quick to blame when things go wrong, creates an environment of fear and reluctance to take initiative. This undermines the very essence of empowerment, as team members become hesitant to make decisions or take risks.
Micromanagement: Leaders who are unwilling to relinquish control or who lack confidence in themselves or their teams often fall into the trap of micromanaging. This demotivates the team and reinforces lack of trust, making genuine empowerment impossible.
Skill gaps. Sometimes leaders mistakenly equate empowerment with abandonment, expecting team members to handle tasks without ensuring they have the necessary skills and resources to do them. This can lead to frustration, anxiety, and poor performance.
How we can go about empowering our people?
Empowering people effectively requires a strategic and thoughtful approach.
1. Set clear expectations: Leaders and team members should agree on what needs to be done, the timeline, and any critical components that must be included to satisfy stakeholders. This shared understanding helps both parties feel secure about the process and the expected outcomes.
2. Coach don’t tell: Coaching can be a powerful tool in empowerment. By coaching team members to think through how they will approach a task, what steps they will take, and how they will measure success, leaders can help them develop a plan that they own. This process allows leaders to maintain oversight without micromanaging, giving them confidence in the team’s direction.
3. Don’t interfere: Now you have to resist the urge to step in once things are underway. Trusting your team to execute their plans, even if it means sitting on your hands, is crucial. Remember, empowerment is about allowing others to shine, not about asserting your way of doing things. Allowing for failure is also essential. When people are trying something new, they may not get it right the first time, and that’s okay. Learning from mistakes fosters growth and innovation
4. Follow up and feedback: Empowerment doesn’t end when the task is completed; it includes reviewing what went well, discussing what could be done differently next time, and recognizing successes. This ongoing dialogue reinforces the learning process and strengthens the trust between leaders and their teams.
By adopting these practices, leaders can create a more motivated, creative, and capable team, ultimately leading to greater success for themselves and the business.
Annabel is an Executive and Team Coach, Leadership Facilitator and Coach Supervisor. If you would value a discussion on how you can develop your leaders to empower their teams, contact Annabel via LinkedIn, annabel@successfultraining.co.uk, or visit www.successfultraining.co.uk