UNITEMP Blog

As a manager, you know that empowered employees:

• have the authority, and take the initiative, to make sound business decisions;
• are energetic, passionate and committed to doing a great job;
• are creative and innovative problem solvers;
• continually strive to improve quality, productivity and morale;

all because they feel personally rewarded for doing so.

But while the benefits of empowerment are clear, the steps to creating an empowered workplace may not be.  Use these quick tips to get your business started on the right path:

1. Understand what empowerment really is.  Empowerment isn’t something you do to people.  It’s an environment you create by giving employees goals, information, feedback, training and positive reinforcement.
2. Identify an opportunity for empowerment.  Start small.  Create a work team by selecting a few key employees who have the right skills, knowledge and resources to complete a small test project.  This project should be challenging enough to allow your staff to grow and take on additional responsibilities.
3. Set clear expectations.  Let your employees know what to do and how to do it.  Factors to consider include:  deadlines, channels for sharing information, methods for delegating authority, and ways to check progress / measure success.
4. Provide decision-making guidelines.  Provide clear instructions for when and how to make good decisions.  Explain when it’s okay to the take initiative and when employees should check with team members first.
5. Encourage open communication.  Information sharing is a critical component of an empowered workplace.  Create an atmosphere in which employees feel comfortable expressing concerns and sharing new ideas.
6. Establish accountability.  Provide the advice, perspective and guidance your team needs, but require them to create and manage their own solutions.  If mistakes are made, do not step in and fix them – use them as opportunities for employees to learn.
7. Let go.  Tough as it may be, don’t micromanage.  Once you’ve established clear expectations and guidelines for the project, it’s time to take your hands off the wheel.
8. Provide positive reinforcement.  For empowerment to permanently take hold in your organization, your employees have to want to do it.  So celebrate the successes (however small) your employees have while working on the test project.  Provide the feedback they need to feel respected and valued in their efforts.
9. Review results, then take it to the next level.  Once the project is complete, assemble your team for a debriefing.  How did the group do?  What worked?  What didn’t?  Use the lessons learned to develop a more comprehensive plan for getting your whole company on the road to empowerment.

An Empowered Workplace Starts with Great People

UNITEMP can deliver the talented administrative, professional, and technical staff you need to create an empowered workplace.

Ahhh, the young manager.  Better known as the newbie.  The greenhorn.  The tenderfoot.

As if these monikers weren’t burdensome enough, the young manager faces yet another challenge because of his youth – resentment.  You know your new manager has the skills and qualifications to handle his heightened responsibilities.  But too often, more seasoned employees view a fresh manager as a threat, or someone undeserving of high rank.

Help ease the transition for your promising management protege by using these strategies for success:

Give your manager a heads-up.  A less experienced manager may not be prepared for the wave of resentment he may face.  So make him aware of the possibility of hurt feelings or lost pride among his reports.  Remind him that he’s not alone in the challenges he faces and that you’re available to help.

Provide positive reinforcement.  Confidence can be in short supply for a new manager, so tell him regularly that you believe in him.  Bolster his confidence by telling him not to second-guess himself – he was the one you chose for this position.

Help him win over subordinates.  Because he’s newer and younger, advise your manager to initially adopt a “learning stance.”  If he acknowledges the expertise and experience of team members, they will feel less threatened by his new seniority.  Encourage him to recognize the contributions of his subordinates, to establish rapport and build trust.

Teach him to strike a balance.  While he needs to preserve subordinates’ egos, your new manager must also stand tall as a leader.  Make sure he asserts himself by guiding employees and offering opinions on their work.  In addition, remind him to praise team member’s efforts, but not to shy away from coaching them, too.  Help him to set high standards, then give employees enough room to complete the job in their own way – as long as they reach the desired outcome.

Give Your Young Manager the Staffing Support He Needs

UNITEMP can provide the labor and support staff your young manager needs to meet tight deadlines, complete critical projects and tackle new initiatives.  Contact us today to learn more.

Question:  What’s the one thing you can do to motivate employees, build camaraderie, and strengthen leadership – all while helping your staff understand company goals and vision?

Answer:  Hold a team-building event.  It’s a great way to boost the morale and spirit of any group.  And (despite the collective groan I can hear echoing through cyberspace) they CAN be fun.  Just follow these seven simple steps to make sure that your event is a success and not a flop:

1. Get out of the office.  If each day looks pretty much the same for your employees, shake things up a bit.  Conduct your event off-site.  A change of scenery will refresh, recharge, and reenergize your staff (and minimize distractions).
2. Generate excitement before the event.  Encourage full buy-in by using internal communication to get everyone interested.  Use e-mails, memos, your website, bulletin boards, etc. to arouse curiosity and generate enthusiasm.
3. Mix it up.  To stimulate interest and involvement throughout the day, divide your program into several sessions including work, play, and socializing.  End the day with a mealtime activity, awards ceremony, or happy hour.  Remember to include activities that are fun and relaxing, as well as frequent breaks, so your staff can recharge.
4. Get up and move around.  Games and outdoor challenges are an excellent way to encourage team cohesiveness.  They will allow your team to burn off some energy while building trust and respect among members.  Try a ropes course, a hike, or other trust-building games.
5. Record your memories.  To make a lasting impression and extend the program’s impact, document your day.  Hire a photographer, make a video, or take pictures yourself.  After the event, hand out pictures or highlight the event in your company newsletter or on your website.
6. Allow time to process and reflect.  Throughout the day, discuss new learning and how it applies to specific jobs as well as the company.  Games and activities will be of better use if you allow your team to reflect on the purpose and meaning behind each.
7. Solicit feedback.  At the end of the day, ask participants to complete a simple survey.  It’s a great way to find out what employees liked (and didn’t like) and garner recommendations for the next event.

Let Us Help You Build a Better Team

At UNITEMP, we have the resources and staffing services to make your team even stronger.  Contact us today to learn more.