Worlds Enablement and Empowerment
In the best of all possible worlds enablement and empowerment are in perfect balance. In real life they are often out of sync. Strategic empowerment means determining each member’s needs with respect to empowerment and enablement and providing the support, coaching, instruction, and/or authority needed for the individual to best perform the job. Members can be classified into one of four categories, depending on the degree to which they are empowered and enabled.
1. Entrenched bunkers-members who are powerless and lack the skills needed to perform their jobs effectively. Feeling completely overwhelmed by their jobs, these individuals often respond either by becoming ‘invisible’ and focusing on responsibilities that lie in the center of their comfort zone or by becoming very dependent on other members (and on you, their manager) for support and direction. For these individuals, strategic empowerment requires the following steps:
• Set up clear performance measures and encourage the indi¬vidual to track her performance against these measures.
• Set up a meeting to review the individual’s performance. Be prepared that the individual may ask you to bail him out
by attempting to shift responsibilities to other members or by asking you to provide him with an excessive amount of hand holding. Clearly outline the performance standards you expect this individual to meet and explain that he will be held accountable.
• Explain that you will provide support in the form of assisting her in developing needed skills.
• Don’t overwhelm them by outlining all of their skill deficien¬cies. Instead, reach agreement on those few skills deficiencies that are creating the greatest problems for the individual on the job.
• Discuss alternatives for building required skills. If your own time is extremely limited, ask a competent team member
to provide additional coaching.
• Set up a time for a follow-up discussion on the individual’s progress on her skills development plans.