MCH Consulting Inc.

Empowerment

Do you empower your staff to make decisions? BusinessDictionary.com defines empowerment as; A management practice of sharing information, rewards, and power with employees so that they can take initiative and make decisions to solve problems and improve service and performance. Empowerment is based on the idea that giving employees skills, resources, authority, opportunity, motivation, as well holding them responsible and accountable for outcomes of their actions, will contribute to their competence and satisfaction.

Empowerment can be an extremely powerful philosophy when combined with proper training and a decision making template. Empowering your staff to make decisions provides them with a feeling of trust & accomplishment that can lead to them exceeding your expectations. I recently experienced a positive outcome regarding empowerment.

The on-duty supervisor received a call from one of our remote gates from a pharmacy delivery company. He checked the residents profile in the access control software and found they had not given permission for this delivery. The resident was called at the home number and cellular number with negative results. At this point, the policy clearly dictates the requested access is to be denied. However, the supervisor had knowledge the female half at this residence had suffered a stroke and was under constant care. Even though it violated policy, he made the decision to allow the driver access. This may not seem like a big deal, but in a community that values “access control” and security above all, this was the ultimate test. This supervisor passed the test with flying colors by doing the wrong thing for the right reason. Another term I use to describe the trait required to make this type of decision is “Moral Courage”. When the residents were made aware of what occurred they were extremely appreciative of a security operation that makes decisions based on what was best for them and not an organization that blindly follows rules at the detriment of those they have been hired to serve.

What happens when you empower your staff and the wrong decision is made? As long as the staff followed the general principals taught to them and made the decision with the client in-mind, they must be supported. You must use these situations as opportunities for your staff to learn and for you to guide them.

Whatever you do, do not use this as an opportunity to chastise, demean or otherwise punish them for attempting to make the right decision. If you choose to discipline your staff when their decision did not have a positive outcome, you will have an extremely difficult time getting them to think on their own in the future. Those who are not true leaders are unwilling to implement this type of philosophy, or, use it to place blame when things go bad. These people are typically insecure and lack the requisite skills and traits to be considered leaders.

The empowerment philosophy is only engaged by leaders who are truly secure in who they are and a willingness to raise-up leaders around them.