What are the 7 GOLDEN TIPS to make your employees feel empowered?

Step 1: Assign projects and duties according to skill. Avoid giving assignments that are out of an employee’s skill level. This only creates doubt within the employee and decreases self-confidence. If you must assign the project, make yourself available to answer any of the employee’s questions.

 

Step 2: Listen to your employees. Pay attention to their suggestions and complaints. Your employees may possibly understand their duties better than you. Listen to the ideas your employees bring to you to make their jobs easier. Credit the employee who presents an idea you choose to incorporate. Publicly and privately acknowledging the employee increases employee morale.

 

Step 3: Communicate with your employees. Talk to your employees about any changes your department or organization may face. Although you do not want to reveal plans too soon, keeping your employees informed shows that you care about their well-being. Speak with your employees periodically to measure their satisfaction levels regarding the company.

 

Step 4: Appoint decision-making responsibilities to your employees. Give more responsibility to employees who prove themselves responsible and able to take on more important tasks. According to information written by Marshall Goldsmith on the Harvard Business Review’s website, employers should create environments that support the decision-making process, which allows employees to empower themselves.

 

Step 5: Create a positive workplace. Establish policies and rules that create a positive work environment. Avoid treating your workplace like a dictatorship. Employees are more open to directions when they feel as if they are a part of a team. Valuing your employees’ contributions to the team empowers them to produce better results.

 

Step 6: Show appreciation to your employees. Encourage your employees when they accomplish a goal or do something that benefits the company. For example, if an employee made his sales quota, show your appreciation by sending an email of congratulations or providing a bonus.

 

 

Step 7: Provide your employees with valuable resources. Equip your employees with the right training and technological resources needed to achieve the best results as far as productivity is concerned. According to the Max Messmer of the Dummies website, if you do not possess the resources needed to assist your employees, find someone else to provide those resources.

1. Appreciate the efforts of the employees

2. Give freedom to the employees

3. Make the employees Accountable 

4. Reward the employees for their achievements

5. Give them Growth opportunities

6. Roles & Responsibilities to be defined clearly to the employees

7. Encourage open communication  

1. Trust, honesty and integrity

2. Responsibility

3. Recognition and praise

4. Involvement

5. Development opportunities 

6. Training to boost their skills

7. Support

 

1. Appreciate Efforts

2. Support Independence

3. Accountability

4. Clearly Define Roles

5. Reward Self Improvement

6. Open Communication

7. Encourage Self Failure

There’s no scientific formula for motivating your staff; however, there are specific ways to boost your company’s morale by stimulating conditions that encourage and empower your workforce to put forth their best effort. Considering these forms workplace practices will go a long way—especially for small-to-mid-size companies who want to achieve great business outcomes with limited staff.

Sense of ownership

Everyone likes to feel that they are part of the team. Each employee serves a purpose in the operation of your business, and in order to reach your organizational objectives, you need to make sure they feel that their contribution is noticed. Remind your employees often that their individual work is vital to the success of the business and welcome them to bring their own ideas to the table.

Everyone loves perks

Perks are great to have within an organization, but too many could potentially hurt performance. Aim for a satisfying balance to truly get the most out of your employees. For example, offering flexible hours once or twice a month allows employees to feel more in charge of their schedule without opening the door to unnecessary tardiness or absenteeism. Also, offer incentives to move up in the company and let employees know they have something to work towards. The goal is to strike a balance between rewarding good performance and motivating them to keep improving.

Morale boosters

Always remember to appreciate your employees, especially when they have done an outstanding job on a specific task. Make sure to acknowledge their hard work by simply saying “thank you” or by creating small rewards, such as getting the best parking space for the month. Reinforcing a strong sense of self-worth is a much more effective driver to do better work than exerting force on your employees with punishments or threats.

A virtuous company culture

Want to know the golden rule of corporate culture? Create an environment within your company that you would like to work in. Have a disciplined yet positive atmosphere where people will feel at ease, even in stressful situations. A good starting point for implementing a great company culture is interacting with and mentoring your employees. Small, intentional conversations and honest, didactic feedback will go a long way. Secondly, try providing company-wide opportunities for self-expression, such as casual dress day, to help your employees feel that their workplace is enjoyable. Although it’s not ideal for every environment, something this small can make a big difference. When employees have a positive feeling about their workplace, focusing on business outcomes won’t seem like a chore.

Effective communication is key

Employees like to feel empowered; therefore, empower them with knowledge. Everyone in the company needs to know what the vision and mission of the company is; as the Proverb goes: “where there is no vision, the people perish.” When possible, share information about any initiatives, changes, or new products the business in undertaking. Also, communication with employees needs to be concise and clear so that they will know what is expected of them. Remember, your employees cannot read your mind!

Salary that satisfies

It is important to establish a salary that the employee is happy with. When employees are underpaid, they feel that they are not appreciated for their worth. However, studies have also shown that too much compensation will lead to lower performance levels as well. Either way, be sure to balance pay out fairly and adequately. You don’t want issues of salary to hinder the morale of your individuals.

Treat employees like adults

Although this is something that seems foundational, it is many times overlooked. As an employer, in order to receive respect and trust, you must also be willing to give respect and trust. Nobody likes to be treated unfairly, patronized, or spoken to in a condescending manner. So make sure that you are aware of how you handle certain situations that may arise.

Remember everyone is different; what is simply being straightforward with one employee may be considered too harsh by another. Instead of thinking: “treat everyone how you would like to be treated,” consider your job, within intelligent reason, to treat everyone how they would like to be treated.

 

 

 

Having empowered employees is the dream of every leader. All managers want people who show initiative by taking on and completing tasks with little guidance. Of course, the expectation is that these people will perform only in ways consistent with company objectives and values. And there lies the leadership challenge. Often the leadership has not done their part to empower the employees or, worse, has gotten in the way through micro-management. Not all leaders have selfish intentions or poor skills; many simply haven't had the training, time or focus to create an environment of empowerment. Below are eight tips to help make your company a place where people feel good about stepping up and taking it on.1.Foster Open Communication So many companies are built on top-down communication from management. Employees in this environment feel there is no purpose in taking a stand, since they have no direct channel and don't feel they'll have an impact. As a leader, you may have clear direction and more experience, but that doesn't invalidate feedback and ideas from people on the front lines. Give employees structured ways to make their thoughts, feelings and observations known easily and regularly. Help them understand that their input is valued even if you decide to go a different way. Make sure you acknowledge them for sharing and reward valuable input that helps the company.2.Reward Self-Improvement Many leaders complain that employees are stagnant but do little to help them grow. In such cases, somehow management has the idea that promotion and money are sufficient to get people to advance. More often than not, people don't have the resources or knowledge of what to do. Many entrepreneurs are so accustomed to self-improvement that they assume everyone thinks the same way. Budget dollars and time toward management and personal development training. Help employees set a plan for growth and reward them as they advance. They'll be grateful and apply their newly-learned skills as they step up to leadership opportunities.3.Encourage Safe Failure Many employees, by their very nature, are risk-adverse. That's why they are employees and not entrepreneurs. If they work in an environment where the boss is always correcting them before they have a chance to execute, they will constantly look for approval before taking action or, worse, simply avoid any new or dynamic action. Give employees the opportunity to try new things in a way that doesn't put the company in danger. Create milestone checkpoints or set up laboratory environments where people can test new ideas and learnfrom the failuresas well as the successes. Then your employees will gain understanding and feel comfortable innovating.4.Provide Plenty of Context Most leaders carry lots of information in their brains. Unfortunately, many employees don't get the benefit of all that information, yet they are expected to take action and make good decisions as if they understood every nuance. Great leaders figure out how to extract the important information from their minds and share it in a structured and consistent manner. An employee who clearly understands the core values, purpose and direction of the company can easily make consistent decisions and take appropriate action at any junction. It's on you as the leader to impart your vision. That's how you lead.5.Clearly Define Roles People who don't know what they are supposed to do can't do it very well. Additionally, they need to know their boundaries so they don't step on others' toes or create inefficiency through redundancy. Establish specific roles and responsibilities with employees so all are clear and can work together cooperatively.6.Require Accountability People need to know when they are meeting expectations and, more importantly, when they are not. No one will maintain accountability if they don't understand the consequences of failure. And if they see others not being held accountable, they will see little need to make the extra effort for success. Be consistent and diligent in your measurement and rewards so employees are motivated to do their best.7.Support Their Independence A leader who is constantly looking over the shoulder of employees is little more than a babysitter. Give your employees reasons and opportunity to stretch out on their own and even lead others. They may stumble, but they'll learn a lot and build the respect of their colleagues while preparing to be great empowering leaders themselves someday.8.Appreciate Their Efforts Yes, it's true that people get paid for the job. But the best employees don't work at your company just for the money. Empowered people need a greater level of satisfaction than simply financial stability. They need to feel that leadership appreciates their contribution and values their participation. Don't be shy about finding ways to say "thank you" or celebrating the good things your employees do. If they have to ask how they are doing, you are doing your job poorly as a leader.

1. Give freedom to the employees

2.Reward

3.Support

4.Encourage

5.Communication

6.Define Roles

7.Training skills (trust them)