Chapter 8

• the relationship between managers and empowerment


  Can mean giving up control, giving up power, achievement, and status.

  Doesn't have to be this way and empowering others can increase effectiveness.
• structural empowerment


  This kind of empowerment is more about organizational conditions.

  More about the organization and less about the employee.
• psychological Empowerment 


  This is more about the employee

  Focuses on getting the employee to believe they can perform their work on their own.

  Because of this it's more tied to the motivational process.
• Be able to define empowerment


  The capacity to get others to do what they want

  To get more does not affect how much others have

  comes from an internal source

  ultimately, everyone can have it.

  Leads to cooperation
• Self-efficacy (five dimensions of phycological Empowerment)

  a sense of personal competence

  
  

  high self efficacy means you have a confident "I can figure it out attitude"

  
  

  Low self efficacy is the opposite

  
  

  This as a trait can't be taught but in the "state form" it can be developed. And refers more to the ability to perform specific tasks
• self-determination (five dimensions of phycological Empowerment)

  A sense of personal choice

  
  

  If micro management is not present this leads to a sense of responsibility and ownership of the work/task

  
  

  gives a sense of choice self determined people voluntarily involve themselves
• personal consequence (five dimensions of phycological Empowerment)


  a sense of having impact

  
  

  means that if you give effort it will have a meaningful result

  
  

  similar to state-based internal locus of control (makes you feel like the master of your own fate)
• meaning (five dimensions of phycological Empowerment)

  a sense of value in activity

  
  

  This means you believe that spending time on something that will have a lasting benefit.
• trust (five dimensions of phycological Empowerment)

  a sense of security

  
  

  If you have been treated unfairly your empowerment can help maintain a sense of personal security by focusing on the principals that guide you.
• PEQ (five dimensions of phycological Empowerment)

  •  self-efficacy -- a sense of personal competence
  •  self- determination -- a sense of personal choice
  •  personal consequence -- a sense of having impact
  •  meaning -- a sense of value in activity
  • trust -- a sense of security
• Articulate a Clear Vision and Goals (Practical suggestions for empowering others)

  
  

  • Create a picture of a desired future. 

  • Use word pictures and emotional language to describe the vision. 

  • Identify specific actions and strategies that will lead to the vision. 

  • Establish SMART goals. 

  • Associate the vision and goals with personal values. 
• Foster Personal Mastery Experiences  (Practical suggestions for empowering others)

  • Break apart large tasks and assign one part at a time.

  • Assign simple tasks before difficult tasks.

  • Highlight and celebrate small wins.

  • Incrementally expand job responsibilities.

  • Give increasingly more responsibility to solve problems.
•  Model Successful Behaviors (Practical suggestions for empowering others)

  • Demonstrate successful task accomplishment.

  • Point out other people who have succeeded.

  • Facilitate interaction with other role models.

  • Find a coach.

  • Establish a mentor relationship.
• Provide Support (Practical suggestions for empowering others)


  • Praise, encourage, express approval, and reassure.

  • Send letters or notes of praise to family members or coworkers.

  • Regularly provide feedback.

  • Foster informal social activities to build cohesion.

  • Supervise less closely and provide time-slack.

  • Hold recognition ceremonies.
• Inhibitors to empowerment in the workplace p385

  Attitudes about subordinates -- normally negative views on an employee without real evidence -- manager isn't focusing on the scenarios but the person.

  
  

  Personal insecurities -- someone who is unwilling to share their knowledge because they think it will lead to a lack of power.

  
  

  Need for control -- basically a micromanager
•  Arouse Positive Emotions (Practical suggestions for empowering others)



  Think Positive

  • Foster activities to encourage friendship formation. 

  • Periodically send lighthearted messages. 

  • Use superlatives in feedback. 

  • Highlight compatibility between important personal values and organizational goals. 

  • Clarify impact on the ultimate customer. 

  • Foster attributes of recreation in work: clear goals, effective scorekeeping and feedback systems, and out-of-bounds  behavior.
• Provide Information  (Practical suggestions for empowering others)


  Don't overshare but don't horde info

  
  

  • Provide all task-relevant information.

  • Continuously provide technical information and objective data.

  • Pass along relevant cross-unit and cross-functional information.

  • Provide access to information or people with senior responsibility.

  • Provide access to information from its source.

  • Clarify effects of actions on customers.
• Provide Resources  (Practical suggestions for empowering others)


  Doesn't mean you give everything the employee wants but you give them what they need.

  • Provide training and development experiences.

  • Provide technical and administrative support.

  • Provide needed time, space, or equipment.

  • Ensure access to relevant information networks.

  • Provide more discretion to commit resources.
• Connect to Outcomes  (Practical suggestions for empowering others)


  Most work today is specialized share how their part of it connects to the big picture.

  • Provide a chance to interact directly with those receiving the service or output.

  • Provide authority to resolve problems on the spot.

  • Provide immediate, unfiltered, direct feedback on results.

  • Create task identity, or the opportunity to accomplish a complete task.

  • Clarify and measure effects as well as direct outcomes.
• Create Confidence  (Practical suggestions for empowering others)


  Don't sugar coat your feedback

  • Exhibit reliability and consistency.

  • Exhibit fairness and equity.

  • Exhibit caring and personal concern.

  • Exhibit openness and honesty.

  • Exhibit competence and expertise.