Keys to Empowering Your Staff

Plenty of what I have written have been how to really help you, as a manager or leader, in the area of getting a good working relationship with your staff. One area that I have not really called out, but have written about some of the principles around, empowering your staff. Employee empowerment is something that every manager or leader wants for his staff. Do you believe that you truly empower your staff? Have you asked them? Did you see their body language when they answered. Look at how you feel empowered by your manager. Is that empowerment that you want for your staff? We truly want to have our staff feel empowered to do their work. What does it take to set that stage for empowerment? Here are some of the keys that I believe are necessary:

• Value your people – in all that you communicate and do for them. If you do this, your staff will “see” it. They will appreciate your words and actions…
• Share your vision – with your team. No one likes to be left out in the dark. If you have plans, share and ask them their opinion. Keep that vision where they can find it!
• Share goals – I know I have written a lot about expectations and goals. To me that is key to helping each of my staff to understand what and why.. They make sure the how to is theirs. They get it done…
• Trust your people – again another topic that I feel is very important. Trust is a two way street – insure that you trust your staff. Earn their trust by setting strong expectations, do what you say you will do and remove roadblocks.
• Insure all information is available – this one is making sure that the “why” is communicated freely with the what. Issue that your staff has access to everything they need to help them get their job done.
• Delegate to your staff – for me, this one is making sure that the people getting the work done have the power to make decisions (when appropriate), get help when necessary and give them opportunities to shine. It is so easy for most managers to delegate the crap work… Don’t do that, your staff reads right through that stuff.
• Provide feedback often – nothing says you value them than providing positive or constructive feedback. Do it timely.  Do it in the right setting..
• Listen to your staff – it is all to easy for managers to do all the talking. You staff is “doing” the work, they do know what is truly happening. Listen… Problems may come up and if you listen – you maybe able to help solve the problem with them. Don’t listen – you will miss what is really happening.
• Reward your staff – recognize good work and let the staff know. They will feel that you do value them.. That their work means something and they will continue to do some amazing stuff.

Those are the keys that I strive for with my staff. Many have communicated over the years, that they had some of their best times working with me and in my teams. I truly enjoyed that feedback.. I believe it is because I empowered them to do their best work.