A good leader understands that empowered employees are more confident and loyal to a company – while being willing to step up and make decisions independently. This increases efficiency and company morale, both of which are significant wins.
The question is, how does a manager empower their employees? There are many ways to go about this, and ideally, one would want to use a combination of tips and tricks to do so. With that in mind, here are some ways for leaders to empower their employees.
Communication
Communication is crucial in every business, especially for team leaders that want to create an understanding and organized environment. Management that can clearly define their vision and create avenues for conversation is more likely to run an effective business.
Listen
On a similar note, leaders should be ready and willing to listen. Sometimes the best ideas come from the lower levels. If nothing else, the insight that employees have to offer should never be casually disregarded.
Delegation
Delegation may seem like it is only positive for the person handing off some of their task load, but this isn’t entirely accurate. A manager that knows how to delegate can help empower their entire team as they learn new skills and gain confidence in their work.
Self-Improvement
Team leaders should be encouraging self-improvement for their employees across the board. Personal growth is one of the best ways to increase one’s value inside a company. Encouraging improvement can come in many forms. It can be the assigning of a new task or an employee reward program for heading back to school. Really, any program that reinforces the desire to continue to learn new skills will be beneficial to the team.
Be There for the Good and the Bad
For most people, when they picture a manager providing feedback, they are likely picturing all of the negative things a boss can point out. To empower employees, it is essential to also provide positive feedback. That is to say; a leader should communicate when there is room for improvement, but also when an employee has done something right.
Networking Opportunities
Being part of a team is important, and leaders must help engender that feeling. Management can help by creating networking and team-building opportunities. This will help the overall environment, as well as personal motivation.