The 3 Keys to Empowerment by Ken Blanchard

Author:Ken Blanchard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Published: 2011-06-25T00:00:00+00:00

What Additional Information Should Be Shared at This Stage of the Journey to Empowerment?

Trust between leaders and team members is still an issue at this point. While the initial information sharing may have begun to improve the trust equation, it is still fragile. At this stage of change, where frustration is felt, employees and managers alike may become cynical about empowerment. Employees will be looking for signs that empowerment is not going to work, that management is only talking and not acting, and 144 that this “empowerment thing” is just another passing fancy. Leaders will also be looking for signs that empowerment is not going to work, that team members will not take responsibility for actions and results, and that senior leadership will not stay the course. Indeed, team leaders will fear that senior leadership will leave them out on a limb with no support to deal with the problems of changing to empowerment. It is absolutely essential at this point in the change process to continue to share information not only about the business but also about progress on the change process. People need to know what has already happened as a result of the changes that have occurred, and they need to know what to expect from the process in the near future. Continue to entertain and respond to questions in an open and honest manner, recognizing that leaders—even senior leaders—do not always have all the answers. It is all right to say “I don’t know.” The only way to develop trustworthy people is to trust!

A change management and consulting company went through the empowerment process, and it felt many of the ups and downs we are describing here. What the leaders found though was that increased information sharing did help people get through this stage of discouragement. By providing information that could be compared to history, people began to realize just what they were accomplishing. They realized that use of the three empowerment keys in the first stage of the change had made them like their jobs better, feel more proprietary about the company, and feel more vested in creating a culture of empowerment. For example, people in the fulfillment center learned through information sharing that far fewer customers 145 were unhappy due to delayed receipt of shipments. With a clear focus on reducing customer complaints and the encouragement to use their ideas to fix problems, they had made significant progress and felt a great sense of pride. Indeed, they wanted to tackle other problems they could see in their center.

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