Transcript Chapter 8: Empowerment and Delegation

Chapter 8:
Empowerment and Delegation
What’s the best way
to “hand over the reins”?
What is Empowerment to
You?
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A Great Western bank manager asks an
employee to resolve a difficult customer
service problem
Saturn workers receive special training in
quality that enables them to spot defects and
stop production, if necessary, to fix them
DEC employees who normally work in
departments such as engineering and
marketing are also assigned to teams to create
products such as minicomputers and
microchips
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Empowerment
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Empowerment enables other people to
act: it leaves them feeling strong,
capable, and committed
 “Get work done through other people”
 Broad participation and accountability
 Involvement in decision making
 Flexible response
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Many Employees Today Feel
Powerless
What I think doesn’t count
very much anymore
Most people in power will take
advantage of people like me
1992
1985
1972
The people in charge don’t
care what happens to me
I’m left out of things going on
around me
0%
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20%
40%
60%
80%
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The “Dirty Dozen” –
Outcomes of Stress
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Centralization
Threat-rigidity
response
Loss of innovation
Decreasing morale
Politicized
environment
Loss of trust
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Increased conflict
Restricted
communication
Lack of teamwork
Loss of loyalty
Scapegoating
leaders
Short-term
perspective
Adapted from Cameron, et al., 1987
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Power vs. Empowerment
Power
 External source
 Ultimately, few people
have it
 The capacity to have
others do what you
want
 To get more implies
taking it away from
someone else
 Leads to competition
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Empowerment
 Internal source
 Ultimately, everyone
can have it
 The capacity to have
others do what they
want
 To get more does not
affect what others
have
 Leads to cooperation
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Five Core Dimensions of
Empowerment
Self-efficacy – “I can do my work”
 Self-determination – “I can figure out
what work to do”
 Personal consequences – “The
outcomes of my work matter”
 Meaningfulness – “My work is important”
 Trust – “I have the skills and resources I
need to do my work”
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Discussion Questions
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Page 381 of text: “Empowerment is
more rarely seen than prescribed.” Is
this statement true in your experience?
Why or why not?
“Managers don’t empower others; they
create the circumstances in which others
can empower themselves.” How does
this statement correspond with your
experience?
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Ways to Empower Others
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Articulate a clear vision and goals
Help them to master challenges
Model the correct behavior
Provide support
Arouse positive emotions
Provide good information
Provide necessary resources
Connect to outcomes
Be fair, reliable, open,
caring, and competent
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Relationship Between Dimensions and
Prescriptions for Empowerment
Self-Efficacy (competence)
Self-Determination
(choice)
Personal Consequence
(impact)
Meaningfulness (value)
Vision and Values
Personal Mastery Experiences
Model
Provide Support
Emotional Arousal
Provide Information
Provide Resources
Trust (security)
Connect to Outcomes
Create Confidence
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Responsibilities of
Empowered Employees
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Communicating openly
 Taking ownership of work
 Continuous learning
 Having a team orientation
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Delegation
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Not just handing off work you don’t want
to do
Things to consider when delegating:
 qualifications of subordinate
 necessity of employee commitment
 expansion of employee capabilities
 evidence of shared values and
perspectives
 sufficient time for delegation
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Advantages of Delegation
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Increases manager’s discretionary time
Develops subordinate capabilities
Demonstrates confidence in delegates
Enhances commitment of delegates
Improves decision making
Increases efficiency
Fosters work integration by manager
coordination
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Deciding When to Delegate
Involve others when:
 They possess relevant
information or skills
 Acceptance and
understanding are
important
 Personal development
can result
 Time is not a crucial
factor
 Conflicts won’t arise
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Form a team when:
 Interaction will clarify
the problem
 Interaction will
increase motivation
 Disagreements will
lead to better solutions
 Dysfunctional conflicts
won’t arise
 Time is not a crucial
factor
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Deciding When to Delegate
Delegate to the team
when:
 The team will perform
competently, saving
your time
 Motivation among the
team members will
increase
 Sufficient information
and talent exist among
team members
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Participate in the team when:
 No one else could provide
leadership to the team
 The team needs
information possessed
only by you
 Your presence will not
disrupt the flow of ideas,
information, or feelings
 Your time would be spent
productively
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Guidelines for Effective
Delegation
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Be clear about desired ends
 Delegate completely
 Allow participation in delegation
 Establish parity between authority and
responsibility
 Work within the organizational structure
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Guidelines for Effective
Delegation (cont.)
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Provide adequate support
 Focus accountability on results
 Delegate consistently
 Avoid upward delegation
 Clarify consequences of tasks,
especially rewards
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How Would You Handle This
Situation?
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Development and Implementation of Company
Policies. A supervisor feels the need to
implement or stress an office policy such as
prohibiting smoking or enforcing attendance.
What is the best way for the supervisor to bring
this issue up with employees? What can the
supervisor do to increase the likelihood that
employees will accept the policy and believe it
is fair? How can the supervisor distinguish
between policies that have to be followed to
the letter and policies where some flexibility is
allowed?
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How Would You Handle This
Situation?
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Process vs. Results Orientation. A supervisor
gives an employee an assignment such as
working on a report. Although the report is not
high priority, the supervisor would like to get it
off his/her "to do" list. What is the best way for
the supervisor to follow up on the employee's
progress? How much instruction should the
supervisor give on how to prepare the report
vs. what the final report should look like?
What can the supervisor do to ensure that the
report gets done in a timely fashion?
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