Empowerment is relational

Empowerment is relational.

The word ‘empowerment’ conjures the image of a father handing his truck’s keys over to his son. It means autonomy and authority for the empowered. Merriam-Webster lists as synonyms commission, authorize, enable, and invest (empower).

Spreitzer’s study discovered four conditions that foster empowerment in an organization. The conditions may be summarized vision, teamwork, roles, trust (security), and, from Maxwell’s definitions, I infer clarity (pg. 202-203).

Galvanizing vision.

“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owner will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood (King Jr., pg. 4).”

Unified Team-work.

The vision’s accomplishment, not the pecking order, is the target, and the meaning of ‘one’ in Alexander Dumas' quote, “All for one and one for all, united we stand divided we fall (Dumas).”

Distinct Roles.

When everyone knows their assignment in the play, they are free to master the character. No actor plays Romeo well who imagines he’s Mercutio.

Trust.

Trust in others, trust in self (Spirit-enabled self to be clear). Insecurity on either end seeds suspicion of others and fear they may supplant you.

Clarity.

A murky vision can’t be executed, a mob has no vision, and hidden intentions undermine trust. Clarity harmonizes the conditions of empowerment.

Importance

Empowerment in the workplace is a relational responsibility, a two-way street. The leader defines and communicates vision, the believers act to make it so. The coach demands teamwork, the players focus on the game. The playwright assigns characters, the actors give them life. Empower is the action of a leader and the responsibility of all.

A business with a culture that promotes the five conditions of empowerment will attract and keep talented employees. Employees will know why they were selected, what today’s work is, and where the business is headed. Managers won’t suffer burnout from excessive responsibility and will find joy in their roles. Everyone will work.

Application

Empowerment is a word bandied about at regular intervals within kCura. Our leaders urge us to empower ourselves, but the word’s seemed to me an action I wait for a leader to do to me. My role is to passively receive, or so I thought.

After I read this week’s readings, I applied all conditions to my current work and discovered roles and teamwork are weak points for our team. I listed each of my roles, four in all, and clarified them. That act alone generated new tasks I could accomplish that would move us closer to the vision. I am eager to consider ways to promote teamwork.