Empowerment: what it is, its characteristics and its importance

We explain to you what it is empowerment and how to implement it. Also, its importance and examples.

He empowerment helps employees gain more self-confidence.

What is the empowerment?

The term empowerment is an English word that means “empowerment” and refers to a type of business management that consists of giving certain authority and confidence to employees to make important decisions that may be within their reach.

• For example: A company that manufactures cosmetic creams delegates to its Marketing team the responsibility of devising proposals with improvements for its products, such as: optimizing the packaging, communication and advertising content or customer service channels, among other issues.
  Team members are encouraged to continually improve in exchange for recognition from the company. In this way, employee engagement and productivity increase significantly.

should not be confused empowerment with the exploitation of the employee, that is, the overload of tasks and responsibilities for the worker.

He empowerment It involves giving the employee sufficient autonomy to act according to his or her criteria and company policies, so that he or she does not depend solely on the orders of a hierarchical superior. It is a strategy that helps streamline work processes.

How to promote empowerment?

There are various strategies to promote empowerment, which depend on the structure of each company, the number of personnel involved and the resources in general.

The leaders of each team must stimulate the empowerment among the members, train them, guide them and provide them with the information they need. Due, Employees tend to feel more proud of individual and team achievements, they become more committed to their tasks and find a greater purpose for their work. For the company, a motivated employee represents greater productivity.

Some strategies that contribute to enhancing the empowerment are:

• Provide employees with a variety of information technology tools and resources to stay connected in case they need quick responses from other team members.
• Involve the teams in the general decision-making of the organization.
• Promote employee autonomy through the organization’s policies and regulations, which determine the company culture and contribute to generating a collaborative work environment.
• Encourage employees through an incentive or benefit program as a reward for achievements achieved and business problems solved.
• Value the effort and work of employees, beyond the results obtained, because things do not always turn out as planned.

• Example of strategy implementation empowerment: An airline company implemented as a company policy to give the authority to its flight attendant employees so that they can offer miles to passengers in case they are dissatisfied with the flight or have had an inconvenience and it is necessary to compensate them in some way. The goal is to speed up problem resolution and prevent customers from complaining.

Importance of empowerment

He empowerment It consists of delegating and trusting the autonomy of the trained employee.

Business empowerment focused on human resources aims to: increase employee responsibility and commitment to optimize your productivity.

The strategy of the empowerment It is based on making the most of the employee’s attributes and capabilities, through training and qualifications, in addition to daily experience in their position. This promotes motivation and greater self-confidence on the part of the employee.

He empowerment It’s important because promotes rapid and effective resolution of conflicts or problemsstreamlines work processes and contributes to employee development so that they can improve, grow and build a professional career in the organization.

The effect of empowerment It also reaches personal life because helps individuals gain self-confidence, raise their self-esteem and stimulate their creativity.

Advantages of empowerment for the worker

Among the main advantages generated by the empowerment In the employee we can highlight the following:

• You may gain a new sense of fulfillment for your work, beyond completing your tasks.
• You can demonstrate your abilities by taking on multiple and diverse responsibilities.
• You can improve yourself and gain new knowledge and experience.
• May act on behalf of the company.
• Your opinion is taken into account when making decisions.

Advantages of empowerment for the company

Among the main advantages generated by the empowerment In the company we can highlight the following:

• Employee productivity increases, making it possible to find new talents among your human resources.
• Decisions made as a team are more effective and enriching.
• The organizational climate is more positive.
• The bond between team leaders and employees is stronger and more fruitful.
• Improve processes to solve problems.

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References

• Rodriguez, J. (2021). What is empowerment (and examples to inspire you)? from: Hubspot
• UNIR (2021). What is business empowerment and how to apply it successfully? from: JOIN
• Blanchard, K., Carlos, J.P., & Randolph, A. (1996). Empowerment: three keys to making the process of empowering employees work in your companyNorma publishing group.