8 Tips to Empower and Encourage Your Employees
Cathie Leimbach • May 25, 2021
Do you sometimes think that your employees are doing less than you would like? You might be feeling that they are simply “showing up,” clocking in at 9:00 and out at 5:00. You would like your team to show more initiative and are uncertain how to make that happen.
Empowering your employees to be innovative, take action, and solve problems. Creating a culture where each employee is engaged and invested in doing good work helps your company’s bottom line and increases employee retention.
When employees are encouraged to take the initiative, the benefits extend far beyond the individuals. The entire team is newly motivated to work collaboratively. In addition, the spark that comes from empowering employees creates the space for some excellent work to be done. Here are some tips for creating an empowered culture.
- Delegate to develop your employees. It is easy to delegate the tactical assignments you would prefer not to be doing. Having meaningful two-way conversations with each employee, you can determine what their specific talents and interests are. Mindfully delegating responsibilities that will help them develop their abilities frees up your time and makes them stronger contributors.
- Set clear expectations. Communicate where your employees are free to act. Rather than micromanaging, permit your employees to make decisions while ensuring their choices align with company goals.
- Give your employees autonomy over their assignments. For example, it’s okay if an employee doesn’t get from point A to point B using the same means you would use. (I know, we always think our way is the best!) Empowering employees means letting them figure out, with support, how to get the results.
- Make sure your employees have the right resources. Creating a new culture takes time. Often, when you start working to empower your employees, they will still be coming to you to get answers. So instead of quickly providing the answers, offer tools, provide resources, and be a sounding board for ideas.
- Give specific, constructive feedback. Telling an employee that they did a “good job” doesn’t help them learn what they should continue to do in the future. Instead, catching them doing things right and telling them where they are succeeding helps them to continue to develop those skills.
- Accept ideas and input. Some of the best ideas come from the people doing the work. Involve your employees as much as possible in decision-making and goal setting. Not only does it help empower employees, but you are also likely to receive some value-adding ideas.
- See “mistakes” as opportunities to learn, not failure. Nothing shuts down employee initiative faster than creating a culture where everyone fears getting ‘in trouble” for making a mistake. Instead of the blame game, treat mistakes as a great learning experience for future improvement.
- Recognize employees for their hard work. Studies show that almost 65% of employees who are routinely appreciated are unlikely to look for a new job within the next six months. In addition, 40% of employees report putting more effort into their position if they are routinely recognized. It will also encourage them to continue being innovative, take action, and solve problems.
Creating a culture of empowered employees means you get your “dream team” of knowledgeable professionals who take the initiative and use their skills to help the company. Sounds pretty good, right?
Have you ever felt like someone wasn't really hearing you? Reflective listening can fix that problem in the workplace. Reflective listening means truly understanding what someone is saying before you respond. When a coworker is speaking, focus completely on their words instead of planning what you'll say next. Many of us start forming responses while others are still talking, which means we miss important parts of their message. True listening requires patience and practice. To become a reflective listener, start by giving your full attention. Put away your phone, turn away from your computer, and make eye contact. Then, after the person finishes speaking, briefly summarize what you heard. You might say, "So what I'm hearing is..." This shows you were truly listening and gives them a chance to clarify if needed. The benefits of reflective listening are huge. It reduces misunderstandings, builds trust between coworkers, and helps solve problems more effectively. People feel valued when they're truly heard, which creates a more positive workplace. With practice, reflective listening becomes a habit that improves all your work relationships. Remember: listen first, respond second. Your workplace will be better for it.
A growth mindset means believing you can get smarter and develop new skills through hard work and practice. People with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities to grow. On the other hand, a fixed mindset means thinking your talents and abilities cannot change much, no matter how hard you try. People with a growth mindset are more likely to exercise self-discipline to learn new behaviors. This helps us adapt to new opportunities. When we push ourselves to try different approaches, we open doors that would otherwise remain closed. This takes courage and commitment, especially at first when new ways of doing things feel uncomfortable or difficult. Our brains have amazing potential to change throughout our lives. When we repeatedly practice new skills or ways of thinking, our brain creates new pathways that make these actions easier over time. What once felt impossible can gradually become second nature. The hard part is sticking with new behaviors long enough for them to become normal. This is where self-discipline comes in . By consistently practicing different approaches, what once required enormous effort eventually feels natural. This ability to adapt keeps us growing, helps us keep up with our changing world, and unlocks possibilities we might never have imagined.