FountainBlue's June 2 Front Line Managers Online program was on the topic of 'Empowerment and Engagement Best Practices'. Please join me in thanking our panelists.
We were fortunate to have such engaging, experienced and passionate panelists speak on the topic of empowerment and engagement. Our panelists represented a range of organizations, backgrounds and roles, but they had much in common.
They are constantly learning and striving to be the next version of themselves.
Their other-centric outlook benefits those they touch and engages and empowers individuals, teams and the whole organization.
Their drive for success is only outweighed by their passion for the success of the people who drive those results.
Our panelists began by defining 'empowerment' and 'engagement'. They agreed that there must be clarity about the mission, vision and values in order to drive engagement and empowerment - for they are the 'guardrails' and structure which define and frame 'success'.
They also agreed that being authentic, sincere and open-minded is crucial to building the relationships necessary to empower and engage individuals, teams and the organization. Communicating in a strategic, other-centric, and open-minded manner can help build agency, commitment and resilience - which are all keys for engagement and empowerment.
Below is a compilation of advice and strategies for building an engaged and empowered workforce.
On managing team dynamics:
Whereas you want people to work out problems on their own, step in and step up if they aren't able to do so.
'Drama' and 'Anchors' within a team are all over-rated. If someone is causing discord in the team, it's hard for anyone on the team to feel empowered and engaged. As a leader, have the courage to directly address the issue, so things don't go from bad to worse.
Address conflicts and issues early on, rather than letting them fester and grow. In fact, hire more for chemistry than for 'checking all the boxes' regarding qualifications might help pre-emptively address this issue.
Embrace the learnings from uncomfortable conversations, for these learnings might lead to new, better and more innovative approaches to problems, opportunities and challenges.
On creating a stronger culture:
Encourage and reward responsibility and accountability, acting as one team toward well-defined goals, with shared rewards.
Help everyone on the team be difference-makers, making much more impact and progress together.
Encourage everyone to take measured risks and fail forward, learning from mistakes. (But make sure that people aren't making the same mistakes, for that's not 'learning'.)
The bottom line is really about intentionally growing a trust-based, change-embracing workforce - one that is empowered and engaged, one that delivers sustainable business results.
Resources:
FountainBlue April 2023 blog: Empowering a Trust-Based, Change-Embracing Workforce
FountainBlue May 2023 blog: Change you can Trust, Trust that you can Change