5 top tips for empowering your people
A culture of collaboration and strong, trusted relationships is the key to driving business success. What do you need to do to set the right tone in your business and empower your people?
A great way to empower your people to be creative and achieve their best is by providing them with clear expectations and a framework to operate within, ensuring that they know they have the right support and an empathetic ear – and then getting out of their way.
Throughout my career, key learnings from The One Minute Managerby Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, as well as my own experiences, have cemented my thoughts on empowerment. The best leaders are those who balance the needs of their people with driving measurable outcomes.
Here are my 5 top tips for empowering your people to drive business success:
1. Set clear expectations. When setting objectives for your people, ensure that you provide clear expectations for the role/task. Often people fail to meet your expectations simply due to miscommunication – not because they lack ability or enthusiasm. Be clear on precisely what you want your people to deliver.
2. Set boundaries and a framework. Provide your people with the autonomy to do their best and deliver the most creative outcomes possible, while setting up a framework for them to work within if necessary. Set the right boundaries and framework and you will speed up the process, minimising frustration and potential rework.
3. Have periodic check-ins. Notify your people that you have an ‘open door policy’ and encourage them to check-in throughout the project to ask questions, gain feedback, and to discuss options and expectations. Periodic check-ins will provide your team with the confidence that they’re supported but not micro-managed.
4. Seek solutions, not problems. Encourage your people to be a part of the solution, not the problem! Create a culture where your people not only come to you with a problem, but with a minimum of two potential solutions, their recommendations and reasons as to why these solutions will work. A collaborative approach to problem-solving will empower and encourage your people to think laterally.
5. Provide regular feedback. Throughout the journey, provide your people with clear, precise and encouraging feedback. Recognise the good work that they are doing, and areas where they may be able to improve. It’s important to provide regular feedback throughout the journey, not just at the end, giving your people the confidence that they are on the right path and that their contributions are valued and respected.
An ‘open doors’ policy is a key way to empower your people to take initiative, assert authority over their work, and feel that their contributions are valued. When your people are encouraged to ‘check-in’ with senior management and provided with regular feedback and positive reinforcement, they will feel that they are working as part of a collaborative and productive whole. A supportive work environment will encourage your people to get engaged, boost team productivity and drive business success in the long-term.
Shane Baker is an experienced business leader and influencer with more than three decades of experience in the IT, Finance and Professional Services sectors, both in Australia and internationally. For the last three years, in the role of CEO, Shane has brought this deep industry experience to TAS, an Australian-owned leading provider of technology services to the Finance and Banking sector. With his finger on the pulse of the latest industry insights and trends, Shane’s vision is to deliver exceptional business outcomes through a forward-thinking business approach combined with cutting-edge technologies. He assists companies to navigate an often unpredictable business landscape underpinned by ever changing regulatory requirements. To do this, Shane works with a dynamic Board to drive innovative thinking with a focus to propel TAS into an era of accelerated growth. His ambition and dedication have paved the way for TAS’ strong track record.
