'Who's the manager here?'

Empowerment is a word that has been tossed around as part of management speak for at least the past decade. What does it really mean?

At a workshop I ran a few weeks ago, four groups were asked to try and agree a definition. These were then listed and discussed. Two were rejected outright for being too simplistic and the other two were merged into one, with which everyone could agree. The agreed definition was, 'Empowerment is for people to have the confidence, freedom and skills to make decisions within clear guidelines and take responsibility for their actions.'

How can we empower people? The definition has all the clues for management to act. What will it take to give someone confidence? What does freedom mean? What skills are needed to make the decisions? Are there clear guidelines? And ultimately, how do you get the person to take responsibility for their actions?

A few years ago, Marriott Hotels ran a series of advertisements on television, which showed how their hotel staff were empowered. A bellhop could take a taxi to return a lost wallet to a hotel guest; a waiter could offer to pay for dry cleaning when he spilled something on a woman's dress. Customer focus was a core value of the company and each staff member knew what level of authority they had to make sure every customer was happy. (I think there was a guideline of £50 for instant decision-making.)

At Disneyworld, staff know that safety is paramount - it's the first point in the mission statement, and therefore, employees know if there is a choice between say fun and safety, safety comes first.

How much more motivated and satisfied do you think these employees are for having this freedom to act, to take care of customers?

Does your vision for your company offer your staff the clear guidelines needed to make the right choices? Are there shared values? Do your training and development plans encompass the confidence and skills-building needed by people to be empowered?

Ricardo Semler of Maverick fame (the business book, not the film!) tells an anecdote that concludes that the only time your customers need to see an organisation chart (i.e. 'Who's the manager here?) is when they are not satisfied with the service they are getting from the front line. This was a home truth for me the other week when I was dealing with my local council. I was so aggravated and frustrated by the end of the day due to the ignorance of the front line, that I rang to speak to the manager. I'm afraid in that case it wasn't terribly helpful and the council, at least for the time being, has a monopoly. But chances are your business doesn't. Remember that old adage that it costs six times more to get a new customer than keep an existing one? Unempowered staff can cost you a lot of money!

- Mon Aug 19 08:33:44 2002