EMPOWERMENT

INTRODUCTION
Empowerment is the process of increasing the strength of individuals, teams or communities. This covers spiritual, political, social as well as economic strengths. This process often includes developing the confidence within people within their own capacities. Within an organization, striving for excellence and the provision of tools that facilitate the empowering of employees is crucial for performance, quality and cost-effectiveness.

OVERVIEW
You’ve heard the word empowerment and perhaps your organisation has tried to move its working culture and style to this strange but growing concept.

But you and your co-workers, like the rest of us, grew up in a different system … one rooted in hierarchy, clear lines of managerial control, authority, and responsibility. You’ve been told that empowerment will change things and you may be feeling some discomfort, but also, perhaps, some intrigue about what all this means. There are many misconceptions about what empowerment is – and is not – as it relates to the workplace. This stems from its rather broad definition - to authorize, allow, permit or delegate authority. Our definition of empowerment is to create an environment where people can function without rigid hierarchy and are rewarded for using good judgment. In today’s fast-paced, rapidly changing workplace communication in the traditional command-and-control hierarchy simply moves too slowly. Multiple levels of approval slow decision-making and inhibit the taking of action when necessary. Additionally, the need to work more effectively with less direct supervision is of paramount importance.

Organisations simply cannot compete successfully with excessive levels of management. Moving key decisions closer to the work makes good business sense and is at the core of empowerment. Understanding and defining empowerment means taking the definition above and expanding it to include releasing the power that people have in their knowledge, experience and internal motivation. For ex≠ample, a supervisor spent valuable time approving small purchases of tools and supplies for his group. When his organisation began implementing empowerment concepts, he delegated these purchases to his people. In other words, he allowed them to submit these orders directly without his approval. Initially, he placed boundaries on the purchases, such as a cost limit of R1000, but later widened the boundary as his team’s comfort level with responsibility grew. Therefore his team felt empowered.

Empowerment works like a candle. When you share light from a candle by lighting another person’s candle, there isn’t less light because you have given some away - there is more. That works with empowerment too. When you share power, there isn’t any less power because they have given some away - there is more. Power, like light, is infinite. Power is never used up ... it increases by diffusion and grows by dispersion. Empowerment begins with the understanding that to empower is not to lose power but to gain power. Power shared is power gained. – William J Graham