One of the most
studied and researched areas of modern management
technique includes staff or employee empowerment
which duly allows the employees to take on independent
tasks and stand by their decisions, though the
same may call for a certain set of guidelines,
as also the subject of the following paper. Various
researches and studies have found that employee
empowerment leads to a truly nurturing environment
where the employees can 'learn, grow, improve
and enhance their functioning or performance abilities.
Staff or employee empowerment also provides for
a creating an environment of trust, importance
in the eyes of the employers, and since it enhances
the capability of the respective employee; the
same also leads to the creation of a positive
work environment within the organizational set
up.
In the different researches and studies of employee
empowerment, such as one carried out by Erickson
et al, revealed that employee empowerment is said
to occur when the management and employers pursue
goals of both personal as well as professional
growth for their employees. For example the senior
managers and leaders within the organizations
can assist their employees in enhancing their
capabilities, in turn enhancing their potential
to fully utilize their capabilities. The following
paper takes on the example of the employee empowerment
in an health care setting where employees at all
the levels are put through a number of processes
and operations, resulting in the creation and
conversion of the same staff into one that was
more committed and was observed to use his or
her full capabilities within the same settings.
The employee empowerment also resulted in the
provision of an enhanced nature of services for
the clients/patients, as well as make better use
of the functional system provided thereon.
The Different Methods Applied to Enhance Staff
Empowerment
Making the Employees More Responsible
One of the first aspects noted in a number of
organizations was the inactive or negligible nature
of employee involvement in the actual nature of
the work. This non-involvement on the part of
the management and senior managers not only resulted
in the increased feelings of frustrations, but
also lead to the rise in the stress levels of
the employee’s, as well as lack of productivity
for the respective organization.
In allowing the employees to 'own' the problem
or operation at hand, the employees were duly
encouraged to not only identify the problem, but
also come forward and provide his or her 'own'
solution to the same problem, or set of problems.
Indeed, the initiative of 'owning' on the part
of the employees lead to a positive working environment,
as well as the same provided for nurturing, creation,
maintenance of a cohesive working environment.
The same also lead to the reduction of the otherwise
'job-induced' stress factor which was observed
amongst employees, when the same employees were
restricted from directly participating in the
work at hand.
The Importance of Teamwork
Another important method for employee empowerment
is the emphasis on teamwork. Since, this initiative
also emerges on the part of the management, it
is imperative that irrespective of the structure
and technology of the organization, emphasis on
teamwork more often leads to enhanced performance
as well as an increase in the quality of the output
or work of the respective organization.
A prime example of utilizing and effectively
using the method of teamwork is through a workshop
duly created for the purpose of enhancing skills
of the employees, creating a spirit of team building,
showing how to address conflict management, teaching
problem solving skills, and enhancing quality
management techniques. Other benefits that accrue
through the participation of a teamwork includes
a better understanding of the different leadership
styles, as well as facilitating and empowering
employees. These are aside from the commonly observed
factors of enhanced cooperation, collaboration
and cohesion amongst the employees within the
organization.
The Vitally Important Method of Communications
As a Means of Enhancing Staff Empowerment
Communication being one of the most vital and
important methods of any relationship, let alone
that within an organization has been observed
to lead to a truly cohesive and effective means
of accomplishing the goals of any organization.
One of the prime examples practiced by a number
of organizations includes a morning chat, before
commencing actual work. This morning exchange
of ideas, experiences, and suggestions not only
give impetus to the overall objectives of the
organization, they also provide a sense of motivation
and empowerment for the numerous tasks and activities
that will face the employees during the course
of the long working day ahead of them.
Though the duration of this morning exchange
of ideas and sharing of information may not exceed
15 t0 30 minutes, yet the same little time together
provides a sense of responsibility amongst the
team members and leads each member of the team
to bring out new ideas that may assist other team
members in the course of their day's normal routine
work. The morning session also allows employees
to reinforce grounds rules that have already been
established by the organization, as well as lead
to a truly satisfying and enjoyable working environment.
The Concept of Demand Based Scheduling As a Method
of Employee Empowerment
Taking the example of a health care clinic, where
patients have to first take appointments and in
response the assistance of the respective physician
or health care provider then assigns each patient
with a date and time, irrespective of the nature
or severity of the ailment, sickness, or health
condition of the patient.
In contrast to the said average system of taking
and providing appointments, the concept of demand
based scheduling works on the principles of taking
into the account the severity of the health condition
of the patient, and providing them first priority
followed by those patients whose conditions can
allow them time for visiting the next day, or
on any other working day according to the needs
of the patient. The system of demand based scheduling
thus not only gives ample priority to the patients
in need of urgent and immediate care and health
advice; the same system also fulfills the requirement
of other patients who can choose their own day
and timings for the visit.
Leadership
Yet another vitally important method of enhancing
employee empowerment is that of enhancing the
leadership skills amongst the employees. It is
normally said that good leadership qualities are
very similar to good parenting. The object is
thus to create an environment where employees
not only enjoy to utilize their own strengths,
but as members of a team also ensure that they
become effective and contributing members of the
respective organization.
The above briefly described methods of enhancing
employee empowerment provide for a truly functioning
workplace that is run by empowered staff, who
in utilizes some of the most effective and client/customer
focused system in enhancing the productivity of
the organization, as well as well as their own
human potential
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