How to Empower Your Team
An empowered team takes action and makes decisions. Teams empowered in this way are vital to a self-sustaining, forward-looking business and are the first to tap when new leadership opportunities open up. Organizations where employees become empowered decision-makers are typically high on trust, understanding, and communication - and can attract and retain top talent. Here's how to empower your team.
Identify and Leverage Strengths
We all have unique strengths and abilities. In a high-performance team, those strengths work together to create something more significant than the sum of its parts. If someone demonstrates a particular ability or strength, foster and nurture it by delegating specific tasks, opportunities, or projects their way. You can help build up particular strengths in others by pairing them with individuals who already exhibit those strengths. But don't always lean on the same few people. Give others less high-stakes opportunities to nurture and hone skills that they might not be naturals at - over time and with the proper support; they might become stars in their own right. Remember, we're all in this together and working towards the same goals and vision.
Set Boundaries and Expectations
Having the latitude to take control and make decisions is a powerful step forward for your team. When granting this responsibility, be clear about where their remit begins and ends and where their roles and obligations lie. Maybe they can make purchasing decisions under a certain amount or in relation to a particular category but need sign-off beyond that. Perhaps they're free to bring in consultants or outside personnel for specific projects. Maybe they have freedom over their own working hours and where that work happens - just so long as they show up for a weekly stand-up. You'll build trust and understanding while also avoiding surprises.
Make it Easy to Succeed
Success at work shouldn't be sink or swim. A key part of empowering your team is giving them the resources they need to succeed. Whether it's access to certain technologies or training or providing regular feedback and communication about how things are going, it's on you to scaffold your team to success. Regularly check in with your team to ensure they know what's expected of them and have everything they need to do their jobs well. If they need something from you, make sure that you're available to provide it - and that they feel comfortable asking. The better they know you, the more confident they'll approach you with questions or ideas.
Empower Your Team with CEO Tools
There is a wealth of ways you can shape your team into an action-oriented group of decision-makers - all of which are explored in the CEO Tools Learning Modules. Simple, actionable, and designed for time-poor leaders, our proven online modules will prime you to create a stronger, easier-to-manage, and more profitable company in just seven easy steps. To empower your team to step up into success, explore the CEO Tools Learning Modules today.