Empowering your Success!

When I summarise myself at networking events I often say “I’m Chrissie from U Transition “Empowering your Success””

It’s under my email signature, and it’s actually a really important approach for me in how I work with people.

But what does “empowering” mean?

My view of empowerment at work is:

It’s about creating a work culture that values and supports individuals and teams. Where the day to day operational systems and processes, routines and rituals enable empowerment to thrive.

It’s about providing the knowledge, skills, tools, training and development people need to be self-directed, accountable, confident, competent and capable of achieving their goals. They have the autonomy, resources, and authority to have choices, make decisions, take action and have control over their work which in turn enables them to reach their full potential, make meaningful contributions, and have a sense fulfilment in their professional lives.

I find this also then flows into their personal lives too.

For me empowering others starts with a mindset and a set of beliefs. Some of my beliefs that have stood me in good stead are listed here

• everyone is capable of more and being the best version of themselves
• everyone should have the opportunity to excel, to learn, develop and grow
• when we work together we get more success. Collaboration and teamwork are crucial
• trust is the foundation of empowerment
• everyone has unique strengths, skills, and perspectives to offer
• I can’t do it all, and I can’t do everything well, some of my team can do things better than I can
• giving and receiving feedback is both invaluable and essential for growth
• celebrating achievements and milestones is key
• I become a better leader through supporting others’ to succeed
• my team should be able to operate competently and confidently without me

Empowering your success, to me, means helping you to succeed by using the right solution, at the right time, giving you more tools and choices in your leadership toolkit to help you get to where you want to go next so you can excel, grow, and contribute to your fullest potential.

And then you can do the same for your team.

The real benefits of empowering others

To you as a leader

Here are just a few of the benefits empowering your team will bring to YOU:

1. Increased feel good factor – aka job satisfaction: When you empower your team, it creates a sense of fulfilment, job satisfaction and pride for both them and you! It creates a great place to work with a great atmosphere and personally feels amazing. It also leads to higher employee retention rates and a happier team dynamic.
2. More time – and reduced stress from delegating workload: delegating some of your workload or distributing tasks and responsibilities more evenly across the team, enables you to have more time to focus on high-level strategic planning, decision-making, and other critical aspects of your role which can be overlooked and done less well if you are trying to do everything else. And trying to do everything is pretty stressful. Empowerment often involves delegating responsibility and / or authority to team members …(be sure to do it with purpose. Always be clear about what you are delegating / redistributing and why. It should never be abdication.)
3. Time for personal and professional growth: you will have more time to focus on your own personal and professional growth. You can invest time in acquiring new skills, attending training programs, building networks, and staying updated with industry trends. This continuous development enhances your expertise and effectiveness as a leader and role models the same to your team.
4. Building trust and credibility: When you empower your team members you demonstrate trust in their abilities, which in turn builds trust and credibility for you. When people feel trusted and supported, they are more likely to respect and have faith in their leader’s decisions and guidance. This trust and credibility helps to create a positive leadership reputation and will enhance your influence within the business.
5. Enhanced leadership effectiveness: Empowerment provides you with multiple opportunities to develop and practice your leadership skills further. You can hone your coaching, mentoring, communication, feedback skills and abilities, or provide guidance and support to team members, helping them to continue to grow and succeed.
6. Improved team performance: Empowered teams often outperform those that lack empowerment. Empowerment fosters a sense of ownership and accountability within the team. As a result, team members become more motivated, engaged, and committed to achieving their goals. This improved team performance reflects positively showcasing your ability to build and lead high-performing teams which will also enhance your employer reputation.
7. Succession planning and leadership development: identify and nurture future leaders within your team. You can assess leadership potential and prepare them for future roles and ensures the continuity of leadership within the business.

To your TEAM

Your team will also feel many of the benefits listed above, here are a few more

1. Improved self-confidence: When people are entrusted with responsibilities and given the freedom to make decisions, it validates their skills, capabilities and experiences. Team members become more confident, self-assured, willing to take on challenges, and are more likely to achieve success in their work.
2. Enhanced creativity and innovation: Empowered team members are encouraged to think independently and contribute their unique perspectives. This fosters a culture of creativity and innovation within the team with individuals feeling empowered to suggest new ideas and approaches and leading to fresh insights, problem-solving, and innovative solutions.
3. Sense of ownership and accountability: When individuals are given authority and responsibility, they take greater ownership of their work and outcomes. They feel more accountable for the results they produce and are more likely to take proactive steps to achieve success.
4. Collaboration and teamwork: When team members are empowered, they are more likely to share knowledge, support each other, and work together towards shared goals fostering a cooperative and supportive work environment.
5. Increased job autonomy and flexibility: Empowered teams have the freedom to make decisions, solve problems, and determine the best course of action. This autonomy allows them to adapt to different situations, work more efficiently, and achieve better results. It also contributes to a better work-life balance and having flexibility can lead to reduced stress and improved overall well-being.
6. Improved job performance: When individuals are given the authority and autonomy to make decisions and take ownership of their work, they are motivated to perform at their best. They typically have a sense of responsibility and accountability, which drives them to strive for excellence.
7. Learning from mistakes: Being empowered to make decisions means they also have the freedom to take risks and experiment. Even if they encounter setbacks or failures, they can learn valuable lessons from these experiences and apply them to future endeavours.
8. Sense of fulfilment and purpose: When they are trusted with important responsibilities and have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the team’s goals, it gives them a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction. They will understand the impact of their work, which can enhance their overall sense of purpose.

Where ever your starting point, our work together will be about empowering you to be the best leader you can be so that your team can be the best team it can be and your business results will follow.

Points to ponder:

• what are the opportunities for empowerment be used as a developmental tool in your business?
• what might the potentials barriers to empowerment be in your business?

Please watch this short video by my fellow Harrison colleague David Klaasen which explains the paradox of Collaborative Accountability. One of the paradoxical leadership pairs that will help when considering your approach to empowerment .