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Tag: employee empowerment

  • How to Empower Your Team to Solve Problems Without You | Entrepreneur

    How to Empower Your Team to Solve Problems Without You | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    It is quite common among entrepreneurs and leaders to become the ultimate “fix-it person,” always on the lookout for a solution. After all, we’ve built businesses by making decisions, fixing issues and clearing hurdles. However, as you continue growing your business, attempting to solve every issue you encounter is counterproductive, as it acts as a constraint on development and hinders team growth.

    It is important for you not to try to solve all the issues you come across. You need to build an environment where issues are addressed and resolved without your involvement so that you can concentrate on the strategic level.

    This is how you can work on your team, construct the process and stop fixing everything yourself.

    Related: 7 Ways to Help Your Employees Become Better Problem-Solvers

    1. Crisis playbooks: Create detailed guides for your team

    Perhaps the best way to stop being the “fixer” is to equip the team with tools and enable them to deal with the recurring challenges themselves. This is where creating crisis playbooks comes into play. A crisis playbook is a step-by-step plan that your team follows when faced with certain types of problems that occur repeatedly. But it is not just a list of directions; it is a well-thought-out strategy that enables them to manage emergencies on their own.

    For example, if there are many complaints from customers, you do not have to interject each time. Instead, create a step-by-step playbook for the team to follow — how to respond, to whom one should report the problem and what to do after the problem is solved. It reduces interference in your business operations, yet it also maintains a predictable and organized pace.

    Actionable insight: Select the three most frequent issues in your business and focus on them. Develop a precise roadmap for each of them, explaining who is accountable for what and how a problem can be resolved. Teach your subordinates to use these playbooks instead of seeking your assistance in the process.

    2. Empower your team: Give them the authority to solve problems

    If your team is always waiting for your approval or for your decision, then it is high time to change the way you lead your team. It is crucial for leaders to understand that implementing the concept of empowering your team is not as simple as throwing the reigns and saying, “Go for it.” It is about providing them with the freedom to make certain decisions without necessarily having to consult their superiors as long as they fall within a certain laid-down set of guidelines.

    When your team is endowed with authority and trust, they are more likely to exercise ownership of the roles given to them. Self-empowerment minimizes the level of reliance on you, enhances the rate of decision-making and promotes accountability. It also helps you to stop worrying about unimportant details and start focusing on the more important strategic tasks.

    Actionable insight: You must set limits on what your team is allowed to do without consulting you. Let them manage tasks on their own within such constraints and only report issues that need your intervention. In the long run, you will realize that fewer matters get to your table, and efficiency will increase.

    3. Early warnings: Implement systems to flag issues before they become crises

    Instead of waiting for issues to turn into major concerns, develop early signals that notify your team of potential issues before they become huge. These systems can be simple, for instance, using an automated software program to monitor for unusual activity or using regular team meetings to find out small issues before they become big problems.

    If problems are reported from the onset, they can be solved before they become a big problem in the organization. This minimizes tension and confusion and enables more rational approaches to problems.

    Actionable insight: Ensure that you use technologies that will enable continuous evaluation of your business processes. Whether it is the customer satisfaction index, the stock status or the performance of the employees, it is always advantageous to detect issues early before they snowball into something bigger. Schedule weekly or bi-weekly meetings with your team to discuss possible problems before they arise.

    Related: 4 Secrets to Building a Team That Can Handle Anything

    4. No interruptions for minor issues: Let your team handle the small tasks

    Not every problem is worth your time and energy. In fact, most aren’t. However, if you are always drawn into small issues, you will be bogged down by them and won’t be able to look at the big picture. For efficiency and better team relations, create an environment where your team understands that they don’t have to report petty problems to you. It could be small issues perceived by customers, small issues affecting day-to-day operations or even issues that employees have against each other or the company. It is okay to let your team deal with these issues on their own, in accordance with the playbooks and systems you have put in place.

    Actionable insight: Define what should be considered minor and what is critical in terms of the business. For small items, let the team decide what is best. If they know you trust them to solve these problems, they will, and you can spend more of your time on strategic planning and development.

    5. Define priority levels: What’s truly urgent?

    When everything is a fire, nothing becomes a priority to deserve the attention of a fire. There will always be competing priorities in any organization, and therefore, one of the toughest tasks is to know what is critical, what is important and what is less critical.

    If your team is still foggy on this, they will come to you with all sorts of things, just in case. To overcome this, you need to establish priority levels within your team. Set standards for what can be considered a high-priority area as opposed to a low-priority one. Emergent issues should be taken into your attention, whereas the rest of the problems must be solved based on protocols and procedures.

    Actionable insight: Discuss with your team members and try to divide various kinds of problems by their importance. Emergent issues could be any matter that is critical to customers or the safety or financial health of the business. The rest should be left to the team or addressed at your next meeting. In this manner, the team is aware of what really requires your intervention and what can be managed by them.

    6. Focus on long-term solutions, not quick fixes

    In many cases, instead of solving the root of the problem, we are quick to address the issues at hand and provide a quick solution. This is where many businesses end up being in a constant state of firefighting. Instead, motivate your team to develop a long-term perspective toward the problem.

    Instead of quickly patching up a problem, ask them to look deeper: What led to this problem, and how can it be avoided in the future? Long-term solutions may take longer at the beginning, but they help to save countless hours and headaches in the future. When your team is working on sustainable solutions, your business operations will be better, and you won’t find yourself having the same issues repeatedly.

    Actionable insight: Remind your team members to always look beyond the surface of their tasks. Tell them to search for the root causes of issues and identify methods that can be employed to solve such issues and ensure that they do not happen again. This way of thinking will help eliminate many of the trivial problems that arise and give you more time to focus on the important questions.

    Related: 3 Leadership Secrets That Lead to Team Empowerment

    A leader’s role is not to be the one who solves all the problems that arise in the organization. It is to create a team and a system in which difficulties do not turn into issues in the first place. Thus, by writing crisis playbooks, giving your team more freedom, introducing early alert systems and working towards the future, you can take your attention off of mere survival and put it on success.

    Finding solutions is crucial, but finding ways to avoid problems is revolutionary. It is better to dedicate more time to leadership and planning and enable your staff to deal with problems proactively on their own. The result? A more efficient and empowered team — and a business that feels like one seamless unit.

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    Chris Kille

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  • How the Potential Rail Strike Points to an Era of Employee Power

    How the Potential Rail Strike Points to an Era of Employee Power

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Economically catastrophic railroad shutdowns that we narrowly avoided last September have returned with a vengeance. Unions and freight rail companies are once again at odds over poor working conditions. One of the workers’ key points is simply wanting to attend pre-scheduled medical appointments without incurring penalties for missing work.

    In a different industry, Apple employees are petitioning the company to rethink its return-to-office policies. The petition argues that requiring in-office attendance ignores Apple’s stated diversity goals and doesn’t take the circumstances of each individual into consideration. In other words, Apple employees believe the policies suit the needs of the company more than they do the needs of the workers.

    These important labor developments — together with the Gen Z phenomena of “quiet quitting” — make it clear we are in an era where employees now have extraordinary leverage when it comes to how businesses are run.

    In this environment, it is very difficult to run a successful business of any kind without prioritizing the employee experience (EX). This new paradigm is a significant shift from the business management of the recent past, which stressed that the customer experience (CX) was king.

    As companies look to the future, navigating the employee experience era may mean overhauling everything from basic benefits to the board of directors. But the businesses that thrive will honor the leverage employees have and focus first on their needs.

    Here’s how business leaders need to address these challenges.

    Related: What the Great Reimagination Means for the Future of Work

    Consider how your company is structured

    Every company should have someone with decision-making authority managing human resources and empowering EX as a priority. In an increasing number of organizations, this might even be someone on the board of directors.

    The number of new board members with HR backgrounds has risen from 6% to 11% over the past three years, according to the National Association of Corporate Directors. At the same time, a significant number of HR leaders (61%) now report directly to the CEO or president, with 23% reporting to the CFO or COO.

    These numbers point to the growing importance of securing HR expertise at a high level, a trend that should continue to explode in the coming years as we settle deeper into the EX era. Forward-looking companies must have experienced leaders to help build programs and address needs.

    The financial impact of these developments can hardly be overstated. A 2020 report from PwC pointed to talent as the largest investment for major companies, estimating that as much as 85% of expenses are dedicated to the company’s own people.

    The influence of employees on virtually every aspect of a company and its decision-making is growing. Raising the level of importance leaders grant HR and empowering them to implement EX programs will help companies sustain growth and remain competitive.

    Related: Unionizing Isn’t the Only Way to Restore Workers’ Bargaining Power

    Build the necessary feedback channels to understand and respond to what your employees need

    The examples of railroad workers and Apple employees pushing back against company policies are noteworthy, in part, because solving each problem is an EX need, but requires a vastly different approach. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for either challenge.

    It’s not a surprise that workers react when they feel like they are not being listened to, not paid enough or are harmed by bad policies. For years, people have left jobs, gone on strike or slacked off at work in response. The difference now is the power of their voices — amplified by social media, in many cases.

    As is the case with the railroad workers, it’s clear that benefits must evolve and change. Freight rail companies are operating with decades-old policies in many cases. Taking the time to gather employee feedback and addressing those needs almost certainly would have helped avoid the potential for shutdown altogether.

    Acting on employee feedback is best approached with a sense of humanity on both sides. All employees — whether white or blue-collar workers — need to be cared for, enabled and supported.

    Related: The Great Resignation is Not Over. Employers Should Make Employee Experience a Top Priority Right Now, And Here Are 5 Ways To Do It.

    Continue to lead with a vision

    At the same time, creating a company culture dedicated to EX does not mean simply bending over backward to give employees everything they want. Although some leaders may worry about rank-and-file workers seizing power within their companies, EX is not simply giving in to every whim.

    The relationship between leaders and employees works best as a two-way street, especially as employee voices are being amplified in the EX era. Employers certainly need to listen to employees, but employees also must understand and be driven by the company’s mission.

    Customers and CX — which drove the previous era of business operations — are still critically important. Fortunately, the evidence for synergy between these programs is clear: When companies listen to their employees and create best-for-all programs based on feedback, those employees take care of customers. EX and CX measurements both rise.

    Ultimately, the EX era comes down to empowering people. Part of our corporate mission is to set people free to do great work. By listening to our employees, trusting them and providing a good experience, people are motivated by our mission.

    Creating good company cultures is no longer about ping-pong tables and nap pods. People want real improvements to their quality of life and to feel like their work matters to the company’s success.

    These desires mean there are no shortcuts to success when building good employee experiences. Leaders have to enshrine the importance of HR and EX within the top levels of the organization, they have to listen carefully to employee needs, build programs and share a vision that inspires the best work.

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    Brad Rencher

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  • 5 Things Great Leaders Do to Create Inspired Teams That Deliver

    5 Things Great Leaders Do to Create Inspired Teams That Deliver

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Did you know that almost 50% of employees consider leaving their companies due to bad bosses? We are suffering from a lack of good leaders today, causing a negative ripple effect throughout companies. Good managers are key to deriving employee engagement which impacts productivity, customer satisfaction, and, most importantly, profits.

    So how do great leaders inspire teams to improve productivity? Here are five things you can do to inspire your workforce.

    1. Build on your employees’ strengths

    A leader’s most important job is to identify every individual worker’s strengths and weaknesses. That helps them assign tasks and responsibilities to the right employee.

    For that, leaders must pay close attention to their employees, especially if they are new to the team. Observe how each one collaborates on projects or interacts in meetings. You can also invite employees to submit new ideas and tips through presentations. If you run a large organization, assign this task to your senior management.

    Related: 9 Ways to Become a Better Leader

    2. Empower your team

    When does team empowerment happen? You empower your employees when you give them the authority and responsibility to make decisions. An empowered team organizes itself around a leader instead of waiting for instructions. Empowered employees don’t need to wait for approvals to implement a decision.

    Granting this authority gives a new voice to your employees. They start owning their opinions as well as becoming accountable for their actions.

    However, that can only happen when you empower the right employees after assessing their strengths and weaknesses. Otherwise, this strategy can backfire.

    3. Walk the talk

    There is only one way to walk the talk: Be the change you want to see in your team. In simple words, before you communicate any changes to the team, first implement them in your own work life.

    Every leader’s personal core of ethics must align with the company’s values. If it doesn’t, you will have trouble enforcing it on others. On the other hand, when leaders consistently follow company rules, even in turbulent times, employees follow suit.

    If a leader fails to walk the talk, employees are less likely to follow the leader’s decisions. So, as you try to lead a business unit or an organization, remember that even the most minor actions can create huge ripples in camaraderie and trust.

    Related: How to Become a More Effective Leader and Manager

    4. Communicate wisely

    Another important thing is to keep your employees in the loop. That way, everyone stays on the same page and remains focused. Use your persuasion powers to impart the right messages at the right time. When sending an official email, ask yourself before you hit the send button:

    Is this the right time to make this statement? Would it sound better if said in person?

    The tone and timing of your message can make all the difference. Harsh words and an aggressive tone can harm your employees’ productivity. When your objective is to motivate and inspire, reflect on the timing and medium of your communication.

    5. Offer employee incentives

    Do you know many of today’s most successful leaders rarely take credit for their successes? Instead, they commend their employees or colleagues who made it all possible. Humility is a trademark attribute of successful leaders.

    Don’t forget to create a weekly or a monthly honor roll or paste names/pictures of the most productive employees in your office. Pay homage to an employee who performed well in front of your entire team for motivating them to deliver the same results.

    Organizing quarterly dinners/lunches is another fabulous way to reward a team after finishing a project. But what is the best way to acknowledge your team’s efforts? Rewards and incentives.

    Offering monetary rewards to the most productive employees is one of the best ways to acknowledge your team’s efforts. While sending an email or a personal note is a grand gesture to thank your employees, incentives and rewards can infuse gratitude and confidence in your team.

    But another important question arises: How to track employee productivity?

    Use gamification for setting up a transparent performance tracking system. Gamification means turning work into games so projects become fun and engaging. Designing games with strategies and embedded corporate goals is the best way to monitor your employees’ performance.

    According to a recent survey, almost 90% of employees believe that gamification makes them more productive at work. That’s because managers and leaders can check every employee’s points and offer rewards fairly. So, naturally, it boosts the employee’s morale.

    Related: Gamification Can Solve the Great Resignation. Here’s Why.

    End the era of bad leaders

    Gone are the days when draconian and authoritative leadership strategies worked to make employees more productive. Today, the best ways to inspire teams are to value your employees, create an agile work environment and foster open communication. Define your expectations clearly and communicate work goals to inspire and motivate your team.

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    Gordon Tredgold

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