THE EMPOWERMENT

OF PEOPLE

By:1.James Aboge2.Joseph Momanyi

“Leadership is service, not selfishness. The leader grows more and lasts longer by placing the well-being of all above the well-being of self. Through service to others, the leader becomes strong.”

– Lao-tzuTao-te Ching, Sixth Century BC

AGENDA

1. Leadership Power and Authority2. Leadership sources of power3. Principles & characteristics of an

empowered workplace4. The quality imperative5. Improving performance through quality6. Practical leadership in raising employee

morale, tips in keeping high morale and performance up in the workplace.

7. Effective Conflict Resolution

LEADERSHIP POWER AND AUTHORITY

The essence of leadership is influence over

others. But, influence is not unidirectional. Power is the engine that drives the ability to

influence. We need to examine the sources of power and

the relationship of different power sources to leadership effectiveness.

Basically, power is the ability of one person (the agent) influencing the behavior or attitudes of others (the target).

Thus, power is not exclusive to leaders and managers. Authority on the other hand, is the power vested in a

position and therefore, is exclusive to that position.

LEADERSHIP POWER & AUTHORITY CONT’D

LEADERSHIP POWER & AUTHORITY CONT’D

There are two views of leadership authority and these are:

Top – Down view which holds that the leadership is based on position in a hierarchy that flows from highest level to lowest level.

This type of leadership follows the classical organizational pyramid: High level – strategic or top executive, middle – tactical or line managers and supervisors, lower level or operational level – frontline workers.

Classical Organizational Structure

Flow of Support

Flow of power

Top Executives

Managers and

Supervisors

Frontline Workers

Leadership power & authority

U.S. Constitution Right of Property Owners

Managers and Supervisors

Top Executives Board of Directors

Frontline Workers

Classical Transfer of AuthorityLeadership power & authority

LEADERSHIP POWER & AUTHORITY CONT’D

The top – down concept is well established and stands on principles that the frontline workers will support managers and supervisors who in turn will support the top level executives and is a traditional view in most countries; e.g. U.S.A.

Then there is the bottom – up view of authority which contends that power flows from below to high level. The view looks at people who can reject a directive (denying the authority of others).

Customer and Clients

Ultimate beneficiaries of the organization’s efforts

Top Executives

Keep mission and strategies clear

Managers and Supervisors

Help frontline workers do their jobs and solve problems

Frontline Workers

Provide direct service affecting customers/client satisfaction

Support

Support

Serve

THE UPSIDE-DOWN PYRAMID APPROACH TO LEADERSHIP

Leadership power & authority

LEADERSHIP POWER & AUTHORITY CONT’D

Barnard of AT&T in this view said “People will accept an order if four conditions are met:1. If the person understands the order2. If the person believes the order is consistent

with the organization’s goals3. If the person believes the order is compatible

with his/her interests4. If the person is mentally and physically fit to

comply with the order”.

LEADERSHIP POWER & AUTHORITY CONT’D

Managers who are effective they make sure that their directives fall within their subordinates’ areas of acceptance if it does not then they are likely to face hostility.

Story of an agent in Textile Workers Union of America. It was in the weaving room, new manager came, introduced himself and spoke with agent. “When I manage a Mill, I run it”. Agent nodded, waved his hand and the workers shut down all machines in the room. The agent said to the manager, “It is okey, go ahead and run it”.

LEADERSHIP SOURCES OF POWER The three sources of power for a leader in an organization

that can be used to increase the effectiveness of an organization while enhancing empowerment of employees are legitimate, referent and expert power. Legitimate power: From holding a formal position. Others comply

because they accept the legitimacy of the position of the power holder. If the title of the leader reveals a higher level in the organization it is very likely that the employee will be greatly impacted by the comments and/or opinions of this leader. legitimate power helps maintain order, the chain of command, and direction for the organization. Without it there would be chaos and diminished effectiveness.

Expert Power: Based on a person’s expertise, competence, and information in a certain area. Expert power is needed for those employees who need task direction. Expert power also builds confidence in the leader's ability to teach and delegate tasks that the team needs to accomplish.

Referent Power: The target person comply because they respect and like the power holder (agent).

LEADERSHIP SOURCES OF POWER CONT’D

Referent Power: The target person comply because they respect and like the power holder (agent). Referent power is needed to provide the sense of support and commitment the leader has to the individual. The ability to influence others because of their desire – identify with leader

Personal Power: Expertise, friendship orloyalty and charisma are found in leadership of expert and referent sources of power.

legitimate, reward and coercive- areposition powers. Managers and executives generally holdall these three sources of power.

SERVANT LEADERSHIP A term coined by Greanleaf after reading “The

Journey to the East.” It refers to a leader who places the interests of others first.

People will choose the servant leader with whom they will work with but will not trust a self –server whose thoughts are for personal gains. Why? because trust is given to leader who works for common good of people and has interest of them.

A servant leader is committed to people and this commitment is shown through:1. Access – people have access to their leader2. Communication – opportunity to share information

(meetings), 3. Support – feedback is important and successful

leaders know that praise without support is an empty gesture.

PARTICIPATIVE LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY The philosophy which begins with involving people to achieve a

understanding which is necessary to achieve commitment. The philosophy does not mean permissiveness or laissez-faire

management but more of democratic. It involves systems of beliefs and common values that govern behavior.

These include:1. Full and free communication regardless of rank and power

2. Reliance on consensus

3. The idea that influence is based on technical competence and knowledge rather than prerogatives of power

4. An atmosphere that permits and even encourages emotional expressions as well as task-oriented acts

5. A basically human bias.

EMPOWERD WORKPLACE

PRINCIPLES CHARATERISTIC ELEMENTS EXAMPLES

PRINCIPLES OF EMPOWERED WORKPLACE

There are ten principles of an empowered workplace: 1. Demonstrate You Value People

Your regard for people shines through in all of your actions and words. Your facial expression, your body language, and your words express what you are thinking about the people who report to you.

2. Share Leadership Vision

Help people feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves and their individual job. Do this by making sure they know and have access to the organization's overall mission, vision, and strategic plans.

3. Share Goals and Direction

Share the most important goals and direction for your group. Where possible, either make progress on goals measurable and observable, or ascertain that you have shared your picture of a positive outcome with the people responsible for accomplishing the results.

PRINCIPLES OF EMPOWERED WORKPLACE CONT’D

4. Trust People Trust the intentions of people to do the right

thing, make the right decision, and make choices that, while maybe not exactly what you would decide, still work.

5. Provide Information for Decision Making

Make certain that you have given people, or made sure that they have access to, all of the information they need to make thoughtful decisions.

PRINCIPLES OF EMPOWERED WORKPLACE CONT’D

6. Delegate Authority and Impact Opportunities, Not Just More Work

Don't just delegate the work; delegate some of the fun stuff, too. Delegate the important meetings, the committee memberships that influence product development and decision making, and the projects that people and customers notice. The employee will grow and develop new skills. Your reporting staff will gratefully shine - and so will you.

7. Provide Frequent Feedback Provide frequent feedback so that people know

how they are doing. People deserve your constructive feedback, too, so they can continue to develop their knowledge and skills.

PRINCIPLES OF EMPOWERED WORKPLACE CONT’D

8. Solve Problems: Don't Pinpoint Problem People

When a problem occurs, ask what is wrong with the work system that caused the people to fail, not what is wrong with the people.

9. Listen to Learn and Ask Questions to Provide Guidance

Provide a space in which people will communicate by listening to them and asking them questions. Guide by asking questions, not by telling grown up people what to do. People generally know the right answers if they have the opportunity to produce them. When an employee brings you a problem to solve, ask, "what do you think you should do to solve this problem?" Or, ask, "what action steps do you recommend?" Employees can demonstrate what they know and grow in the process.

10. Help Employees Feel Rewarded and Recognized for Empowered Behavior

When employees feel under-compensated, under-titled for the responsibilities they take on, under-noticed, under-praised, and under-appreciated, don’t expect results from employee empowerment. The basic needs of employees must feel met for employees to give you their discretionary energy, that extra effort that people voluntarily invest in work.

CHARACTERISTICS OF EMPOWERED WORKPLACE

Process Underpowered Out of Control Empowered

Decision Making Check with leader on all decisions. Check with nobody on decisions. Check with those affected on decisions.

Performance Planning Leader writes performance plan and reviews with subordinates.

There is no performance plan. Subordinates writes performance plan and reviews with leader

Making policy Leader decides policy. People ignore policy. Work with those responsible to develop policy.

Problem Solving Wait for “them” to fix problems. Bypass “system” to work around problems.

Find out who “they” are and work together to fix problems.

Taking initiative Never volunteer for anything –wait to be asked or assigned.

Many people work on the same thing without communicating.

Recognize what needs to be done; inform leader and others affected; start action to improve.

Defining roles Roles and responsibilities are defined by a leader.

Roles and responsibilities are conflicting and unclear.

Work together to define roles and responsibilities.

Setting standards Perform to standards determined by others.

There is no concern with standards. Work together to determine standards of employee effectiveness.

ELEMENTS OF EMPOWERED WORKPLACE

Participative leadership Team work psychological empowerment Quality synthesis

EXAMPLE: HERB KELLEHER,

Former CEO of Southwest Airlines. He talks of getting involved to know people in a personal way, discussing daily routine matters and getting to know their response and needs as important.

He says, “You have to treat your employees like customers. When you treat them right, then they will treat the customers right. You have to take time to listen to people’s ideas; if you just say to someone No! that is an act of power and in my opinion, an abuse of power”.

EXAMPLE: ABRAHAM LINCOLN

“ Nearly everyone can stand adversity, but if you want to test a person’s true character, give him power”.

EXAMPLE: CARLOS GHOSN

Empowerment facilitates change Story of Nissan Motor Co. – on brink of

bankruptcy. French automaker Renault purchased a controlling interest and installed Carlos Ghosn as head.

Ghosn saw that Nissan managers had no urgency to change even though things were against them. Formed teams of 10 managers, gave mandates to identify innovative proposals for specific areas. In 3 months came up with bold plans and in a year after implementation of plan the company had increased sales and market share with profits.

THE QUALITY IMPERATIVE

BACKGROUND

W. Edwards Deming: Check on the system Fredrick Taylor: Division of Labor The Human Relations School Participative Management Quality Synthesis

Conclusion: People matter. A good system focuses on people as well as systems. (Quality Synthesis)

Classical Theorists

Quality Synthesis

Quantitative Methods

Human relations

Behavioral Science

Elton MayoFredrick

Taylor

The Upside-Down Pyramid Approach to leadership

Philosophical Roots of the Quality Movement

IMPROVING PERFORMANCE THROUGH QUALITY

Improving quality involves applying appropriate methods to close the gap between current and expected levels of quality as defined by standards.

Step one: Identify > Determine what to improve

Step two: Analyze > Understand the problem and clarify why the system produces such effects.

Step three: Develop > Hypothesize about what changes will improve the problem and develop solution strategy based on these changes

Step four: Test and implement > Test the hypothesized solution.

IMPROVING PERFORMANCE THROUGH QUALITY CONT’D

In order to improve performance through quality, Welch believes that the best strategies can not work without the four E’s, high personal Energy, the ability to Energize others, the Edge to make tough decisions and the ability to execute strategy and action to follow that wipes the entire bureaucratic management.

RAISING MORALE IN WORKPLACE

There are four possible ways to improve morale in workplace Install a Humor Board

Most every office has several memo boards for important work-related information, some pleasant, some not so pleasant. Install a memo board in a neutral location that is specifically for people to post jokes, cartoons, funny pictures or amusing anecdotes. This way everyone can get a little laugh after arriving for work on a dreary Monday morning

Adopt Flextime SchedulesIf possible, work out a way for employees to have more flexibility in their schedules. You may be surprised at the amount of stress that can be alleviated by this one thing.

RAISING MORALE IN WORKPLACE CONT’D

Get Away From It AllHold meetings and conferences at a location away from the office if at all possible. A restaurant or local park would be a welcome alternative to a stuffy boardroom on a clear, spring day. People may be more alert and more receptive to the specifics of the meeting in another less stifling environment

Share the WealthOffer employees incentives to "coach" their co-workers on their lunch or break times. Incentives could come in the form of paid time off, gift certificates to stores or restaurants, movie tickets or even small, simple gifts to show appreciation.

RAISING EMPLOYEE MORALE IN WORKPLACE

1.  Be clear!  Provide your people with precise direction.  When people have a strong understanding of results of their actions they are more energized.

2.  Build trust!  Trust is a natural outgrowth of honesty and caring about your team.  To grown trust, allow staff to openly express their feelings, provide appropriate feedback, practice supportive relationships, establish a climate of respect and demonstrate leadership by example.

3.  Staff involvement!  When staff members are assertive, express their career goals and their training needs to managers – and management listens – a partnership relationship can develop which should improve morale.

4.  Empower your staff!  Give staff the responsibility for whole projects. Reward people who take responsibility.  Encourage risk-taking.  Avoid excessive reliance by staff on you.  Train subordinates to think critically and ask questions.

5.  Communicate constantly!  Communication, involving feedback (both positive and negative), must be given at the time events are taking place.

EFFECTIVECONFLICT RESOLUTION

 Focuses on the value of people Does not take advantage of authority Considers the system as well as the people Takes Participative approach Leads to improved quality

THE END