Community Topic(s):
Keywords:
ERM, ECM
By Carl Weise, Program Manager at AIIM
June 24, 2011 - 2:35 PM
Empowering people within the workforce is a very popular means for managing change. Actually, empowerment is talked about more often than enacted. However, when people do not feel empowered, it’s often for good reasons. Formal structures make it difficult for people to act, to really make a difference. One area that is very important is how employees’ performance is measured. Are people's performance based on individual accomplishments. If this is the case, there is little incentive to work with others to contribute to the organization.
Sometimes the combination of people or information systems inhibits action. Often people lack the correct skills. All too often, bosses or managers discourage actions aimed at implementing a new vision. It can be quite disconcerting for management to see more junior employees taking the initiative. This creates an ungainly situation where the employees understand the vision and want to make it a reality, but they are thwarted in every direction.
You must take action to reduce the formal structures, get management to buy into empowerment and encourage people to work more collaboratively and with initiative. If skills are lacking, provide training and/or more information. Improve information systems and adjust personnel activities to allow for empowered employees to act. Share your vision for these changes openly and honestly so that everyone buys into creating a much more empowered organisation that is better prepared and more willing to undertake business change.
Tell us about your experiences in bringing about change in your organization.
Do you feel empowered within your organization?
How has your organization supported your collaborative efforts?
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This post and comment(s) reflect the personal perspectives of community members, and not necessarily those of their employers or of AIIM International
