How to Empower Employees

Content

People don’t quit jobs. They quit managers. That wisdom is important to consider in the face of the Great Resignation, where scores of employees are looking for better opportunities and retention seems to be an impossible feat. What exactly are employees looking for in their managers, though? Empathy and flexibility, but above all, they want to feel empowered. One of the easiest ways to do this is to adopt what’s called a tasks-and-objective-based approach to work. Break goals down into achievable tasks for team members, and measure their success on agreed-upon performance metrics. This improves clarity and transparency, making sure everyone knows what’s expected of them. That said, there will be times when employees fall short. Rather than focus on the mistake or shortcoming, mentor the employee through the issue. Focus on solutions, and design a resolution strategy with them to make sure the issue doesn’t come up again. This type of mentoring allows space for employees to grow and will help them become more resilient in their professional life. Additionally, don’t give employees directives; ask them for solutions. “Go do this” isn’t going to be appreciated in the same way as “figure out this problem, come up with a plan to solve it, and let me know what you need to execute on your solution.”

People don’t quit jobs. They quit managers. That wisdom is important to consider in the face of the Great Resignation, where scores of employees are looking for better opportunities and retention seems to be an impossible feat. What exactly are employees looking for in their managers, though? Empathy and flexibility, but above all, they want to feel empowered. One of the easiest ways to do this is to adopt what’s called a tasks-and-objective-based approach to work. Break goals down into achievable tasks for team members, and measure their success on agreed-upon performance metrics. This improves clarity and transparency, making sure everyone knows what’s expected of them. That said, there will be times when employees fall short. Rather than focus on the mistake or shortcoming, mentor the employee through the issue. Focus on solutions, and design a resolution strategy with them to make sure the issue doesn’t come up again. This type of mentoring allows space for employees to grow and will help them become more resilient in their professional life. Additionally, don’t give employees directives; ask them for solutions. “Go do this” isn’t going to be appreciated in the same way as “figure out this problem, come up with a plan to solve it, and let me know what you need to execute on your solution.”