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  Empowerment: What Is It?

  To give power or authority; to authorize, especially by legal or official means. To give or delegate power or authority.

  Without empowerment there is no commitment.

  Business definition: Empowerment is the process of enabling or authorizing an individual to think, behave, take action, and control work and decision-making in autonomous ways. It is the state of feeling self-empowered to take control of one's own destiny. As a broad definition empowerment means giving employees the power to do their job. Delegation is appointing someone else to act on your behalf; empowerment gives the employee the power for decision making in carrying on the assignment.

  Think of empowerment as the process of an individual enabling himself to take action and control work and decision-making in autonomous ways driven by his/her own initiative. Empowerment comes from the individual with help and enticement from management. Empowerment is a desirable management and organizational style that enables employees to use their skills and abilities to benefit both their organization and themselves.

  The organization has the responsibility to create a work environment that helps foster the ability and desire of employees to act in empowered ways, and the responsibility to remove barriers that limit the ability of staff to act in empowered ways. Working in a culture of empowerment, employees are free to use the knowledge they acquired, the experience gained by that freedom, and the motivation of being a true part of the business.

  Empowered employees feel a sense of ownership in their projects and functions with the resulting excitement and motivation to perform. As “owners” of their projects they become accountable for results, doubling the benefits to the organization.
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  The leader or manager has the responsibility to select the right employees to be empowered for the right work, to provide the training and resources necessary, to set rules and boundaries and to apply accountability.

  Unfortunately, talking about empowerment is a lot easier than creating the culture to make it work. The concept of empowerment was first introduced in business in the eighties. It promised much but because of the difficulties in implementing it, it didn’t quite give great results.

  The difficulties were in implementing a change in management philosophy and in the understanding by both managers and employees of what it meant regarding responsibilities. The theoretical benefits were (still are) unquestionable, but in practice, the changes in mentality required were a barrier difficult to conquer.

  Still today managers view empowerment as giving people the power to make decisions, and some employees view empowerment as being given the freedom to do what they want to do, without regard for position or authority. It is this misconception that gives rise to the difficulty of empowering employees and to the failure of empowering in some organizations.

  In reality empowerment is a process to release the knowledge, experience, and motivation that is already in people but is being severely underutilized. When both managers and employees understand this, empowerment becomes easier, effective and rewarding to both.

  Employees gain through empowerment a happier work environment and a sense of personal growth; companies gain a more efficient organization and a chance for continuous improvement through employee involvement.
• About The Author
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  Oswald R. Viva is the founder and President of V&A Management, LLC; a consulting company founded in 1985, now dedicated to helping small and midsize businesses. He has over 20 years of top corporate management in large and small companies, including multiple "C" Level positions, 15 years as consultant in high-tech and manufacturing industries worldwide, and eleven years as CEO and executive coach for small and midsize businesses.

  Oswald participated in eight startups either as a Principal and Founder or as a consultant in an acting leadership position, including multiple CEO positions. He was also the owner of one of the most successful franchises of The Alternative Board (TAB). He has served in the Board of Directors of eight entrepreneurial companies in various fields.

  He is the author of “Its Lonely at the Top”; “A Practical Guide to Becoming a Better Leader of Your Small Company” published by iUniversal, September 2011.

  His education includes degrees in Mechanical Engineering and extensive training in Business Administration, Finance and Management. He is a Certified Management Consultant, Coach and Facilitator, a member of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, and a member of the Fortune Business Leaders council. He is the inventor of record in several patents and has received several awards in the management and entrepreneurial field.

  Born in Argentina, he migrated to the US fifty-three years ago. He has been married to the love of his life for fifty-three years and resides in Acworth, GA. He is the father of four and grandfather of twelve.

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