Written by: Anna Filatova, Senior Level Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
I knew when I hit a wall at one of my previous jobs. I had the potential to do more but I didn’t have the resources or support from management. I also couldn’t ask for anything as nobody would listen and it felt like no one cared. The longer I stayed there, the more it made me feel undervalued, frustrated, demotivated and disengaged.
It’s sad to see how many organizations don’t have the right tools and resources for their employee development. People are the most valuable asset of any business. Without motivated, efficient and productive teams, it’s difficult to see results in business.
But with the right tools and approach, organizations can empower their teams to have responsibility and authority to make decisions. Empowerment is linked to employee retention, job satisfaction, high performance and commitment to the organization.
Team empowerment also creates a strong employee-focused culture and boosts morale that allows people to thrive in their roles and progress in their careers. It helps to build trust between employees and management, greater accountability and efficient problem-solving.
Creating and increasing team empowerment in the workplace comes down to managers and leaders of the organization. The most effective managers and leaders are part of the team and they support their employees rather than micromanage them. Here are 10 best strategies for team empowerment that can be implemented very easily:
1. Get to know your teams Before creating any strategies for empowerment, you need to get to know your teams on a personal level and understand what drives and motivates them.
2. Show appreciation for employee’s efforts and accomplishments Make your employees feel valued and appreciated for what they do for the organization. It can be done in many different forms such as giving them praise, arranging a small gift or organizing a pizza lunch for the team.
3. Be open to new ideas and feedback Take time to listen to your employees and their ideas and feedback so that they feel valued and respected. It can also benefit the whole organization when great ideas are widely implemented across the whole business and problems are solved in a more efficient way because an employee provided feedback on a process or operations and offered a solution for improvement.
4. Provide opportunities and support for professional growth Companies that invest in their teams’ learning and development, see huge results and return on their investment. It’s important to provide a wide range of activities such as coaching, mentoring and training programs to ensure progression and achievement of employees’ professional goals.
5. Allow your teams to use their strengths every day Spend some time uncovering your employees’ strengths and encourage teamwork and collaboration using those skills within the teams.
6. Challenge your teams to think outside the box Sometimes people might feel stuck and start procrastinating so it’s important to challenge your teams and bring the best out of them by providing encouragement and guidance to think outside the box.
7. Be a role model for the behaviour that you want to see Empowering leaders walk the talk. You have to show and champion behaviours that you would like your teams to see and inspire them to do the same.
8. Give your teams authority and responsibility Being able to make decisions, makes employees feel empowered and valued. You need to ensure that your employees have the right skills and knowledge to make decisions in the first place. This way when you give them authority to take responsibility for certain tasks and projects, you will set them up for success.
9. Establish an open-door policy Support your teams by establishing an open-door policy in your office. It helps to create an environment based on transparency, trust and mutual respect and encourage your employees to approach you if they need support or want to share feedback.
10. Have regular catch-ups These should be done in two different forms: team meetings and individual catch-ups. Team meetings are great for team collaboration and productivity and individual catch-ups give your employees an opportunity to spend some interrupted one on one time with you and raise any concerns that they might have.
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Anna Filatova, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Anna is the founder and CEO of Dreams and Beyond Coaching Ltd, a coaching and mentoring firm that was founded in March 2020. The company offers a variety of services including 1:1 coaching and mentoring, one-day intensives, group programs, training, courses, workshops, and DISC personality profiling. The services are available internationally as most of the work can be done online.
Anna believes that people are the most valuable asset of any business or organization and true success comes from finding the right balance and owning your inner power. Therefore, her work is heavily focused on people’s performance, development, and wellbeing.
As a qualified Business and Executive Coach, Anna supports individuals to unlock their potential and make progress within their leadership roles in business and organizations without compromising their personal wellbeing. She also helps develop high-performing teams to support business and organizational growth.
Anna earned an Honours BA Degree in Business Studies in International Hotel Management from the National University of Ireland Galway in 2011 and an MBA for Executives with Global Perspective from the London School of Commerce in 2015.
Anna spent 9 years in Hotel Management and 7 years in Investment Banking. When she was 25, she had burnout that made her realize that health, well-being, and work-life balance are more important than killing herself for a fast career progression.
Anna has written for Thrive Global and she is a Senior Executive Contributor to Brainz Magazine. She has been featured in Yahoo Finance, Intrado, Latestly, Entrepreneur Mogul, and Zee5 News and invited as a guest speaker in Ireland and the UK. She has been nominated for the Women’s Business Awards 2021 (Category: Best New Business of the Year) and awarded the Brainz CREA Global Award 2021 in recognition of her creative and innovative ideas, and adaptability in business.
