We are all employees in different field and we are all in need of empowerment. How do you empower employee’s ma’am? A question that I wrote in a piece of paper for our college dean when I got negative response to our query for a seminar. For some reason, the academe lies on the contracts that generally express a NO EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIP. Seminars aren’t covered in the contract. Even the 13th month pay, dress allowance, etc. (how sad)….not unless we will finished our graduate studies and given a permanent position to the institution.
What "employee empowerment" boils down to is a philosophy that allows people to make decisions about their work, within certain broad guidelines. Simply put, it lets employees think for themselves. Now, some observers claim that empowerment comes from the employee, and to a certain extent that is true. However, I believe that true workplace empowerment comes from the employees and management working in tandem. The employee has to be willing to show initiative and take control of their work, but the college administration has to be in a position to encourage and allow employee empowerment—or it will never occur.
As a college instructor, first of all, I have to make my students understand what I am trying to achieve. I cannot do that by just ordering them to do this or that, without providing an explanation…well, I can, but that is the military way and students are not soldiers and so employees. They have not been through the intensive training that the military uses to break down the individual and rebuild into the type of soldier they need. Explain the university mission in a simple, straightforward way. It can be as simple as, "We're trying to make the best IT in the world," or "We're world leaders in software technology, and we want to stay that way." You do not have to ramble on about "leveraging our core vision" and "optimizing quality-driven geo-targeted bandwidth," or "gap analysis," even though all that may be integral to any organizations strategy. Just give it to them straight. They will appreciate that.
School administrators should see and acted to be willing to give of themselves, in the sense that they have to a) provide assistance that is appropriate to the problems faced by the employees, b) carry out any requested assistance competently and completely, c) encourage employees, and d) provide feedback or correction on results.
When properly handled employee empowerment is a win-win situation all around—because by making employees more productive, it also makes the school more productive. By tapping into the knowledge and energy of your employees, you not only take advantage of the "many heads are better than one" thesis, you get to focus on your own most profitable tasks—the reason you are getting paid the big amount in the first place.
If sometimes I am seem unwilling to take initiative to empower myself it is obvious that I do not have the training I need to do my work with confidence, I need to get trained. We, the contractual and even permanent employees need to be confident not only that we are allowed to do the job, but also that we can do the job. That is another foundation of workplace empowerment. Uncertainty hampers both empowerment and the productivity that comes with it.
Basic education is not enough; it is crucial, but it just prepares a person for their career. As an employee, I need hands-on training, so that I can gain experience in handling the specialized aspects of particular tasks. But how? My salary isn’t even enough for my family? How can I be empowered without the school assistance? I told myself “maau pa cla” when one of the topic sharers told us that he was sent to a seminar that was shouldered by his employer and it really empowered him a lot. Their only other option is to toss me out there to sink or swim as best as I can. This approach to "empowerment" is inherently wasteful, not just because it limits the development of my personal competency at particular tasks (and thus my productivity), but also because it blows a hole in the schools productivity levels. Even if the individual learns to swim, it will take a while—and if they sink, you are back to square one.
Once trained, the school started delegating tasks to them and makes them aware that it is up to them to get the job done
The intelligent manager takes a person's abilities into account and does not overburden them. On the other hand, a little encouragement can result in a significant increase in productivity; and to some extent, increased productivity and empowerment feed off each other.
Finally, a message to the academe that I serve best, if you want your employees to continue to feel empowered, reward them for their productivity. Otherwise you are telling them you do not appreciate their contributions and down goes productivity, because what is the point of working hard? For some, a verbal "pat on the back" will do, and such recognition is the least that you should offer. For most people though, money's a prime motivator. A nice bonus or a gift card is always appreciated.
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