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Teaching Managers to Empower

It begins with the belief that those who support you often contribute more to quality than you

Jeff Dewar
Wed, 05/01/2013 - 15:40
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The Baldrige Performance Excellence Program includes employee empowerment as an integral part of its criteria. The word “empower,” or one of its derivatives, appears seven times in the criteria in reference to workforce development, yet it remains one of the most elusive elements to embrace.

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In what may seem a contradiction, it was Gen. George Patton who was one of the most outspoken champions of his era about empowerment, embodied in this famous quote:

“Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”
—Gen. George Patton

His very simple guideline was to focus on the half of the assignment that counts the most when giving direction: What to do. And at times partially or wholly withdraw from the second half: How to do it. By definition he was empowering his subordinates, and in turn setting an example for them to follow.

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Comments

Submitted by umberto mario tunesi on Thu, 05/09/2013 - 20:50

A Magician's Rod

There's no such a thing; just the same, managers can't be taught how to empower employees. Certainly, managers can learn how to reduce their own side effects on employees empowerment, just the same as one learns to drive cars and gets a driving licence. But this does not mean he'll be a Formula One or Indy or Rally driver. You quote Patton, good: Victor D. Hanson also quotes Epaminondas and Sherman as positive benchmarks, and Alexander (the Great) as a negative benchmark. A manager is a manager is a manager: his or her psychological subtleties, labyrinths, intricate conducts are often severe impediments to effective relationship with the employees, let alone to empower them. And when the often-encountered inferior shouts "the emperor is naked!", well, that's a real beginning: of the End. We keep mending organizational cloths with techniques; the word "art" is however more and more often used: maybe we'll have to look for "management artists", or "management designers", to wear really new organizational cloths. Thank you.

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