Regardless of industry, specialty, size, or any other label or relation you use when describing your business; your business is really defined by your workforce. The people who work for your organization, fueling the engine of your business, are really what your business is made of.
So how do you turbo charge your ‘engine’? How do you optimize your business to function at the best of its ability? There’s no simple answer but a great place to start is by empowering your workforce. Give them empowerment to be accountable for their actions and let them really take ownership of their career and what they do to bring innovation, ‘smart work’, and success to their position and your company.
So how do you empower your workforce?
- Give them what they want.
Now there is a caveat to this. If an employee asks for a million dollar salary, giving them 7 figures is not going to solve any challenges. If an employee wants to listen to music with headphones while they work, let them. If they’re a sales manager and want to be empowered by receiving a more prestigious title, come up with a more creative title to inspire them. Sometimes even small things can make a big difference, so find what makes someone happy and let them have it.
- Let them take ownership.
Give employees the power to own what they do and be accountable for the decisions they make. Give them more responsibility and let them step up to the plate and really strive for success. You hired them for a reason, so give them the freedom to be responsible for themselves.
- Don’t rule with an iron fist.
We all know stories of tyrannical dictators. Micro-managing, going overboard on “house rules”, and enforcing strict policies does not foster trust and respect from your employees. It is, however, a great way to get your employees to resent you and become strongly disengaged.
Don’t fuel your business engine with rubbish. Empower your employees to perform to the best of their abilities. Let your business achieve the success that you have worked hard for.
