Empowering employees & enabling performance

Empowerment is more than just a buzzword - it is a decisive factor in a company's success. It promotes independent action and innovative thinking among employees. But how can companies implement empowerment effectively and avoid typical mistakes? The key lies in a holistic approach that takes into account both the structural conditions and the psychological needs of employees. Only in this way can empowerment really work and lead to a motivated, productive and committed workforce.

To ensure that empowerment is actually anchored in the company and achieves the desired results, it is important to regularly review the current status of empowerment. An effective method for this is to conduct employee surveys that specifically target the level of empowerment. Scaled measuring instruments can be used to record and increase both the structural and psychological empowerment of employees.

One of the best-known scales for structural empowerment is the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II (CWEQ-II; Kanter, 1977; Laschinger, 1996). This scale measures structural empowerment in work environments using the following dimensions:

1. Access to opportunities; example item: "I have many opportunities to learn new skills and develop myself further."
2. Access to information; example item: "I receive all the information I need to do my job effectively."
3. Access to support; example item: "I get the support I need to do my job well."
4. Access to resources; example item: "I have access to the resources I need for my work."

In addition to structural empowerment, you should ideally also measure the psychological empowerment of employees in the same survey. The 12 questions from Spreitzer (1995) are a tried and tested measuring instrument. It reflects the above-mentioned dimensions of psychological empowerment: competence, meaningfulness, self-determination and influence. Example items for this are:

1. Competence; example item: "I have mastered the skills required for my job."
2. Significance; example item: "My work is of personal importance to me."
3. Self-determination; example item: "I have a lot of freedom of choice in my work."
4. Influence; example item: "I have considerable influence on decisions in my area of work."

Avoid the most important stumbling blocks

1. Equate empowerment with freedom of choice
   Therefore, familiarize yourself with the four dimensions of structural empowerment and check to what extent these dimensions are already present in your company. You can use a structured questionnaire to find out whether they are already in place; this will include questions on both structural empowerment and psychological empowerment. Empowerment only works if all four dimensions are implemented in the company.
2. Underestimating resistance to change
   Change fails due to employee resistance. Many employees are not prepared to take on responsibility because they have developed a consumerist attitude to work over the years. Promote a culture of active engagement and provide your employees with intensive support during the transition.
3. Neglect middle management and executives
   Be aware that there may be resistance from managers who feel threatened by the loss of control. This resistance often manifests itself in the form of micromanagement, withholding information or passivity towards change initiatives. Prepare your managers for their new role as enablers and mentors through targeted training and coaching. Show them the long-term benefits of empowerment to gain their support.
4. Not communicating vision and values
   Formulate a clear and inspiring corporate vision and unambiguous values. A clear vision describes where the company is heading in the next five to ten years and should be ambitious but achievable. Clear values define the fundamental beliefs and principles that guide the company's actions. Make these vision and values known through regular communication in meetings, newsletters and on the intranet. Organize workshops and events to actively involve employees and ensure that they understand and live the vision and values.
5. Disregarding the needs of employees
   Empowerment is not always synonymous with New Work. New Work places people and their needs at the center of economic activity. If employees do not want to be empowered, empowerment can even contradict the New Work mentality. New Work means that the needs of employees come first. Empowerment is only part of New Work if employees really want it and have a need for it.