Ask The Career Consultant: Am I Empowered?

Dear Lisa,

I have read a lot lately about successful administrative professionals needing to feel empowered. I'm confused about what exactly that means? Our management team has taken on the challenge to "empower" their employees to take initiative and make decisions. My boss has bought into that philosophy but yet I don't seem to be doing anything different than I was before! What's empowerment all about anyway?

- Feeling Empower-less

Dear Empower-less:

What a great question! I feel empowered to help you understand what it's all about for administrative professionals.

For most people, when we think of the word "power" we think about control and domination. Focusing on these aspects of power limits our ability to understand and define empowerment.

People think that "someone," usually the manager, has to bestow empowerment on the people who report to them. I would like to submit that empowerment comes from the individual.

Empowerment is multi-dimensional, social and a process. While someone cannot give you power and they cannot make you "empowered," you can explore the opportunities, resources and support that you need to become involved yourself as a result of the management team's new focus.

So what does empowerment "look like?" It's about integrity and wholeness. Empowerment is the process of enabling or authorizing an individual to think, behave, act, and make decisions in autonomous ways. It is the state of being engaged and motivated. For administrative professionals, empowerment entails an element of humility or strength that comes from within. It's about giving yourself the credit you deserve even when no one else does, and not holding it against them! Never underestimate yourself! If you do, you will always overestimate the challenge or opportunity. And there is no empowerment in that.

Here are some ideas to consider:

• Discover what is truly important to you. Design a personal mission or vision statement. A great place to start is the Mission Statement Builder at www.FranklinCovey.com.
• Take initiative. Don't wait for your boss to give you new projects and assignments. Always consider the bigger picture and look for processes that can be redesigned, methods to increase productivity, ideas to promote the company mission, etc. Don't just be a "doer"; be a "thinker."
• Be willing to take risks when opportunities arise. You might want to read this month's Leadership Challenge on courage.
• Don't manipulate people. Empowerment results in building others, if not, you are not exercising personal empowerment; instead, you are focused on ego and that will affect your credibility.
• Know your value!
• Understand you work with, not for others.
• Never get complacent. If you do, your empowerment fizzles because you feel there is nothing left for you to learn or change about yourself or your job expectations.
• Recognize that trials can empower us to be teachable, gain insights and integrate self-awareness.

It's wonderful and very progressive that the management team has been challenged to empower their employees! I hope they understand their responsibility and accountability in the challenge. I say this, because if every employee actually followed through and realized their empowerment is self-motivated, who knows what might happen in your company!

Think of it as your boss literally "handing" you the authority to use your skills, knowledge, intuition and creativity. What you decide to DO with that authority is totally up to you.

Personal empowerment is a gift we give ourselves everyday.