Is Your Staff "Empowered"?

The widespread use of certain words creates enormous confusion. When you hear “vision” or “contemporary worship,” the ideas and images that come to mind for you may be quite different than for me. ‘Empowered” is another of those words. Leaders know that they should “empower” their staff, and staff members generally want to be empowered. In many cases, a leader may believe that he or she is practicing empowerment, but staff may feel that their hands are tied. This gap in meaning between a leader and staff members can be wide and filled with frustration. A simple analogy illustrates four different kinds of empowerment. Let’s take a ride in a gasoline powered, 4-wheeled vehicle:

• Vehicle A is the car at the amusement park that kids love to drive. The only real control is the gas pedal, which will allow the vehicle to accelerate to a top speed of 4 miles per hour. The steering wheel provides an illusion of control. In reality, the car is guided by the tracks in the middle of the path. An adult only rides in this car to accompany eager children. Nevertheless, the child driver is “empowered.”
• Vehicle B is a go-kart. It has gas and brake pedals, and a meaningful steering wheel. The carts only have a top speed of 25 miles per hour, and they are restricted to a defined track by rails, but the thrill level of these vehicles can be enough to engage teens and adults and to terrify a young child.
• Vehicle C is a fully-functioning, technology-enhanced automobile. The added features, which are designed to protect a teen driver, include a speed regulator and GPS tracking. The vehicle provides a sense of being “unrestricted,” but the driver does not have complete freedom.
• Vehicle D is also a fully-functioning automobile, but this one is equipped with four-wheel drive, oversized tires, and heavy duty shocks. It can be driven on any road and can also handle a variety of exciting off-road adventures.

All four vehicles have power, and all four drivers are “empowered.” But the degree to which each is empowered is dramatically different. In the first three cases, the vehicle (and its driver) has limitations that restrict their freedom. There is nothing wrong with any of the vehicles and boundaries, but there are wrong applications for each of them. In my next blog, we’ll look at three leadership implications of this perspective on empowerment. For now, think about what kind of vehicle(s) are being driven by your staff? It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.]]>