4 ways to empower your team
If you manage other people, the first thing you need to understand is that your success depends on their success. The more you empower your employees, the more they will grow and thrive.
Mark Woodland – Founder and CEO of Education at Xplor
1. Give employees generous boundaries.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, boundaries don’t restrict team members; they empower them. Define the boundaries within which an employee can make his or her own decisions. In doing so, you give them freedom to act.
For example, if you allow an educator to spend up to 10% of a parent’s annual fee on keeping that family happy, you enable the educator to solve a problem without consulting a manager (and slowing down the service provided).
2. Believe in your employees.
The best managers get outstanding performance from ordinary human beings. If you wait for a team of superstars, you will be waiting forever. Discover what each person does best. Find better ways for people to support each other. Bring people together to support and encourage each other. Then believe 100% in these partnerships and collaborations.
3. Provide growth paths.
Everything in life — including people — changes. If you don’t give people room to grow, you will force them to either leave your business or grow stagnant. Even if it is inconvenient for you or your business, you must provide robust ways for your employees to grow.
4. Set your own ego aside.
Too many bosses want to be the smartest person in the room, but if this is always true you have utterly failed as a leader and manager. Avoid ego and bluster. Talk less and listen more.
Celebrate your team members, not yourself.
