...means leaders doing it with — not to or for — their teams. Our experience is that this needs to go beyond empowerment — which stays rooted in power and hierarchy — to “empartnerment.” Here’s three key reasons frontline teams need to be empartnered: They’re the experts in the work...
Read post »...were quietly quitting.” Empowerment is better than command and control. It’s good as far as it goes…but it’s not as engaging and effective as “empartnerment.” Here’s how I compare them: Empowerment Empartnerment Do it to employees to push motivational buttons Do it with people to meet shared goals Paternalistic pats...
Read post »...the work within their areas and have deep insight into the effectiveness of cross-functional or organization-wide processes. Their understanding of what does and doesn’t work is better than most managers and outside experts. Empartnerment generates greater energy and engagement. Most people want more from their jobs than just a paycheck....
Read post »...to be guided and developed so they can confidently deal with and manage monkeys on their own. This guidance moves delegation beyond empowerment to “empartnerment.” Traditional delegation is often hierarchical with the leader dishing out power as each monkey comes screeching into sight. Partnering creates an environment where team members...
Read post »...we publish my June blogs in the July issue of The Leader Letter. Hopefully, you’ll find approaches in this issue to help strengthen resilience in yourself and others. “Empartnerment” can harness the collective energy and creativity of teams and organizations to overcome big challenges and even thrive on chaos. Building...
Read post »...teams look for what went wrong and rapidly streamline processes Management budgets and priorities drive decision making and resource allocation. Rigorous data and analysis clarify and leverage systemic cause-and-effect relationships Empowerment Empartnerment Management’s Key Performance Indicators cascade “command and control” hierarchy. Leaders are “servant-leaders” to highly engaged teams. Employees serve...
Read post »...an inside job. Effective leaders stoke the fire within by pulling and inspiring people through engagement and “empartnerment.” Stop Bribing and Start Leading When training dogs, treats, praise, and pats on the head are very effective. It’s a classic master/pet manipulation. Many recognition programs are built on this same paternalistic...
Read post »...models behavior patterns that set the tone and examples for their organization. A rigid leadership team stuck in traditional methods of internal focus, functional accountability, and empowerment can’t reshape their organization with more agile approaches of customer focus, horizontal teamwork, and “empartnerment” by talking about it. Leadership teams can only...
Read post »...help leadership teams get their shift together. Escaping the Change Management Trap: From Rigidity to Agility Features a chart summarizing the vital leader shifts needed to move from rigidity to agility with: Internal Focus to Customer Focus Functional Accountability to Horizontal Teamwork Empowerment to Empartnerment Vital Keys to...
Read post »...and what’s unacceptable and not tolerated). Trust thrives in a culture that’s beyond empowerment to “empartnerment.” In this month’s Working Knowledge post, Harvard Business School professor Emeritus, James Heskett, raises a key question, Can We Train for Trust? He writes, “Trust is, as it is for many things in society,...
Read post »...to start with a deep look in the mirror to change “us.” A rigid leadership team stuck in traditional methods of internal focus, functional accountability, and empowerment can’t reshape their organization with more agile approaches of customer focus, horizontal teamwork, and “empartnerment” by talking about it. Leadership teams need to...
Read post »...Authoritarian leaders can delude themselves by forming teams to empower “their people.” But that empowerment is often a coercive manager retaining control through a patronizing adult-child relationship. Empartnerment through highly effective teams isn’t a democracy, but they’re led by managers who believe in participative, respectful partnerships to meet shared goals....
Read post »...approach. Bolt-On Piecemeal Programs Built-In Culture Change Expert/Specialist Led Line Management Led Stand-Alone Projects/Programs Integrated/Interconnected Strategies Constantly Out to Launch Disciplined Follow Through Electronic/Information Overload Two-Way Conversations/Empartnerment Mission/Values with High “Snicker Factor” Core Values/Purpose Guide Programs, Operations, and Behaviors Reactive Management and Search for Guilty/Weaknesses Proactive Root Cause Analysis and...
Read post »...and recognized for what behaviors. Build an “empartnerment” culture of peer recognition. Work with your partners to blend customer/partner input with your team or organization’s vision, values, purpose, and strategic imperatives. Strengthen your customer-partner chain with systems, programs, training, and your personal leadership modeling that gets customers and partners involved...
Read post »...recognition, appreciation, and celebration Higher training and development Better coaching and development Greater job enrichment Higher laughter index Aligning work to individual strengths Changing leadership expectations/beliefs about frontline staff Less rules/bureaucracy and more trust Enhanced collaboration and empartnerment Less position power and more persuasion power Profit-sharing Improved frequency and quality...
Read post »...team’s culture by deepening spirit and meaning. We’ll also look at the culture and leadership issues underlying the delegation dilemma. Strong cultures and highly effective leaders move delegation beyond empowerment to “empartnerment.” May this issue help you to move from partial and piecemeal programs to sustained leadership and culture shift....
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