Why The Extent of Empowerment Determines Personal and Overall Organizational Performance
By Mwangi Wanjumbi – Newtimes B. S. CEO & Chief Consultant/Trainer
The term empowerment means many things to different people. In recent years, we have been made aware of different initiatives that have taken shape aiming to bring empowerment to women, the girl child, the youth, the marginalized and many more. On the same token, another initiative took shape targeting the empowerment of men and the boy child, who are seemly not doing too well. Looks like an unhealthy competition for empowerment, doesn’t it?
Seemingly, as the women get more empowered, the men are conversely getting dis-empowered. That is if we were to compare notes on the occurrences in Central Kenya particularly. In fact, the extent of reliance on alcohol leading to societal zombies is quite worrying. Interestingly, tipsy youths had the guts of recently presenting themselves for recruitment to the military.
That sadly indicates the extent to which some members of the society have become dis-empowered. But, do these influences affect organizations? If the military could not get recruits from the affected areas, then organizations contributing to economic development in the same areas must inevitably be experiencing some difficulties. Moreover, the societal culture naturally transcends to organizations if left to rule.
Meanwhile, global wealth is today made in organizations. Further, wealth creation opportunities are in-exhaustive in a rapidly changing environment, which is now largely knowledge driven. This inevitably means that if we continue doing what we do and in the same ways, we will constantly achieve the same results. More still, we will lose out on the global opportunities that lead to continued growth and wealth creation. This far, are we contented?
Author Stephen R. Covey (May he rest in peace) explains elaborately how the power of a whole person is interconnected between the spirit, mind, body, and the heart. An empowered person needs to have a balance on all these inter-relationships. Why?
People make choices either consciously or unconsciously depending on the experiences in the environment around them. Whereas those outside employment venture into sometimes desperate acts (as has been seen) trying to balance the whole person in them, those in employment react differently.
As the author explains, they decide how much effort they will give to work, depending on how they are treated and on the opportunities to use all four parts of their nature. Unknown to them, they also lose out on serious opportunities. This leads to a lose-lose situation for all, better explained elsewhere.
All the same, people everywhere need to be appropriately empowered so that they can effectively contribute to exploitation of global opportunities, especially through organizations. At best, they need to unleash their full performance potential whatever it takes. But, does this always happen?
Essentially, they on one hand voluntarily or otherwise make choices, which range from rebelling, quitting to malicious obedience, all depending on their experiences. Naturally, these reactions are fast-tacked particularly when employees are performing only on the basis of carrot and stick motivation. Undoubtedly, this is the most common approach to employee motivation as applied by most managers even now, when the world has moved on to modern organizational cultures.
On the other hand, the choices range from willing compliance, cheerful cooperation, heartfelt commitment and finally, to creative excitement. Obviously, best results for all stakeholders can only be achieved in situations of creative excitement, especially with regard to achievement of full performance potential. It is important to realize that how these re-actions are consciously or subconsciously applied by the critical mass of employees, determines the overall organizational performance.
In reality however, dynamic organizational management uniquely integrated with proficiency in leadership will today determine the extent of employee empowerment. Depending on the degree, it will in turn positively appeal to creative excitement. The latter leads to unleashing of personal potential that cascades to the desired organizational performance.
Ideally, that is the theme of our October 2012 people empowerment interventions, especially for those interested in continually reaping the benefits .of now inevitable personal/organizational transformation.
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