Caged eagles-individuals who lack the authority and autonomy they need to make effective use of their skills and experience. They are often underutilized in the organization and represent a potential waste of human resources. Take the following two steps to strategically empower these members:
First, ask the members to come to the meeting prepared to discuss representative situations in which he has had difficulty performing his work because of his lack of authority. Perhaps the member:
• Was not permitted to pass on information to other groups
• Had to wait for your approval to make routine decisions
• Lacks sign-off authority for documentation that is an important part of her job
• Is not permitted the flexibility of creating her own schedule, or selecting her own work methods.
During this conversation, listen nondefensively to the member and remain open to critical feedback concerning your management style. Next, discuss options for shifting additional authority over to the member, while minimizing unnecessary risks. Look for an option that will serve as a brief and timely mini-experiment for testing the individual’s ability to handle additional responsibility.
Fully empowered-workers with both the competence and the authority they need to achieve top performance. They are operating close to their maximum performance level and usually make the greatest contribution to your team. When working with such an individual, you should:
• Periodically meet to look for opportunities to broaden and extend her contribution to your team
• Make certain you’ve removed all empowerment roadblocks that could hamper her performance
• Consider work experiences that would enable him to serve as a successful role model for other members.
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