Making Others More Powerful

10/02/2007

Chairman's Message Just back from the City of Light where I heralded in the unenviable 65! We elders need a glass or two of Dom P. after our initiation into the world of Medicare. (One has to believe that the process was invented by crazed Druids whose fertility rites went amok.) Excellent dinner at Le Relais Louis XIII on the Left Bank (a must visit for a memorable date in Paris). The great chef Manuel Martinez holds much in common with Boston's Keith Lockhart. They both understand the importance of delegating power to achieve outstanding results. Read on... - Roger Payne Making Others More Powerful

The best leaders share three attributes:

• a willingness to nurture and inspire
  
  
• the ability to identify and assess others' talents and skills, and
  
  
• understanding that empowering others is the key to their own success.

In short, the best managers empower their employees. They encourage their people to use discretion when faced with obstacles, challenges and opportunities. In my experience, empowered employees are happiest, more productive and far more engaged. Instead of relying on constant direction and supervision, powerful employees develop and expand their problem-solving abilities, and learn to rely on their experience, skills and innate talents.

A striking example of a leader who taps others' strengths is Keith Lockhart, conductor of the Boston Pops. Mr. Lockhart doesn't make a sound as the conductor. His power is keyed to his ability to make others–his musicians–powerful.

The same holds true for anyone charged with enabling people to be the best they can be.

Holly Daniels is an HR assistant at a large acute care facility in Memphis. While reflecting on her hospital's hiring process, she realized that job applicants whom the hospital didn't select for positions rarely heard back. She determined that she needed to change this.

Holly was fortunate to have a manager who encouraged her to use her instincts and judgment. That manager trusted that Holly's approach would support the department's priority of being an employer of choice.

In Holly's view, extending the basic courtesy of "closing the loop" would:

1. let applicants know they were no longer in the running for a certain position, so they could pursue other opportunities, and
   
   
2. acknowledge the applicants and demonstrate the hospital's appreciation of their interest.

The trust that Holly's manager had in her paid off. After initiating this process, the hospital found that many rejected (and otherwise qualified) applicants eventually decided to re-apply for subsequent openings at the hospital. Those individuals, Holly believed, had come to view the hospital as an open, receptive and welcoming place to work.

Another great example of empowering employees comes from Nordstrom, the Seattle-based retailer. Nordstrom's entire employee handbook consists of the following:

Nordstrom We're glad to have you with our Company. Our number one goal is to provide outstanding customer service. Set both your personal and professional goals high. We have great confidence in your ability to achieve them. Nordstrom Rules: Rule #1: Use your good judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules. Please feel free to ask your department manager, store manager, or division general manager any question at any time.

Don't be fooled by its simplicity - this one-page handbook speaks volumes. Here's why:

Sentence #1. Nordstrom states the company is glad to have the employee on board. Ask yourself...does your organization deliver this message as explicitly to your employees? Or does your culture just assume that your new employees know they are welcome? Don't get caught making that assumption. Make it clear from each employee's first day that all employees are appreciated. You'll find this will go a long way toward laying a solid foundation of goodwill and trust.

Sentence #2. The company states its main objective succinctly: "to provide outstanding customer service." If asked, could your employees be this confident and concise about your organization's top priority?

Sentence #3. Nordstrom's dictate that employees set both personal and professional goals telegraphs that management is concerned with the person behind the employee - not just the employees job performance. While this message is important for all employees, it is especially significant for those born after 1980. "Millennial generation" workers, as they're often called, are known to prefer employers who see them as individuals, not just workers.

Sentence #4. The fourth sentence, however, is pure genius..."We have great confidence in your ability to achieve them." Telling a new hire that you already have great confidence in him or her is flattering, inspiring, and the foundation for a strong working relationship. It's simply a rock-solid start to a successful and productive employer-employee relationship.

Sentence #5. Finally, Nordstrom's only rule is "Use your good judgment in all situations." This is a truly potent directive. It encourages those who work for the retailer to tackle situations with sound judgment. It is the antidote to the dreaded micro-managing techniques that so often pervade teams with lots of customer contact, such as healthcare. Consider giving your own "customer-facing" employees the latitude to use more judgment; the results may surprise you!

Summary

So many organizations' employee handbooks approach the size of a phone book, containing more rules than a game of classic canasta. With that noted, I strongly suggest that Nordstrom's unique, streamlined approach is worth your serious consideration.

The next time you are compelled to give unsolicited advice to a talented and effective member of your staff who is dealing with a complicated issue, think to yourself, "What would Keith Lockhart do?" Remember, he gets great results without saying a word.

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