Empower employees instead of micromanaging

There's nothing like micromanaging employees to suck the creativity and drive right out of them.

Unfortunately, many managers do so every day without realizing it.

To create a corporate culture that breeds new ideas and innovation, you need to empower employees to solve problems and make decisions, giving them a greater sense of ownership and freeing you up for more pressing tasks, say experts.

"Empowerment creates a motivational climate that releases power, resources and responsibility to every person in the organization," explains Jerry Siegel, president of JASB Management Inc., a Syosset business management learning and development firm.

It doesn't mean giving up total control, but rather making employees more active players and participants within the workplace to "promote maximum involvement, commitment and productivity," explains Siegel.

There are many ways to empower your employees. Among them:

1. Talk the talk. "You have to believe in the process that empowered employees are more productive and more motivated employees," says David Javitch, author of "How to Achieve Power in Your Life" (Javitch Associates; $21.50) and president of Javitch Associates, an organizational consulting firm in Newton, Mass. "It can't be lip service."

2. Identify people with potential. Some workers just want to be told what to do, says Javitch. Don't frustrate them by giving them too much leeway. Give those who crave more greater "freedom, responsibility and authority" in measured steps, notes Javitch. If they are successful, grant them even more responsibility and freedom, he says.

3. Identify and communicate strategic priorities. Employees need to be clear on what the company's top strategic priorities are so they can better focus their ideas and efforts, says Kimberly Douglas, author of "The Firefly Effect" (Wiley; $24.95) and president of FireFly Facilitation Inc., an Atlanta management consultancy. Get input from them on the best way to achieve company goals and priorities, she notes.

4. Hold innovative jam sessions. Shake up those boring meetings and hold an engaging jam session where employees can discuss and identify problems, as well as opportunities, says Douglas. Start small, perhaps allocating 20 minutes of a staff meeting to, say, discussing the greatest challenge your team is facing, she adds. Alert them ahead of time so they can prepare, and hold them accountable for solutions, she says.

5. Turn over leadership of meetings. Appoint a meeting facilitator who is not the boss to run your staff meeting, says Siegel, who suggests rotating the responsibility. Too often, meetings are dominated by the boss, he notes. This is something Gary Anzalone, a principal at Precision Signs in Amityville, tries not to do. "I try to speak minimally," says Anzalone, who has used Siegel for training. "I'm there to let communication happen." The sign manufacturer employs 50.

6. Create self-directed work teams.  Instead of having a manager run a team, appoint a team member or ask the team to select a leader, says Siegel. That leader can report back to the manager as the team works on a project, issue or challenge, he says. It's another way to show you trust and value employees, he notes.

7. Step back. Don't try solving every problem for your employees, says Anzalone. If they're looking to you for answers, try making them active participants in finding a solution, he says.

8. Cross-train. This isn't meant to overload people, but rather provide them with additional skills, says Siegel. In essence, you're saying you trust them to learn the new work while still handling their original responsibilities, he adds. Anzalone does cross-training at Precision, noting it also helps employees appreciate co-workers' responsibilities.

More empowering incentives
1. Have a suggestion box.

2. Offer flextime solutions, like job sharing, flexible hours.

3. Delegate with clear expectations.

4. Provide recognition for goals me.

Sources: Jerry Siegel, David Javitch, Kimberly Douglas