Making the Team: A Guide for Managers

Team Empowerment

Just what does an “empowered” team do? Many managers claim that their team is empowered when, in fact, it is not. Figure 10-2 depicts a continuum of team empowerment. Level 1 teams have the least power; they are often new teams, perhaps lacking the skills, experience, or training to implement more control. Perhaps this is why many successful self-directed organizations intentionally devote 20 percent of the team members' and leaders' time to training in the first year (Wellins, 1992). Job skill training is necessary to give team members the depth and breadth they need to effectively carry out the broadened range of activities that self-directed teams perform.

Figure 10-2. Team Empowerment Continuum

Source: Wellins, R.S., Byham, ...