Businesses have squandered millions on so-called “empowerment programs” and “self-directed teams.” The problem with most: they fail to understand how authority works in systems and, therefore, get lost in slogans instead of action. Decision-making authority is a key ingredient of employee empowerment; inclusion and involvement are also critical so that worker knowledge is utilized and the day-to-day problems are raised. Employees doing the work know the current problems, past failed remedies, and the reasons why.
A note about past failures—Just because something failed in the past does not mean to not try it again. If you choose to try it again, however, make sure you understand all the reasons it failed and ...
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