Empowerment Notebook
The problem as I see it: My boss wants more Because management needs more Because the customers demand more Because the competitors are delivering more But I can t get my people to do more than the bare minimum
What is wrong: Hardly anybody gets excited about anything that has to do with work. The things they do get excited about are outside of work. My people care about their paychecks, their vacations, and their pensions. Beyond that, forget it. The general attitude is: Don t do anything you don t have to do. Then do as little as possible.
Nobody cares about improvements; they re all afraid of change. (Me, too, if I m honest about it.) I say, If you don t shape up you won t have jobs. But all that does is demoralize them, which makes it worse. Whenever I try to motivate people, the results (if any) are short- lived.
The solution: How should I know? I m just a supervisor. What am I going to do now? Wait for management to come up with a brilliant solution. Start looking for a new job in case they don t have one.
If I Pigure out what Zapp is, then I can use it in my department. Our performance will improve. Then may be my boss will lighten up. Work will be more fun. Life will be simpler. And I could be a hero. I might even get a raise!
ZAPP A force that energizes people
Departments have tried: Pep talks Quality circles Higher pay Participative management Job enrichment
Departments have tried: Flattened organization Work teams Suggestion systems More training Better communications Closer labor- management relationship Job security And lots of other programs
What happened? Results were usually mixed, short- lived, disappointing, counter- productive, confusing, or insignipicant in most departments.
ZAPP A key to success for new ideas and programs. They work with Zapp. They fail without Zapp.
Examples of what Sapps people: Confusion Lack of trust Not being listen to No time to solve problems Bureaucratic ofpice politics Someone solving problems for you No time to work on a bigger issues
Examples of what Sapps people: Not knowing whether you are succeeding Across- the- board rules and regulations A boss taking credit for others ideas Not enough resources to do the job well Believing that you can t make a difference A job simplipied to the point that it has no meaning People treated exactly the same, like interchangeable parts
Zapp! the giving of power? Sapp - the taking of power?
When you have been Sapped, you feel like Your job belongs to the company. You are just doing whatever you are told. Your job doesn t really matter. You don t know how well you re doing. You always have to keep your mouth shut. Your job is something different from who you are. You have little or no control over your work.
When you have been zapped, you feel like Your job belongs to you. You are responsible. Your job counts for something. You know where you stand. You have some say in how things are done. Your job is a part of who you are. You have some control over your work
Examples of what Zapps people: Responsibility Trust Being listened to Team Solving problems as a team Praise
Examples of what Zapps people: Recognition for ideas Knowing why you re important to the organization Flexible controls Direction (clear result areas, measurements, goals) Knowledge (skills, training, information, goals) Support (approval, coaching, feedback, encouragement) Resources readily available Upward and downward communications
It s easy to Sapp It s hard to Zapp
1 st step of Zapp: MAINTAIN OR ENHANCE SELF-ESTEEM
2 nd step of Zapp: LISTEN AND RESPOND WITH EMPATHY
3 rd step of Zapp: ASK FOR HELP AND ENCOURAGE INVOLVEMENT (Seek ideas, suggestions, and information)
The Soul of Zapp! OFFER HELP WITHOUT REMOVING RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACTION
The Pirst three steps to Zapping others 1. Maintain Self- esteem. 2. Listen and Respond with Empathy. 3. A s k f o r H e l p a n d Encourage Involvement. lead to the Soul of Zapp:
My ch oices in delegating responsibility: Refer the task to the proper person. Delegate authority to carry out the task and make decisions. D e l e g a t e t h e t a s k without giving decisions- making authority. Keep the task.
With delegation comes the need to set up controls. A boss who over controls Sapps his people. A boss who abandons control Sapps his people. A boss who uses situational control Zapps his people. People only respond negatively to controls when they are inappropriate for the situation.
Sharing responsibility with people does not mean abandoning responsibility.
Through Zapp, people gain responsibility in their individual jobs, but I still have the responsibility to... Know what is going on. S e t t h e d i r e c t i o n f o r t h e department Make decisions they can t. Ensure that people are on course Offer a guiding hand; open doors to clear way Assess performance Be a smart manager.
Zapp does not guided action; it excites action. To get the job done, I have to channel the action in the right direction. But how?
To channel action, mutually establish the following: KEY RESULT AREA (The direction we want to go) MEASUREMENT (A way to know we re moving in the right direction) GOAL (Something to tell us if we re there yet)
C on sta n t p e r f or m a n ce feedback relative to goals keeps Zapp level high. If possible, people should manage their own feedback system. Changing measurements and goals Zapps people in new directions.
To get maximum Zapp, many people need coaching on how to do their jobs.
Coaching steps: 1. Explain purpose and importance of what you are trying to teach. 2. Explain the process to be used. 3. Show how it s done. 4. Observe while the person practices the process. 5. Provide immediate and specipic feedback (coach again or reinforce success). Express conpidence in the person s ability to be successful
People learn faster from success than failure.
Learning more about your job boosts your Zapp!
For Zapp to work, people need: DIRECTION (key result areas, goals, measurements) K N O W L E D G E ( s k i l l s, training, information, goals) R E S O U R S E S ( t o o l s, materials, facilities, money) S U P P O R T ( a p p r o v a l, c o a c h i n g, f e e d b a c k, encouragement)
A few things to remember about Zapp Teams: Creating teams spreads Zapp through a group. A Zapped team is more productive than a group of Zapped individual The more decisions a team can make, the more Zapp it has.
A few things that boost the voltage of Zapp Teams: Give the team a say in who works on the team. Establish a mission for the team. Provide time and places for the team to meet. Provide technical training at the teachable moment. Provide people skills for interacting, solving problems, making decisions, and taking action.
Zapp Teams can take lots of responsibility. For instance, they might Determine who works on what. Handle absenteeism and performance issues. Get involved in all aspects of their work. Select their own team leader from their ranks. Perform basic maintenance. Schedule vacations.
Who determined how Zapped (or Sapped) an employee is? In order of importance: 1. The person s immediate boss (the group leader) 2. The other people who affect the person s job (suppliers, services, support) 3. Higher management 4. The organization and its systems By far, the most important enzapping inpluence is the supervisor or manager to whom the employee directly reports.
1. M A I N T A I N S E L F - ESTEEM. 2. LITEN AND RESPOND WITH EMPATHY 3. A S K F O R H E L P I N SOLVING PROBLEMS
Empowerment Notebook Management s role in spreading Zapp: 1. To protect people from the Sapping things that the company might attempt to put upon them while supporting and encouraging the Zapping things the company can offer 2. To be sure that subordinate managers have the skills required to Zapp (and if they don t, get them into training). 3. To model Zapp 4. To coach subordinate managers in how to use and improve their Zapp skills. 5. To reward performance resulting from Zapp. Overall: to create an environment where Zapp can happen.
Fattening the Organization Sapps Flattening the Organization Zapps!
1. READ (AND RE-READ) THIS NOTE BOOK 2. GET TRAINING IN ZAPP 3. DON T STOP! KEEP LEARNING!
Attend the School Administrative Professionals Workshop
Opening Session: If Your Lifeʼs a Circus, Itʼs Time to Become the Ringleader. Everybody else always demands your time and attention itʼs time to kick off your day of training with some focus on the person who really matters: you! Youʼll discover why itʼs so important to set boundaries, understand communication and take time out for yourself. (Time boxing, Competing priorities, The bigger picture) Youʼll become energized and inspired to be the absolute best you can be!
Middle Session: Creating the Perfect Admin/Boss Team. There are few things more satisfying than being a trusted and valued partner with your boss whether you work for one person or a dozen. Learn how to understand your bossʼs goals and objectives develop strengths that complement your supervisorʼs and enhance your working relationship or even save a failing relationship if you and your boss arenʼt communicating clearly! (Leading from behind, Personal leadership, My ideal job, Work spirit)
Middle Session: Emotional Intelligence The Superhero Skill That Lets You Work Well With Everyone. Sometimes the hardest thing about your job isnʼt your task list itʼs the people! Fortunately, thereʼs a way that you can make that pain, stress, and frustration go away: emotional intelligence. (Male female communication, Workplace relationships, Smiling school) Learn how EI can help you build relationships, gain respect, project confidence, enhance your credibility and talk
Closing Session: Living Your Life to the Fullest and Enjoying Every Minute. When life gets hectic, itʼs easy to get distracted and overwhelmed and when itʼs not, itʼs easy to get into a rut! Itʼs time for some fresh, fun ideas on how to maintain a healthy balance between your job and everything else that matters in your life. Youʼll be able to use the things you love to stay motivated and upbeat, no matter whatʼs going on around you. (Why I work, Breathing meditation, Time out, Looking after Me) Plus, youʼll learn some amazing stress-relieving techniques you can use to take a step back, refocus, and reenergize in a matter of minutes!
Your Presenter Michael Auden will be conducting the School Administrative Professionals Workshop once again. Back by popular demand after his great series of school office staff seminars. Michael has organized Women in Management conferences throughout Australia. He is the author of numerous empowerment programs for women. His presentations are lively, informative and entertaining. Participants leave his workshops full of ideas and motivation. Attend the School Administrative Professionals Workshop You'll gain inner peace and a sense of accomplishment, and have the tools you need to get more done in less time!
Register On-line at or bring this workshop to your school by emailing Michael @ Michael@michaelauden.com.au