If you want to grow your manufacturing business and stand out from the competition, one of the best strategies to consider is empowering staff. This means giving your employees the permission to act to increase productivity and help the organization achieve its goals. Empowering the team also helps the team to “own the organization” and become its ambassadors everywhere they go.
No matter the way you look at it, empowering staff comes with so many advantages. This brings us to the main question, “How exactly do you empower your staff?” Here are some useful tips to consider:
Provide Greater Workplace Flexibility
Unlike in the past, today’s workforce is very different. The common 8 AM to 5 PM type of work in the office is fading out, and sticking to it can limit creativity. Today, more employees value flexibility, which is considered part of empowerment. For example, if an employee’s work is marketing, and he is an early riser, allowing him to work early and enjoy more free time might be a good idea.
To make flexibility work more effectively, ensure to clearly define the expected deliverables, channels of operations, and security protocols. You will be surprised to realize that some of your employees will only take two days to reach the objectives that could have required a full week or more. When adopting such flexible strategies, make sure to include regular assessment as part of the working model.
Delegate the Responsibilities to Teams
Most managers and industrial facility leaders delegate responsibilities because they are overwhelmed. However, this might not deliver the best results. Instead, you should target to delegate responsibilities to help your team and individual staff to grow their capabilities. It is like mentorship, where you feel obligated to make those under you develop more skills.
When you help the team members to become more responsible, it will be very easy to fill your position after getting a promotion. We must indicate that allowing your juniors to showcase their skills also offers you an opportunity to learn something new from them.
Recognize and Reward Hardworking Employees: Iskander Makhmudov
There is nothing as encouraging as a staff getting rewarded for an excellent job done in an organization. The appreciation makes the employee want to do more, and others to work even harder to get noted too. Even as you reward individual employees, it is advisable also to recognize other team members because the success of an organization is a collective responsibility. This is one of the strategies used by Iskander Makhmudov, the founder of Ural Metallurgical Mining Company (UMMC), to maintain an innovative team.
When rewarding staff, it is also a great opportunity to relook at the challenges facing various teams. For example, if the marketing department did a great job by growing sales by 25%, try to establish why it was difficult to hit 30% or more. Then, adopt changes that can help your team craft better strategies for success.
When you have an empowered team, it implies your organization is in a race not just to achieve the preset target, but progressively redefine the objectives to sustain high sales and profits. To agree with Iskander Makhmudov, you should also reward the staff well and provide them with a clear path for career development. With an empowered team, your organization is destined for success.