Bernie DeKoven writes, "I am delighted to learn from Joe Hays and Rol
Fessendon that a new use, or new word is required, and I encourage both to
explore a subset of empowerment, this idea of mutual empowerment, and
perhaps it's negative as well: mutual disempowerment."
I would rather talk about a process than a definition because I suspect
that a healthy process will lead ultimately to a healthy acceptance of
responsibility and accountability.
Somewhere I once took a course called 'situational leadership,' and it
turned out to be, until recently, the most useful course I have ever taken
as a manager. The essence of the course was that people evolve in their
professional development from being naive and inexperienced through
several well-defined phases of development to being fully formed and fully
functioning experts. What those people need from their supervisors or
mentors changes as their developmental level changes. Just like kids
growing up.
In the beginning, they need someone who literally tells them what to do,
perhaps in great detail, follows through the process with them, and gives
them detailed, constructive feedback on their performance.
At the next stage, the supervisor, becomes more of a coach, giving an
assignment, observing perhaps from a distance, getting a report back, and
helping the person make refinements. At the next stage, the person only
needs support and encouragement. They know how to attack situations, but
they still need encouragement. In the final stage, the person knows what
to do, and they are confident of their ability to do it, once directed.
This person needs only the broadest outline of the problem, and a
directive to fix it. This person is a fully functional professional.
This has always been a very powerful and useful model, but it was a little
incomplete. There is a final stage, not mentioned in that course, and
that is when the person recognizes the problem (or opportunity), takes
ownership of it for themselves, resolves it, and simply informs me.
I always get the shivers when someone does that. I feel I have been
present at the flowering of a powerful force. This person has undergone a
personal transformation in their view of the world, and in their
understanding of their own power and capability. Sure, I added a lot of
value to the personal growth of that individual during their development,
but did I empower them? No, the last step, they were obligated to take by
themselves, with no one there to guide, direct, encourage or perhaps even
applaud. If any of those factors are present during the final step, then
the final step is incomplete. This person does not know if they did this
task for themselves or for someone else. Until they do it for themselves,
the personal growth process is not done.
Having observed this transformation in others many times, I am confident
that the empowerment that is _taken_ in the sense described above is far
more powerful than the empowerment that is given. The world shakes when
someone takes empowerment.
Happy Holidays.
-- Rol Fessenden LL Bean, Inc 76234.3636@compuserve.com