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My organization is currently building an balanced scorecard.  One of the objectives is to increase employee empowerment.  Lack of empowerment has been identified as a problem throughout the organization.  Understanding delegation is the tool, how do I measure the success or failure across the organization of our efforts in this area?  This is one of those, "I'll know it when I see it," but again what do I measure to show I'm on the right path?  Appreciate any help.  Thanks, 

jib88's picture

I generally view empowerment as having the ability to make decisions and take action pushed to the lowest appropriate level in the organization. The problem with this is that you can encourage it, but you can still get plenty of people that don't actually feel empowered to take action or make decisions on their own. Where I work we have a biannual empowerment survey asking how empowered staff feel. As far as I know, that's the only way we're measuring it. I'm curious if there are proxies out there for assessing empowerment, or the lack thereof.

-JIB

stephenbooth_uk's picture

 As problem atic as surveys can be I think this is something that can be covered by some questions in a staff survey if you already use them.

Presuming you use questions where staff are given a statement and have to say if they "Disagree Strongly", "Disagree", "Agree" or "Agree Strongly" statements  like:

  1. "I normally make and carry out decisions about prioritising and how to complete tasks without asking my manager for permission"
  2. "I believe that the organisation encourages improvements from all levels"
  3. "In this organisation decisions on how work is done are made at a higher level than myself"
  4. "I believe that my manager trusts me to make decisions about prioritising my work"

could be indicative of the level of empowerment employees feel.

 

Stephen

--

Skype: stephenbooth_uk  | DiSC: 6137

"Start with the customer and work backwards, not with the tools and work forwards" - James Womack

 

welborn24's picture

JIB and Stephen,

Thanks for the assist.  Will take your advice and move out.

Thanks,

Tom