2514

THE POWER OF EMPOWERMENT
COACHING FOR RESULTS

BY LOUIS P. BENSON, PH. D.
TELNET 2514 JULY 28, 2009 10-11:30 AM EDT
When you empower your staff you are not abdicating your job. You are compelling your
staff to take ownership.
An empowered staff will exceed everyone’s expectations. They will operate
independently and make good decisions. They will get it done right the first time.
You will learn strategies to direct, develop and inspire your team? The techniques are
easy and practical. You will be able to incorporate motivational techniques and sound
management planning.
As a manager, you will be able to give more responsibility to your employees with
greater success. You will begin to implement an empowerment action plan before you
leave the workshop!
After this session you will be able to . . .
¾ Get out of the way and let your staff do its job.
¾ Create an empowerment environment.
¾ Maximize your team's effectiveness.
¾ Empower for results.
Copyright 2009 Louis P. Benson, Ph.D. • Stuart, Florida • (772) 403-4500

GHA TELNET THE POWER OF EMPOWERMENT
Learning is defined as a change in behavior. You haven’t learned a thing until you can take
action and use it.
Don Shula, Everyone’s a Coach
YOU CAN'T DO IT BY YOURSELF ANYMORE

BE AN EMPOWERMENT MANAGER
An empowered team accomplishes more with greater quality. Empowerment will
give your staff greater competence and commitment to excellence.
What does empowerment mean to you?
Empowerment requires three C's.

C C C
Empowerment is a different way to manage -- it is more than delegation,

participant management or quality circles.
It is giving your staff . . .
2
CONNECT EMPOWERMENT TO RESULTS

Cynthia Scott and Dennis Jaffe, authors of Take This Job and Love It, offer this
view to help understand how to change your staff's mind about work and
empowerment. They suggest contrasting:
"I do what I am." vs. "I am what I do."
This will impact your staff. Here is how.
"I do what I am" means . . .
"I am what I do" means . . .
The "I am what I do" creates identity with purpose, ownership, wherewithal, effect
and requirements. The emphasis is on consequence not title.
Apply the Empowerment Wheel.
Hub
Wheel
3
FIND YOUR STAFF’S MOTIVATING FACTORS

Changes in the work force will require more empowerment. Here are the issues
you need to be aware of, especially if you are "asked" to empower more.
Let's answer several critical questions that will reveal the keys to empowerment
to unlock the door to higher quality and productivity.
1. As managers we have limits to empowerment. What are they?
2. How can I have a quality-conscious, fully functioning, empowered staff?
3. How do I motivate my staff when I go to hand off a task and they complain?
What works and what doesn’t?
4
EMPOWERMENT SELF ASSESSMENT

Assess your team's level of empowerment in your department or in your unit. A
score of 1 is not at all like your team. A score of 5 is very much like your team.
1. We function together as a team. 1 2 3 4 5
2. We set high expectations for each other. 1 2 3 4 5
3. Staff members are aware of the impact of their work. 1 2 3 4 5
4. Staff members are competent. 1 2 3 4 5
5. Staff members are involved with decisions and problem 1 2 3 4 5

solving.
6. Staff can manage well under pressure. 1 2 3 4 5
7. Staff can be trusted to perform alone. 1 2 3 4 5
8. Staff members receive management support when 1 2 3 4 5

needed.
9. We have the resources necessary to do our job. 1 2 3 4 5
10. Staff members receive skill training to do their jobs. 1 2 3 4 5
11. Each person knows his/her job. 1 2 3 4 5
12. We connect with our patients and customers. 1 2 3 4 5
13. Everyone is well informed about what's going on. 1 2 3 4 5
14. Task and responsibility are clearly defined. 1 2 3 4 5
What insights did you gain?
5
The key to developing people is to catch them doing somelthing right.

Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, The One minute Manager
MAXIMIZE YOUR TEAM'S EFFECTIVENESS

COACH FOR PERFORMANCE
Empowerment does not mean hands-off and it does not mean putting your staff
in a "sink or swim" situation. What can you realistically ask your staff to do now
without sending them into shock?
Empowering
Managers have four deadly habits when they assign work. Do any of these
habits sound familiar? Consider an empowering approach to break bad habits.
ASSIGNMENT DEADLY HABIT EMPOWERING APPROACH
Direction
Training
Communication
Recognition
6
Empowerment Consequences
Empowerment requires leadership. Leadership studies identify two major factors
which staff uses to evaluate their bosses: concern for tasks and concern for
people. This is the basic difference between coaching and counseling.
Coaching is giving your team the direction they need to get the job done. The
coach empowers. Once the game starts, the coach does not touch the ball, but
gives plenty of advice to those who do. Watch any sporting event, and on the
sidelines the coach will exhort, praise and push the players. When you coach do
you do it from the sidelines or in the midst of the game?
Counseling is when you get side by side with your staff. You now deal with the
personal element. Responsive listening and reflection are important. When is
counseling appropriate?
Based on your staff's competence and the task at hand, your management style
will change.
7
An employee who wants to be certain of pleasing the

manager seeks approval of all activities. The employee
isn’t thinking and acting independently.
Robert B. Nelson, Empowering Employees through Delegation
IMPROVE STAFF ABILITY AND EMPOWERMENT

It will take your best coaching and counseling skills to overcome staff fears of
empowerment.
One of W. Edwards Deming's 14 points of quality was that you, management,

must eliminate fear. What are the sources of fear for you and your staff?
YOUR FEARS STAFF FEARS YOUR ACTION
Customer Consciousness
"We get our work done. We have pretty good quality and besides, what choices
do patients have anyway. Things are just fine."
Empowerment results in greater quality and customer consciousness. What do
you do to build greater customer consciousness?
How can you connect the work your staff does with the patients?
Challenge your staff to improve how we connect with the patients.
8
CLARIFY PURPOSE, RESPONSIBILITY AND TIME

Help your staff members know why they are here. Motivation happens when
staff members have a sense of purpose. The following worksheet allows you to
get staff to think through the work they do and why.
This format is especially helpful as you introduce new procedures.
Purpose of the form:
Communicate, Educate, Motivate Steps to Implement
1) Present worksheet to staff.
2) Ask them to complete it:
(1) Responsibility: Top tasks you are responsible for.
(2) Purpose and Impact: When you do it right, what happens?
(3) Time: On average how much time each week do you spend on this?
3) Meet with staff members one-to-one or in groups to review.
4) Offer suggestions and corrections.
5) Repeat quarterly.
Time requirement and return on investment. How much time will this take and
how will this help you?
9
RESPONSIBILITY, PURPOSE, TIME WORKSHEET
Name ________________________________ Date __________________
1) In the first column list your major responsibilities or tasks.
2) For “Purpose and Impact” list what happens when you do your job right.
3) For "Time Required" guestimate how much time is spent on these tasks each week.
Top Responsibilities Purpose and Impact Time Required
10
EMPOWERMENT WITHIN LIMITS

EXPAND SKILL, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITY
At the heart of empowerment is the assumption that if your staff can see value for
work they will be motivated for greater success and improvement.
Empowerment presents a special challenge to you as a leader.
What your staff will learn from the individual function and task analysis is that
they can make limited improvements by themselves. Who else is involved in the
individual improvement process?
Empowerment is for team building. In this section we will review ways for you to
improve team performance.
The limits on empowerment are dependent on how skilled your staff is. Consider
Professor Paul Hersey's four stages of development and the consequences we
face.
> Stage 1 employees are
Empowerment consequence



11
Empowerment is a gradual process. In this section you will get worksheets that
help you empower your staff more fully.
Empowerment most often fails when we dump. Empowerment takes more time
at first, and down line its pay-off will be substantial. Consider these specific
questions about your staff.
1. What are the current levels of authority of my staff?
2. What are their abilities, skill levels, and experience?
3. What tasks can I empower them to do?
4. What additional training is required?
You can use the empowerment evaluation worksheet with your associates.
Empowerment Evaluation Worksheet
Employee: Shirley Right Position: Administrative Assistant
Authority Levels Process orders for approved p.o.’s up to $1,000
Screen vendor calls and set appointments
Dispatch unimportant mail
Edit dictation pending final signature
Skill/ability/strength Good judgment on ordering

Stays within material budget
Excellent clerical ability and organization
Enthusiastic and logical, willing to learn
New responsibility Develop vendor list and RFP for purchase of capital equipment
Training needed Read procedures for selection to vendor list
Meet with Purchasing Director to review RFP
Review capital equipment needs with Director.
12
You will not use the empowerment evaluation worksheet every time you ask your
staff to do a job. When you provide an opportunity for involvement through
empowerment, it is a good idea to take a few moments and review the person
and the assignment, especially since it means greater responsibility and
authority.
When you are making a major assignment you want the job done right the first
time. When empowerment does not work, we often have only ourselves to
blame.
The empowerment assignment worksheet is a simple guide to use before you

make an assignment. You would use this for critical tasks that require positive
team action.
Five elements are accounted for on this worksheet.
¾ Assignment and purpose
¾ Responsible team members
¾ Function/Task
¾ Time considerations
On the following page is an example for Shirley Right -- did her boss get it right?
13
EMPOWERMENT ASSIGNMENT WORKSHEET
Assignment: Prepare vendor list and RFP Date: July 27

Purpose: 1. Minimize number of vendors
2. Assure conformance to standards.
3. Assure on time delivery.
Responsible Team Members:

Shirley Right, Bill Fold (Purchasing Director)
Function/Tasks
1. Review capital items with financial department.
2. Review current vendor list with purchasing director.
3. Prepare and send RFP's to selected vendors.
4. Review proposals and select best three bids.
5. Schedule vendor presentation -- coordinate with purchasing director.
6. Post-purchase process assessment with purchasing director.
Time: Stages Time Line Time Commitment

Training & Orientation Weeks 1-3 2 hours/ week
Steps 1-2 Week 4 4 hours
Step 3 Weeks 5-6 4 hours/week
Steps 4-5 Weeks 7-10 3 hours/week
Step 6 Weeks 11-12 1 hour/week
14
MAKE SENSE EMPOWERMENT PROCEDURES

How do I determine how much I can empower to others?
Establish your preliminary benchmark for empowerment. Start empowerment
gradually.
What tasks are over your head?
What tasks must you, as the manager or supervisor, do alone?
What tasks can you shared with staff?
What are staff empowered tasks?
LEVELS TASKS
Over my head – I can have influence on.
My exclusive responsibilities
Shared responsibilities – growing

empowerment for staff
Staff empowered fully
To get the job done, I have to channel the action in the

right direction.
William C. Byham, Zapp! The Lightning of Empowerment
15
The Power of Empowerment
Coaching for Results
by Louis P. Benson, Ph. D.
Session Objectives
¾ Get out of the way and let your
staff do its job.
¾ Create an empowerment
environment.
¾ Maximize your team's
effectiveness.
¾ Empower for results.
You Can't Do It by Yourself
Anymore
z Management Style
z Empowerment’s
three C’s
Communication
Competence
Commitment
POWER OF
EMPOWERMENT
z Purpose
Mission
Task Specific
POWER OF
EMPOWERMENT
z Ownership
Acceptance
Accountability
POWER OF
EMPOWERMENT
z Wherewithal
Tools
Training
POWER OF
EMPOWERMENT
z Expectations
Upfront
Behaviors
POWER OF
EMPOWERMENT
z Results
Consequence
When it goes right . . .

Connect to Results
À I do what I am.
Doing is defined by job title.
¿ I am what I do!
Staff defined by results.
Motivating Factors
Overcome Your Limits
¾ Job design
¾ Time
¾ Competence
Motivating Factors
Fully Functioning Team
¾ QIDW
¾ Standards
¾ Monitor Results
Motivating Factors
Motivate Staff
¾ No dumping
¾ Direction & Details
¾ Visibility and Awareness

Empowerment Assessment
1. We function as a
team.
2. We set high
expectations for
each other.
3. Staff members are

aware of the impact
of their work.
4. Staff are competent.
5. Staff members are

involved with decisions
and problem solving.
6. Staff can manage well

under pressure.
7. Staff can be trusted
to perform alone.
8. Staff members
receive management
support when
needed.
9. We have the
resources necessary
to do our job.
10. Staff members receive
skill training to do their
jobs.
11. Each person knows

his/her job.
12. We connect with our

patients and customers.
13. Everyone is well

informed .
14. Task and responsibility

are clearly defined.
Maximize Team Effectiveness

Assignment Deadly Habit Empowering
Direction “Just do it.” Precise

Specific
Concise
Results
Assisgnment Deadly Habit Empowering
Training Second hand Close

or no hands Teachable
moments
Structured
Informed

Assisgnment Deadly Habit Empowering
Communication One way, my Open

way or no way Two way
Continuous
Quiet
Assignment Deadly Habit Empowering
Recognition Accidental Public

Private
Unexpected
Indirect
Written
Coaching and Counseling

Coach
Sideline Cheering
Time outs
Between Quarters
Coaching and Counseling
Counsel
Side-by-side
Personal
Reflective
Counseling
z Directive –
When they are lost.
z Involved –
When they need help.
Counseling
z Participative -
Exchange ideas and support.
z Hands off –
When they’re flying high.
Improve Staff Ability

Remove Fears
Your Fears
Fear Your Action
Disaster Define and prevent
Time Loss Schedule time
Job Loss Keep boss aware
Service Failure Recovery plan
Improve Staff Ability
Remove Fears
Staff Fears
Fear Your Action

Criticism Set parameters
Failure Training
Job Loss Feedback on consequence
Customer/Patient Awareness
Build awareness
Connect to patients
Challenge for improvements

Purpose, Responsibility and Time
Purpose of the Form
Communicate
Educate
Motivate
Empower

Procedure
Present
Complete
Meet
Coach
Repeat
Top Responsibilities Purpose & Impact Time
Required
Greet patients Determine patient 40 minutes/day
requirements. Make
patients feel welcome.
Enter patient Patient will receive the 4 hours / day

information into right treatment or test.
system. Billing will be accurate.
Empower within Limits

Skill, Knowledge & Ability
Stage 1. Unconscious and Incompetent
Consequence: no empowerment.
Stage 2. Conscious and Incompetent
Consequence: Heavy coaching and

minimal empowerment.

Stage 3. Conscious and

Competent
Consequence: empower
and monitor.
Stage 4. Unconscious and Competent
Consequence: High level of

empowerment, tempered with
grounding in detail.
Empowerment Evaluation
Worksheet
Consider:
1. Current levels of authority.
2. Their abilities, skill levels,
and experience.
3. Tasks to empower.
4. Additional training.
Employee: Position:
Shirley Wright Administrative Assistant
Authority Levels Process orders
Screen vendor calls and set
appointments
Dispatch unimportant mail
Edit dictation
Employee: Position: Administrative Assistant

Shirley Right
Skill/ability/ Good judgment on ordering.
strength Stays within material budget.
Excellent clerical ability and
organization.
Enthusiastic and logical, willing to learn
New Develop vendor list and RFP

responsibility
Training Read RFP procedures.
needed Meet with Purchasing Director to review
RFP.
Review capital equipment needs with
Director.
Empowerment Assignment
Assignment and purpose
Responsible team members
Function/Task
Time considerations
Empowerment Assignment Worksheet
Assignment: Date: July 27

Prepare vendor list and RFP
Purpose: 1. Minimize number of vendors
2. Assure conformance to standards.
3. Assure on time delivery.
Responsible Team Members:
Shirley Right, Bill Fold (Purchasing Director)
Function/Tasks
1. Review capital items with financial department.
2. Review current vendor list.
3. Prepare and send RFP's.
4. Review proposals and select best three bids.
5. Schedule vendor presentation.
6. Post-purchase process assessment.
Time: Stages Time Line Time

Commitment
Training & Weeks 1-3 2 hours/ week
Orientation
Steps 1-2 Week 4 4 hours
Step 3 Weeks 5-6 4 hours/week
Steps 4-5 Weeks 7-10 3 hours/week
Step 6 Weeks 11-12 1 hour/week
Make Sense Empowerment

z What tasks are over your
head?
z What tasks must you do
alone?
Make Sense Empowerment
z What tasks can you begin

to share with staff?
z What are fully
empowered staff tasks?
Feel the Power
“To get the job done, I have to channel the

action in the right direction.”
Zapp! The Lightning of Empowerment

William C. Byham

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THE POWER OF EMPOWERMENT

COACHING FOR RESULTS

Copyright 2009 Louis P. Benson, Ph.D. • Stuart, Florida • (772) 403-4500

YOU CAN'T DO IT BY YOURSELF ANYMORE

Empowerment requires three C's.

Empowerment is a different way to manage -- it is more than delegation,

CONNECT EMPOWERMENT TO RESULTS

"I do what I am." vs. "I am what I do."

This will impact your staff. Here is how.

"I do what I am" means . . .

"I am what I do" means . . .

Apply the Empowerment Wheel.

FIND YOUR STAFF’S MOTIVATING FACTORS

2. How can I have a quality-conscious, fully functioning, empowered staff?

EMPOWERMENT SELF ASSESSMENT

1. We function together as a team. 1 2 3 4 5

2. We set high expectations for each other. 1 2 3 4 5

3. Staff members are aware of the impact of their work. 1 2 3 4 5

4. Staff members are competent. 1 2 3 4 5

5. Staff members are involved with decisions and problem 1 2 3 4 5

6. Staff can manage well under pressure. 1 2 3 4 5

7. Staff can be trusted to perform alone. 1 2 3 4 5

8. Staff members receive management support when 1 2 3 4 5

9. We have the resources necessary to do our job. 1 2 3 4 5

10. Staff members receive skill training to do their jobs. 1 2 3 4 5

11. Each person knows his/her job. 1 2 3 4 5

12. We connect with our patients and customers. 1 2 3 4 5

13. Everyone is well informed about what's going on. 1 2 3 4 5

14. Task and responsibility are clearly defined. 1 2 3 4 5

What insights did you gain?

The key to developing people is to catch them doing somelthing right.

MAXIMIZE YOUR TEAM'S EFFECTIVENESS

ASSIGNMENT DEADLY HABIT EMPOWERING APPROACH

An employee who wants to be certain of pleasing the

IMPROVE STAFF ABILITY AND EMPOWERMENT

One of W. Edwards Deming's 14 points of quality was that you, management,

YOUR FEARS STAFF FEARS YOUR ACTION

Challenge your staff to improve how we connect with the patients.

CLARIFY PURPOSE, RESPONSIBILITY AND TIME

RESPONSIBILITY, PURPOSE, TIME WORKSHEET

Name ________________________________ Date __________________

1) In the first column list your major responsibilities or tasks.

Top Responsibilities Purpose and Impact Time Required

EMPOWERMENT WITHIN LIMITS

> Stage 2 employees are

> Stage 3 employees are

> Stage 4 employees are

Employee: Shirley Right Position: Administrative Assistant

Authority Levels Process orders for approved p.o.’s up to $1,000

Screen vendor calls and set appointments

Dispatch unimportant mail

Edit dictation pending final signature

Skill/ability/strength Good judgment on ordering

Training needed Read procedures for selection to vendor list

Meet with Purchasing Director to review RFP

Review capital equipment needs with Director.

The empowerment assignment worksheet is a simple guide to use before you

EMPOWERMENT ASSIGNMENT WORKSHEET

Assignment: Prepare vendor list and RFP Date: July 27

Responsible Team Members:

Time: Stages Time Line Time Commitment

MAKE SENSE EMPOWERMENT PROCEDURES

What tasks are over your head?

Name ______________ Date