What does empowerment really mean? Wiley Workplace Intelligence has looked at this and come up with some useful findings:
-Empowerment used to simply mean that someone had the skills, and the permission, to act autonomously at work. Often the result of long-term relationships and trust-building, empowerment developed over time.
-Today, empowerment in the workplace looks very different than it did before the pandemic. There is a surprisingly simple tool managers can use to foster it: clarity. Nearly half of employees (48%) ranked clarity as the most important factor in their sense of empowerment. This finding reveals that uncertainty, not only a lack of authority, can be a major barrier to action. Even the most capable and motivated employees may hesitate to take initiative if they’re unclear about expectations, goals, or decision-making boundaries.
-Quality of relationships outweighs tenure in fostering empowerment
-Hybrid environments have necessitated more intentional communication, which may be accelerating trust-building and strengthening relationships faster than in traditional settings.
-Remote Work Boosts Empowerment. Flexibility and autonomy, hallmarks of remote work, shape how empowered individuals feel in their roles. and feel trusted by their organizations.
-42% of employees report feeling empowered but don’t act on it. These individuals, what we call “latent leaders,” possess the mindset and potential to lead, innovate, and drive change, yet remain on the sidelines. This gap suggests that empowerment alone isn’t enough; without the right conditions and encouragement, even confident employees may hesitate to step forward.
Wiley’s suite of professional solutions provides a structure and common language to help empower entire organizations with the skills needed to get to the next level. From building better teams with The Five Behaviors® and improving understanding to create engaged, collaborative, and adaptive cultures with Everything DiSC® on Catalyst™ or helping you make confident hiring decisions with PXT Select®, Wiley has innovative solutions that help make the workplace a better place.
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