Page 50 - MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS EBOOK IC88

(e) Empowerment

1. An organisation that emphasises customer service, needs people who, while rendering service
at the front line, use discretion and take initiative, out of concern for the customer's satisfaction.
Employees must look for opportunities to satisfy customers. The person at the front line will do
so, only if he feels empowered to do so.

2. Empowerment will not happen through a formal delegation of authority. A person may not
exercise authority delegated to him, if he does not feel empowered. He will act beyond his
formal authority, if he feels empowered. Empowerment is learnt, not taught.

3. He believes that the organisation expects him to be aware of the ends to be achieved and to act
in furtherance thereof. He `sees' constraints, but does not feel prevented thereby from doing
what needs to be done. Instead, he seeks ways to overcome, not subvert, the constraints. He
believes that the organisation will not find fault with him, if he does something new or unusual.

4. If the initiatives taken and the well intentioned efforts do not work out as planned, there will
have to be tolerance and praise for the effort. Or the contrary, if a reprimand follows,
empowerment stops.

5. Empowered employees find solutions to problems, while others will find a problem in every
solution.

6. They need, and must be given autonomy at work. They need to be coached on values and
philosophy of the company.

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