Sometimes I think "empowerment" is really "reduced risk". We can talk about empowerment and throw around buzz words, but until our team feels comfortable that they will not be punished for taking a risk, they will never feel empowered!
On the way to work this morning I had an opportunity to reflect on risk. It was freezing rain, the thermometer hovered around 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and the roads were terrible. My 15 minute commute turned into a much longer trip as I drove 40 mph in a 55 zone. Drivers around me were frustrated, and even passed me. Their risk assessment told them that it was safe to drive the speed limit (or above) in such cruddy conditions.
My risk assessment was different, and, as is usually the case, it was based upon experience. Several years ago my wife and I were driving to my Father-in-law's birthday party. The same type of conditions prevailed, with the exception that it was 37 degrees instead of 32. All of a sudden, in a wide-open area (and for no particular reason) we were on a long patch of black ice. One tap of the brakes sent us spinning into the center culvert at the 55 miles per hour! Nobody was hurt, and after a tow and changing a tire, we spent the night in a nearby hotel and continued our journey the next day.
That incident has forever changed my view of icy road conditions. It was a stark reminder of how quickly conditions can change, and how completely out of control you feel when you are spinning on black ice and the car is ignoring all inputs.
Each of the individuals on your team has had similar experiences that were directly related to their work environment. Perhaps a programmer spent several days exploring a new technology that didn't work out - and then got beat up for being behind schedule. Or a systems administrator tried a new approach for installing server fixes that didn't work out, and that actually caused a system interruption. And then they were scolded for trying something new. No matter what the cause, all of us have scars left over from past experiences that will make us think twice before taking a risk.
As managers and leaders, we have a certain amount of positional power bestowed upon us by our titles. Think back to when you were part of the rank and file - how much power did you feel that you had? How much could you influence outcomes? Did you feel like you were driving, or just spinning?
And after you took a risk, failed, and you were punished, how did you feel?
In summary, one of the challenges of empowerment is to build enough confidence into our teams that they can take a risk, fail, and still be recognized as successful.
