Too often there are leaders and managers who are unaware of the difference between delegation and empowerment. When there is a need to delegate, they empower and vice versa. As for whether the leader should delegate or empower, it is required that they have a good understanding of what these two words mean and also that they understand the nature of the situation within the organization to see which is a better option.
The Longman Dictionary defines ‘delegation’ as the process of giving power or work to another person to be responsible for part of what they normally do.
‘Empowerment’ on the other hand is defined as: ‘giving someone more control over their own life or situation’.
When a person is delegated to do something, they have to follow a certain set of rules or protocol to do it. This would imply that they have to constantly consult with the person who delegated the task to them. There may not be much room for improvisation if the need arises. Therefore, the staff may not be able to use their initiative and find enterprising solutions.
Often in delegation, caring for the person is part of the problem, whereas when you empower one person with a certain task or situation, it can become part of the solution.
Take, for example, Tom, whose boss Jane told him that he is now in charge of the marketing department. Tom is expected to run the department as he sees fit. Tom is told to do whatever it takes to make the figures appear. However, Jane also tells Tom that any new initiatives he wants to implement must consult with her and get her approval first. In this situation, what Jane has basically done is delegate a specific task to Tom, and Tom doesn’t have much leverage to do what he thinks is necessary without getting permission from Jane.
However, if Jane were to tell Tom about the problems the marketing department is having and ask Tom to make some recommendations and ask him to take over the department and change it, this would amount to effective empowerment.
Empowering staff is not always possible, as sometimes the nature of the job can be such that the leader must have effective control and will be held accountable for any chain of events that occurs. However, there are many situations where, as a leader, you can learn to empower rather than delegate. Empowerment is a much more effective method of leading people, as the people you lead have the opportunity to discover their strengths and weaknesses. It also allows you in a leadership position to assess the ability of the people you are leading and see how you can maximize their individual potential. As Jack Hyles says, “Don’t use your people to build great work; use your work to build great people.” This is, in principle, personifies the concept of empowerment. When you empower the people you lead, they will be able to take charge of what they have to do. They will be more motivated to achieve the goals you set for them. Unlike delegation, when you authorize you won’t have to be constantly there to make sure the job gets done.
Here are some things to consider before deciding to empower:
nature of the project
Does the nature of the project allow you to empower? If you are already tasked with overseeing a certain project, you need to see if empowering would be wise. The people who work for you must have the level of competence to work independently so that you can empower them. There are some projects that only you can oversee and in such a situation delegating might be a better option than empowering. The danger involved in empowerment is that you have to be prepared to fail, and if that happens, have a contingency plan so you can get the project back on track. You can only achieve this if you are one hundred percent clear about your roles and responsibilities in the given project.
be a mentor
When you empower a person, you have automatically been promoted to the sacred role of mentor. Unlike a coach, the mentor’s role is different in that they must understand the way their mentee thinks and functions. Next, you need to improve their ability by showing them how they can do what they’re doing better. Being a mentor requires patience, perseverance and faith in the person or people you are mentoring. You have to show that you are approachable and critical without being overbearing.
measurable guidelines
You must establish measurable guidelines that the people you have authorized follow. The guidelines should give the empowered person a benchmark that he or she knows he or she must achieve. These guidelines that you establish should also allow people a degree of flexibility to do things their way as long as the end goal is achieved. At the same time, it’s also important that you stay informed so you know what’s going on so you can step in to help your team achieve their goal. There are some leaders who empower and wash their hands so to speak of their responsibility. This is not really an empowerment, but rather a boost of responsibility. It is important that, as a leader, you remain committed to your roles and responsibilities. Ultimately, he must have a desire to bring out the best in his people.
