When empowerment takes place within a team, it causes an increase in decision-making and the employees will have a better sense of their own ideas. Teamwork will allow employees to rely on each other’s ideas and suggestions. When working on a team, employees will be able to pool their strong points to reach more sound ideas. Brainstorming is an important part of being able to work together as a team. This will enable the employees to rely on the strengths of each team member. Making decisions within a group relies on communication, sharing ideas, and solving problems (Heathfield, 2009).
When an organization demonstrates value in their employees, decision-making in the group will be promoted. Appreciation and trust are gained when management shows their employees that they are valued. This value will in turn enable the employees to be confident, and be able to perform problem solving together as a team. This will in turn enable an organization to grow and prosper. In addition, each employee will be given the opportunity to show their strengths and skills. When a working team is able to show that they can be responsible for their own actions, and share the power of the team, they experience true empowerment (Wellington, 2008). Empowerment is used in an organization to allow employees to be able to have the confidence and the necessary tools to be responsible in the organization in which they work. When employees are able to take responsibility, they are in turn able to make a commitment to their working team and their organization. In addition, this will allow the employees to be motivated and to have pride in the work that he or she does (Heathfield, 2009).
In the model of the flat organization, any issues that may arise can be communicated effectively to every level in the organization. This communication is an important aspect of being able to empower the employees of an organization. Communication will offer several benefits to the employees of an organization such as decision-making, honesty, gains in performance, better planning, being able to strategize, and building trust. When the styles of communication that are used within an organization are improved upon, the employees will be able to express themselves through their desires, and any new ideas that they may have in their organization. Communication that is used effectively will provide the means for open communication between organizations employees and management team (Heathfield, 2009).
Open communication will enable organization and employees to have the ability to share ideas and goals, solve problems effectively, and work teams to work effectively. In addition, employees will be able to provide their own feedback and ideas to the organization. “Motivating through communication is having a clear objection and strategic plan” (Gates, n.d.). Communication, which is effective, will also allow the ideas from individuals to be accepted with trust and the desired respect. When open communication is effectively carried out between management and employees, issues that may arise will be able to be solved effectively within an organization (Heathfield, 2009).
Employee empowerment will enable the employees of an organization to perform at their best, while providing environment that well suited for both management and the employees. Employee empowerment in the workplace will show marked improvement in the areas of team moral, the quality of work that is performed, the hierarchy of the organizational structure, and the communication that is carried out on a daily basis. “Empowerment is a management tool or technique and requires a total systems approach, shared information, and better communications” (Wallace, 2005). When employees are empowered, they will have the desire to make their organization the best it possibly can be through teamwork.
Through empowerment, the employees of an organization will prove to be happier and will be able to make better-informed decision than employees that have not experienced empowerment. In the model of the flat organization, the decisions that will best benefit the organization will be made by the level of management that is best suited to make that decision. In empowering their employees, an organization will be giving their employees the needed respect and the desired trust for them to function effectively in that organization. In addition, the organization will be providing their employees with the guidelines that they will need in order to make decisions that are well informed and that will have the organizations interest in mind when making those decisions.
References
Gates, B. (n.d.). Innovation management policies for large corporations. Retrieved April 13, 2009,
from http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/organization_flat.html
Heathfield, S. (2009). Human resources guide. Retrieved April 13, 2009, from
http://humanresources.about.com/
Wallace, G. (2005, November). Empowerment, part 2. Retrieved April 13, 2009, from
http://performancexpress.org/0511/
Wellington, J. (n.d.). Empowerment in teams. Retrieved April 13, 2009, from
http://www.nimblefingers.com/5_min/quality/empower