The Blue Barracudas Project 2 Chapter 6, Page

Empowerment Is the process of enhancing the capabilities and influence of individuals and groups. It is comprised of four dimensions.

The Four Dimensions of Empowerment Potency: A shared belief among members of a team that they can be effective together. Meaningfulness: The importance and value a team attaches to its tasks. Autonomy: The degree of freedom and independence afforded to team members. Impact: The level of significance attributed to the teams work by outside sources.

Hierarchical Organizations: The Enemy of Empowerment A traditional organization follows a hierarchical model using top-down decision making, with the bottom tiers voices often left unheard. This results in a pyramid of power effect While a certain level of hierarchy promotes smooth operation and organization, empowerment flattens it encouraging a more open and free flow of information and decision making.

Quality Circles Were an early attempt (1980’s) at flattening the traditional model Employees volunteered to join teams to work on or solve a specific task The attempt was half hearted as most Quality Circles lacked any real autonomy or power to make a decision, with their output easily ignored by higher ups. By the mid 80’s they were widely regarded a failed experiment.

The IDEO Model Definition: Self-regulating teams that complete an entire task. more effective alternative than quality circles. great deal of autonomy share responsibility for planning, organizing, setting goals, making, decisions, and solving problems makes the team results more meaningful to group members

The Four Impediments to Team Empowerment: 1. Organizations can sabotage their own teams. Teams functioning within organizations are subsystems operating within a larger system. They are interconnected and require that every part of the organizational structure embrace their empowerment for the teams to be successful. Teamwork fails when the organization doesn’t provide sufficient structural support.

2. Not everyone embraces empowered teams: Some members are more comfortable with receiving and following directives from a supervisor and may not adapt to new responsibilities and autonomy. Others may be antagonistic to the empowered teams. These individuals would probably not make good team leaders if the team leader is held responsible for the success or failure of the project.

3. When participation in decision making is a sham, empowerment is thwarted: A collaborative effort will quickly fall apart if team members feel they are just being humored A team needs to feel that their choices are respected when they put time into careful and deliberate decisions. A review of 47 studies revealed that meaningful worker participation in decision making increases worker productivity. 4. When rewards are distributed based on idividual effort or ability, not team success.

TYPICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF EMPOWERED TEAMS 1. set their own goals and rules - 2. set their own work schedules 3. design their own work space 4. work space is divided equally - 5. devise and embrace rules for appropriate member behavior - 6. teams as a whole are accountable for team performance - 7.teams determine their membership and remove members who are deemed ineffective or disruptive- 8. trained to communicate collaboratively and supportively 9.decision making is typically democratic, and leadership is participative 10.Team members don’t ask for permission from the team leader to take risks or make changes but negotiate with the team and strive for consensus

3 WAYS TO BE REWARDED: INDIVIDUAL MERIT - WINNER TAKE ALL EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION(PROPORTIONAL) -REWARDED BASESED ON INDIVIDUAL EFFORT EQUAL DISTRIBUTION - PROVIDES MOTIVIATION FOR ALL GROUP MEMBERS

ESTABLISHING INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY: PROVIDING FEEDBACK INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY: ESTABLISHES A MINIMUN STANDARD OF EFFORT AND PERFORMANCE FOR EACH TEAM MEMBER TO SHARE THE FRUITS OF TEAM SUCCESS.

Individual Accountability You should never set an individual’s accountability standards too high because you want to assure success not failure. Setting minimum standards gives social loafers a chance to prove themselves worthy in the group In order to have a successful individual accountability there should be minimum standard requirements that the team member must follow.

Competent Team Leadership -Leadership is a core component of teamwork -Leadership in teams is a shared responsibility -Leadership shouldn’t have the “mushroom management” effect - In order for a team to be successful there needs to be guidance and facilitation to reach the goal.

Fostering Participative Leadership Participative Leadership: A style in leadership that involves all members of a group or association, in which they develop goals and strategies. Team Leaders don’t act like bosses or supervisors, but instead become facilitators, in which they take input from other team members, and adjust accordingly for what is best for the team.

The Opposite Yet Similar Directive Leadership V.S. Participative Leadership Directive leadership is essential when a task needs to be done promptly and contently. (Time constraint is usually a factor) Participative Leadership is essential when trying to figure out what is the best way to accomplish something that will benefit the entire team and improve communication. “Fail often to succeed sooner.”

Insisting on a Cooperative Communication Climate “An effective team leader is a competent communicator capable of using supportive communication and avoiding defensive communication patterns.” Effective Team Leaders create a climate in which making a mistake is expected and a part of learning. Effective Team Leaders do NOT ridicule or put others down for making mistakes. -Egos create defensiveness and competitiveness. One who can suppress their ego, meet eye to eye with other team members, and lead by example is truly an effective team leader and communicator; but more so demonstrates what it means to be a Participative Leader.

Leading by Example -one of the strongest ways you can show your dedication to your company, department or team Supporting Rules -These rules refer to communication behaviors that empower teams, not to policy rules in organization -Rules should be set during the initial meeting of the team -All rules should be supportive Decision Making and Problem Solving -must have a structured procedure for decision making -effective team building starts with assembling effective team members -the best team members lack, egotism, cynicism, and abusive communication practices -teamwork is built by developing team goals and team identity