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Definition
Delegation and Motivation
How a leader empowers others
Activities similar to Empowerment
Mistakes
Definition
Empowerment is the art of inspiring another person. The challenge
here is to learn how to empower yourself-giving yourself permission
to "be all that you can be." Empowerment isn't just bravado: it
involves responsibility as well as vision. It means believing in
yourself and taking actions on your own behalf. For nurses, empowerment
is recognizing your own skill level and practicing your skills toward
the betterment of patients. It means allowing yourself to be mindful
and thoughtful about your work. It is the recognition that you became
a nurse to provide "hands on" care for patients. How easy it is
to look at empowerment from the perspective of what you or your
colleagues are not doing well. Instead, personal empowerment is
an opportunity to know who you are, what you are doing and what
you need to do. It is within the context of personal empowerment
that we often find information about ourselves-what we excel at
doing and where we need to improve.
Empowerment,
Delegation, and Motivation
Both empowerment and delegation give away something.
Empowerment, in fact, can be the dispersing of power or authority.
The key feature of empowerment is the concept of responsibility.
Nurses can empower their colleagues to learn a new technique, for
example, but knowing how to apply the technique in the proper circumstances
and towards the correct goal is critical. Just teaching someone
or giving away authority is not empowerment. Helping a person (or
yourself) rise to a new level of understanding or proficiency is
what empowerment is all about.
Motivation is the energy we bring to a learning experience.
It is the incentive to change; the stimulus to move ahead. Motivation
is the drive or enthusiasm that moves one along the learning continuum.
Positive motivation enables successful empowerment.
How do leaders
empower employees/staff/teams?
Leaders empower staff by giving them the tools they need to do a
good job. For example, a good nursing leader keeps her staff informed
about innovations, techniques or educational opportunities. She
advises her team about CEU opportunities, in-service educational
offerings, or she brings in speakers to address specific concerns
of the team. She enables her staff to participate in an enriching
experience.
Other techniques
and behaviors similar to empowerment
Empowerment differs from teaching because the leader does not necessarily
have the particular expertise to provide the educational experience
herself. In coaching, the leader provides a one-on-one experience
that helps the staff member decide what he needs for himself. Role
modeling is a behavior in which leaders emulate the desired behavior.
Goal setting is a technique that leaders utilize to demonstrate
measurable methods of attainment.
Making Mistakes
Leaders, if they are comfortable in their own skin, will guide their
staffs towards a goal-albeit personal or job-related. This is a
process, not an event. During the course of action, mistakes are
bound to happen. It's inevitable and should be anticipated. The
hallmark of a good leader is how one handles mistakes. Acting out
in retribution is the last thing a leader wants to do. Getting information
on how the mistake happened, who was involved, and the estimate
of damage done is a better path to take. Mistakes are often opportunities
for learning. Mistakes give invaluable data. A good leader acknowledges
the mistake, learns about its component parts, and takes action
to correct it in the future. While mistakes can cause an emotional
reaction in a leader, communicating those emotions serve no one.
Instead, moving away from the reaction and using it as a teaching
experience will go further than an inappropriate outburst. Another
reaction leaders often have is to take away the delegated privilege.
While some adjustments may be necessary, reacting to a mistake is
always a bad idea. Leaders need time to understand, reflect, and
decide the best course of action. Click on Continue to explore scenarios related to Empowerment.
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