How to Empower Your Work Team

As companies become more complex, the traditional command-and-control hierarchical model of managing work teams is being replaced by a distributed model. In this new model, team members are empowered to take the initiative, make decisions and accept responsibility for those decisions. Employees want to be treated as partners, but leaders usually do not want to give up control, according to Professor Marshall Goldsmith's blog on the "Harvard Business Review" website. Three broad steps help build an environment that empowers team members: delegate responsibility, create a favorable environment and do not second guess, according to the Harvard professor.

• 1

  Delegate responsibility and authority to people who have demonstrated leadership abilities. Besides freeing up your time to focus on the big picture, delegation also nurtures the next generation of team leaders and managers. You should, however, define the parameters of this delegated power. Make it clear that you reserve the right to intervene when necessary.

• 2

  Create an environment where people feel empowered to take the initiative on assigned projects. You can do this by encouraging team members to challenge conventional thinking, and to use their judgment and discretion in making decisions. This is especially important in a bad economy when the fear of job losses can smother creativity and paralyze an organization.

• 3

  Do not second guess your team members. This will undermine their confidence and, in the case of middle managers, their leadership. Consider yourself a resource and a mentor, rather than a manager.