Empowerment in the Workplace: Encouraging Talent, Energy & Commitment
How Diversity and Inclusion Impact Empowerment
Managers and leaders are continually searching for ways to encourage employee empowerment in the workplace. Empowerment is a natural byproduct when organizations make an effort to inspire the talent, energy and commitment of all employees. This begins by hiring a diverse workforce and then encouraging their creativity, ideas, and participation at work. When employees feel like their talent andcontributions are valued, their commitment skyrockets.
One way to encourage diversity and empowerment in employees is to have your team participate in a group session where workplace training videos like A Peacock in the Land of Penguins are watched and discussed. In this animated tale, a colorful, creative, energetic peacock named Perry begins working in an organization made up entirely of black and white penguins who are uncomfortable with differences and are resistant to change.
The penguins’ organizational culture stifles Perry’s ideas, makes him feel unappreciated and diminishes his commitment to the company. Basically, the penguins’ discomfort with diversity and creativity killed Perry’s sense of empowerment in the workplace.
Creating an Engaging, Empowering Workplace
To create a workplace where empowered employees are the norm, take steps to make diversity and inclusion an important part of your organizational culture. To achieve a diverse workforce, recruit and hire employees of all different backgrounds - different generations, genders, and races - but also different life experiences - levels of education, military experience, marital statuses, incomes, preferences, hometowns…
Once you have a diverse team on-board, practice inclusion to generate employee empowerment in the workplace. Encourage the talents and energy of all team members by:
- Including diverse employees on teams and task forces, in decision-making situations, and in informal activities like lunches and parties
- Drawing out the ideas and contributions of quieter, shyer team members, and encouraging dominant, talkative team members to listen more and allow others to contribute
- Promoting creativity and innovation in every team member
- Recognizing employees’ strengths and then encouraging the unique talents of each individual; asking employees which talents and skills they’d like to develop, and then supporting them in their quests
- Creating a culture where sharing - of ideas, resources, tools, information, skills and knowledge - is valued and encouraged
Workplace training videos are an effective way to help managers and team members achieve empowerment in the workplace. A Peacock in the Land of Penguins is a good example of such a training video - it helps all employees see the value in our differences, and the vast organizational benefits that come from encouraging the creativity, unique talents and contributions of many different kinds of employees.
