Empowerment is more than delegation; it is a genuine opening up of the creative power of your staff. It is based upon the belief that employees’ abilities are frequently under-used and that given the chance and responsibility, people want to make a positive contribution.
The goal is to bring staff more into the action at work, in other words to give them more power and choice to innovate, participate, in problem solving and decision making, and act and work with minimal intervention from their managers.
Empowerment is about:
Letting staff get on with the job.
Allowing staff to take responsibility for customer experience.
Letting those closest to customers make decisions.
Stepping away unnecessary bureaucracy.
Encouraging and helping staff to put their ideas for improvements at work and practice.
Business the Ultimate Resource, p. 444