Introduction
Empowerment – a
management style for
the millennium?
Ralph F. Long
The author
Ralph F. Long is a Director of Managing Change Effectively
Ltd, Milford on Sea, Hampshire, UK, with considerable
experience in the twin fields of Strategic Planning and Human
Resource Development. His especial skill is that of enabling
organizations to combine the solving of the immediate, most
pressing management problems with the acquisition of
practical managerial and people skills that can be applied
without delay to the working environment.
Abstract
Presents a composite case study covering four years’ work
with a variety of companies across the industrial spectrum
although mainly within the Health-care Sector. Provides
working definitions of both empowerment and corporate
culture and sets down key essentials to success. Shows the
relationship of the annual strategic plan and annual individ-
ual performance-related appraisal processes in the achieve-
ment of company objectives. Establishes the importance of
top to bottom involvement in empowerment and the out-
comes to be attained.
Empowerment in Organizations
Volume 4 · Number 3 · 1996 · pp. 5–15
MCB University Press · ISSN 0968-4891
5
Over the past two or three years, within the UK,
a new word has entered the realm of human
resource development: empowerment.
Recently I was regaled by a group training
manager, from within the financial services
sector, proudly extolling the new approach his
board had implemented in relation to staff
training, viz. all future training would be solely
and directly linked to the achievement of the
corporate strategy and business plan. Coupled
with this employees were to be trained in
Empowerment (the initial capital was his). It
transpired, eventually, that line managers were
directed as to which member of staff should
attend which training programme. Furthermore
the evaluation of training did not involve the line
manager in any way. Clearly an organization in
which there was a general misunderstanding
about the true meaning of empowerment as a
concept; nor is it alone in this.
A significant number of organizations appear
to believe the theory of empowerment (the
Oxford English Dictionary definition of which
includes such words as authorize, license, per-
mit, delegate) requires managers to make it
clear to their staff what is required, the bounds
of authority and the resources available to com-
plete the task. In other words: managers should
be taught the process of delegation and there-
after things, somewhat miraculously, will
change for the better.
This notwithstanding the fact that business
schools and in-company trainers have spent the
last 30 years teaching both the theory and bene-
fits with, it would seem, a singular lack of suc-
cess; if one judges by the number of companies
still managed as autocracies.
The management training focus of the imme-
diate future must become that of improving
individual (and workgroup) performance to
meet business objectives. The traditionalist view
of leadership (management) – that the follower
waits to be directed by those in charge – is mori-
bund. The new and more effective leader will be
the one who establishes the objectives, clarifies
the limits of authority and autonomy and
enables individuals to take responsibility for the
achievement of the objectives in their area. On
© 1996, Ralph F. Long
 Empowerment – a management style for the millennium?
Ralph F. Long
occasion the leader will join in the group
endeavor; even to the extent of subjugating
his/her own leadership to that of the group. The
working definition of empowerment would
seem therefore to be:
Building the climate wherein employees at all levels will
want to be fully involved in and totally committed to
the successful achievement of the overall Corporate
Objectives thereby developing both the organizational
and personal performances/potential.
Organizations as well as individuals need to be
empowered; as the case study below indicates.
There are, however, a number of important
issues to be dealt with if empowerment is not to
become just another flavor of the month con-
cept to be superseded by the next, more attrac-
tive, hypothesis.
The practicalities of empowerment
The corporate culture of the organization – best
defined as: “our confidence in and acceptance
of the way things are done around here because
that is the way we are” must be one which will
support and enable the successful application of
the empowerment process.
Simply put, the management style of the
future must change in order to enable the
growth of the empowering culture. There are
three closely inter-linked essentials which are
the key to success:
(1) Attitude is the pivotal point of any progres-
sive idea and relates to the psychological
stance (or frame of mind) of an individual
or group of individuals in respect of a con-
cept, central theme or idea. In general,
one’s attitudes are learned from those in
authority over one (parents, teachers, man-
agers) and are reinforced, pygmalion-like,
by subsequent experience – unless or until
some other different experience enlightens
with a new message entirely. There is no
such thing as a bad attitude – one either
leans toward or away from the issue.
However, there are a number of outmoded
attitudes and beliefs possessed by managers
and staff alike which frequently become the
obstacles to any form of innovation or
change. For example:
• it’s not invented here;
• they’ll do as they’re told;
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Empowerment in Organizations
Volume 4 · Number 3 · 1996 · 5–15
• they’re only interested in the size of their
pay packet;
• we’ve always done it this way;
• we’ve tried it before and it didn’t work
then;
• it’s not my job.
(2) Commitment – at one level this implies a
sense of duty and obligation to the company
which employs one. It means, therefore,
that everyone in the enterprise from the
managing director downward accepts
responsibility for the successful achieve-
ment of the corporate objectives and is
operationally and directly involved in the
managing of the undertaking.
At another level it is the motivation (deter-
mination) to achieve a personal goal or
maintain a belief. When both levels coalesce
there is a continuous improvement of the
product or service offered to the customer
(internal as well as external) and of the
performance and skills of the individual
leading to growth at both corporate and
employee levels.
(3) Involvement is the keystone of corporate
success. There is much evidence to prove
that involving individuals in the planning
processes appropriate to their ability and
status ensures a high level of success in the
achievement of the business plan. Equally
where employees are involved in the identi-
fication, discussion and agreement of per-
sonal objectives (in relation to the corporate
plan) there is a desire to ensure that the
tasks for which one is responsible are car-
ried out efficiently and effectively.
Empowerment – a case study
This case study covers a period of four years
working with clients across a range of industry
although mainly within the Health-care Sector.
The companies varied from small to medium
sized and it is, in point of fact, a composite
study of the paralleled experiences which
occurred during that time and highlights what
was (and therefore can be) achieved with the
“right” approach, both from management and
consultant.
 Empowerment – a management style for the millennium?
Ralph F. Long
The building blocks
The corporate culture of empowerment has
three major aspects, each of which is totally
interrelated and interdependant of the other:
(1) The strategic business plan. Generally cover-
ing a three-five-year timescale, it is the place
where the corporate vision for the future is
written down; together with an operating
plan encapsulating a series of goals to be
achieved in year one of the overall plan.
(2) Performance-related appraisal and reward. It is
important to let staff know their responsibil-
ities – directly related to the achievement of
the strategic plan – in terms of the tasks to
be carried out by individuals and the perfor-
mance standards against which rewards and
benefits are to be aligned.
(3) Training and development. The process by
which the skills and experience are to be
provided to employees to meet the current
and future needs of the organization and to
allow the realization of individual potential.
The consultants’ stance
Our normal practice as a consultancy is to deal
directly with and through the managing direc-
tor/chief executive of the client company since it
is his/her vision for the future which is to be
implemented. Ultimately, he/she is also the
owner of any problem affecting its successful
achievement (and is thereby responsible for its
resolution) and, equally, the commitment to any
change has to be initiated – and seen to be
underwritten – by the person at the top.
The consultancy style employed throughout
is one of facilitation, i.e. enabling the client
company and its employees to exchange infor-
mation and opinions in a helpful and non-
threatening manner, because it is the client
organization which:
• must identify, define and own the problem then
select and implement the most appropriate
solution to deal with it,
• has the sole responsibility for the production
and implementation of the policies and
procedures by which the business overall is to
be managed,
• must identify and remove the attitudinal blocks
which prevent progress and innovation,
• must build the cultural climate in which the
concept of empowerment can be fostered and
grown,
7
Empowerment in Organizations
Volume 4 · Number 3 · 1996 · 5–15
• should ensure that all decisions are corporate in
nature and not impositions from that firm of
consultants who did not properly understand
our business,
• must ensure that the learning extracted from any
business or training activity is properly man-
aged and applied for the benefit of the com-
pany and its employees.
The process
The actual reason for the engagement of our
consultancy varied from company to company.
For example, one client required a review of
their people management policies as part of
their progression to Investors in People accredi-
tation. Another company desired the design and
operation of a senior management presentation
skills program to ensure a greater number of
tender opportunities were converted into signed
contracts to supply. Yet another wanted the
development and implementation of a staff
appraisal scheme. All this served to reinforce my
own, long-held, belief that companies are like
people – individual and unique – even when in
the same business or market sector.
Our standard approach to servicing the
client’s need was, in essence, an adaptation of
the Kolb Learning Cycle[1] (see Figure 1). The
work groups with whom we worked were
encouraged to share their experiences to date
and, after due reflection, produce a joint con-
cept for managing the future prosperity of the
organization.
The work groups had a variety of guises and
constituents, depending on the circumstance
and tasking; sometimes the board of directors
(or other appropriate management level),
Figure 1 Kolb learning cycle (adaptation)
Managerial
experiences
Implemented Shared
learning reflections
Rationalized
conceptualizations
 Empowerment – a management style for the millennium? Empowerment in Organizations
Ralph F. Long Volume 4 · Number 3 · 1996 · 5–15

sometimes a vertical slice from top to bottom to take account of market forces, technology
and sometimes supervisory/shopfloor level of and the economy to remain in business. The
employee. While we were nondirective, non- actual process employed occupied a total of
didactic in operation we would, nonetheless, three days; although there was a break of one
confront/challenge woolly-minded thought month between the second and final day. The
processes. The underlying intent was to build corporate aim (sometimes referred to as the
effective management teams which would corporate vision) answers the questions:
enable the organization to achieve its corporate • What does the organization do or intend to
goals successfully. do?
It was Galileo who said (some 250 years ago) • Whom does it intend to do it for?
“No one can teach anyone anything – we can • Why does it intend doing it?
only help them to learn.” In other words people
From this is derived the mission statement – a
are in charge of their own learning which they –
single punchy sentence which must be commu-
and only they – can develop and enrich through
nicated to employees at all levels within the
their own experience. Therefore paralleled with
organization. Not surprisingly it is at this point
the strategic planning and Human Resource
that the EMT discovered that their individual
Development (HRD) aspects of managing the
perceptions of the business and the direction it
business was the achievement of the secondary
should take were at variance – sometimes quite
objective, always with the prior agreement of the
considerably so.
managing director, viz. that of providing oppor-
Virtually without exception it was necessary
tunities from which all those involved in the
to call a halt to the discursive process after some
process could learn.
40 or so minutes – the time required for the
team members to realize and accept the degree
Strategic and operational planning
of diversity/adversity – and commence identifi-
Without exception our discussions with manag-
cation of the organizational goals. These fall
ing directors revealed that, no matter what the
under the following headings:
problem of the moment may or may not have
• Market goals – the definition of the business
been, a major obstacle was the lack of a strategic
the company is in and the market position it
plan. It is vital to the success of the enterprise
intends to hold. A fair amount of discussion
that the executive management team (EMT) –
is generated here since the EMT members
(we coined the term because in some organiza-
have a considerable diversity of ideas/opin-
tions it was a board of directors, in others it was
ions regarding the type of products or ser-
the owner/managing director plus the manage-
vices which should be offered to or are
ment level immediately below him/her) – has a
required by the customer.
very clear view of where the future of the com-
• Excellence goals – identification of those things
pany lies. All too frequently we found that the
which, if done well by all involved in the
first communications breakdown within organi-
enterprise, will set the organization apart
zations occurred at this point. The managing
from its competitors.
director or chief executive’s vision of the corpo-
• Operational goals – definition of that which
rate future was not always known, understood
must be undertaken both cost effectively and
or even shared by the other directors on the
efficiently in order to remain in business.
board. The net result was a management team
• Stake-holder goals – those actions which must
which not only pulled in different directions but
be directed toward people or other organiza-
often was also adversarial in operation.
tions which are important to the future of the
The first step therefore was the production of
company.
the corporate aim and strategic plan which
would ensure its successful achievement. It At this point, usually reached about 45 minutes
should be bourne in mind that the strategic plan before lunch on day one, the EMT is ready to
process, although covering a 3 to 5 year period, begin the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities
must be carried out annually. Successful busi- and threats (SWOT) exercise out of which falls
nesses are teleometric in operation, namely: the objectives of the Operating Plan (year 1). It
they must continually adjust the corporate aim is also about now that collectively they recognize
8
 Empowerment – a management style for the millennium?
Ralph F. Long
the need to begin working as a team and the fact
that each has some talent/potential in terms of
team roles (à la Belbin) not hitherto noticed. In
one company the finance director turned out to
be very much a people-oriented person and
eventually became the EMT member responsi-
ble for the development of the company’s peo-
ple policies; including the implementation and
management of the company appraisal scheme.
By the end of day two the management team
had produced a significant package:
• a corporate aim and mission statement,
• a set of organizational goals dedicated to the
achievement of the aim,
• identified internal strengths and external
opportunities to be set against the weakness-
es and threats facing the company,
• a series of operational objectives to be
achieved in year one of the strategic plan,
• a list of the tactical activities necessary to the
achievement of the above together with a list
of who of the EMT was to be responsible for
each objective and the identification of other
key persons to be coopted where necessary.
The intervening period of one month between
days two and three was used by the various
teams to identify what had to be done in respect
of each objective, by whom, within what
timescale and at what cost.
The final day of the strategic plan was entire-
ly given over to exchanging information related
to the Operational Plan objectives and to agree-
ing the level of resources (people, money, mate-
rials and time) to be committed to their achieve-
ment.
Several things worthy of note were: first, the
EMT was not only pulling in the same direction
and committed to success but individuals were
also more supportive of one another to the
extent of offering specific assistance whenever.
Second, some clients, in the medium to large
company arena, went so far as to establish the
strategic plan process at major departmental
level; the activity to be carried out immediately
following the corporate exercise. Third – and of
considerable satisfaction to the consultants
involved – was that the team members saw the
plan as theirs; conceived, nurtured and grown
by themselves. Indeed on one occasion the
following question was posed: We’re paying
these guys (the consultants) a lot of money to do
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Empowerment in Organizations
Volume 4 · Number 3 · 1996 · 5–15
something we did for ourselves – why? The
somewhat dry rejoinder from another of their
number was: Probably because we didn’t do it
ourselves in the first place.
Performance-related appraisal
Two important themes fall out of the strategic
plan. The first is the excellence goal(s) which
establishes a requirement for the identification
of performance standards for each and every
employee. The other – the operational goal(s) –
establishes a need to let staff at all levels know
what their jobs consist of and the degree of
responsibility/autonomy each person may be
given.
The initial reaction of most client companies
was to talk in terms of job descriptions and staff
appraisals. Our guidance, almost invariably, was
they should think in terms of producing a
process which encapsulated both and was
geared to continued and automatic develop-
ment. This was based on our concern over the
variety of opinions expressed by HRD special-
ists regarding what constituted an ideal job
description. In point of fact something less than
20 per cent of all company directors actually
have a job description and less than 40 per cent
of employees actually have an up-to-date job
description. In other words our experience led
us to regard the job description as something
which tended to relate to a dated job function
rather than the living job role required by the
strategic plan.
With regard to staff appraisal we involved the
EMT and the next senior-most level of manage-
ment in the process of examining a variety of
current appraisal schemes as a first step to
defining what they required from a company
specific scheme. In general these groups decid-
ed that most of the schemes were:
• based on arbitarily decided targets,
• seen as a means of telling staff they were not
performing,
• rarely related to the corporate plan,
• subjective rather than objective in context,
• weighted in favor of pre-defined tick-in-box
comment,
• failing to establish why targets were not met.
At the end of two very intensive days the groups
had produced a rough draft of their ideal
scheme; its intent, procedures for operation,
 Empowerment – a management style for the millennium?
Ralph F. Long
necessary paperwork, plan for implementation
(generally commencing with a pilot scheme at
director/senior management level), programmed
training for all those to be involved in the process
and date for review and amendment prior to
general implementation. There was also total
commitment to the view that any scheme imple-
mented should be simple to operate and should:
• apply to employees at all levels, including
directors,
• identify the actual job of each employee for
the year ahead,
• set down agreed performance standards to be
achieved,
• show the relationship between the strategic
plan and job,
• provide a job related problem-solving mecha-
nism,
• enable training and career development
assessments,
• provide a performance feedback mechanism
for the board,
• require the minimum paperwork – ideally
one/two sheets,
• have the commitment of all employees.
In essence the scheme designed involved both
manager and immediate subordinate in a
process of discussion and agreement related to
the job and the scales against which perfor-
mance achieved would be measured. Moreover,
without exception, the term appraisal was
dropped from the scheme title. Indeed most
participants tended toward the title Individual
Performance Review (or variation thereof) and
saw it as the company operating plan expressed
in individual terms.
The procedure was simple and of five main
activities:
(1) Briefing and stage 1 of preparation. The
annual review cycle is initiated – usually by
the central personnel function – and line
managers undertake a short briefing meet-
ing with each of those employees for whom
they have responsibility. At this meeting a
date for the actual review is agreed; general-
ly four weeks in the future.
Both parties now have two weeks to
prepare themselves in respect of the subor-
dinate’s work.
This involves a review of the preceding
year – identifying the successful
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Empowerment in Organizations
Volume 4 · Number 3 · 1996 · 5–15
achievements, reasons for targets not made
and suggestions for improving performance.
It also provides opportunity for subordinate
to highlight situations created by more senior
managers which prevented achievements
being satisfactory. (Since this was a retro-
spective review it would only take place in the
second and succeeding years following
implementation.)
Both now turn their attention forward to
the coming year and identify aspects of the
subordinate’s job which are seen as having a
greater emphasis now, standards of perfor-
mance to be achieved with any deadlines/
target dates are listed. Equally important is
the identification of the resource support,
training and developmental needs required
by the subordinate to achieve suggested
targets. Some idea of priority is required
here to enable beneficial discussions later.
(2) Stage 2 of preparation. Two weeks before the
agreed review date, the two exchange their
preparation notes/worksheets; primarily to
enable the answers and other information
research to be undertaken.
(3) Collection of information. Both subordinate
and manager have two weeks to review what
has been produced by the other and to
compile the necessary answers and informa-
tion to deal properly and effectively at the
review. One example which springs to mind
is in the arena of training. Too often at
appraisals the subordinate has requested
some training program and the line manag-
er has not been in possession of the appro-
priate level of knowledge in this respect.
Equally when staff have indicated they wish
to be considered for advancement, the
manager has had no idea of what suitable
opportunities are in the offing.
(4) The review meeting. The tenor of the review
meeting is one of discussion, problem
solving, exchanging ideas and, finally,
agreement of both the performance pro-
duced in the preceding year and targets and
standards agreed for the coming year.
Training programs and development
opportunities are identified and agreed on.
(5) Follow-up process. Overall the performance
review scheme is seen as a live operating
plan in individualistic terms and therefore is
 Empowerment – a management style for the millennium?
Ralph F. Long
reviewed regularly – at agreed times – by the
two people who are its signatories.
Without exception, over a period of two/three
years, managers and staff became more effective
in the achievement of the corporate objectives.
Equally it was found that this process provided
the ideal means of communicating the strategic
and operating plan – insofar as it affected the
individual subordinate – down throughout the
company. Staff became more aware of their
responsibilities and more directly involved in the
business of the company which employed them.
The annual training plan and budget was
greatly facilitated since it could now be derived
from the needs identified during the review
process and was directly related to the opera-
tional requirements of the business.
Training and development
Discussions with client companies indicated a
preference for in-company training programs
which would provide knowledge and skills
which could be implemented in the workplace
on the morning following the training. For
example an effective communications skills
program should be focussed on workplace
problems and solutions rather than to providing
the theory of communicating practice. It was
with this factor very much in mind that training
workshops – as opposed to training courses –
were devised and designed in conjunction with
the MD and the senior management team
containing the following elements:
Pre-workshop preparation. All delegates were
expected to prepare themselves in order to gain
maximum benefit from training sessions. This
could mean activities as varied as identifying
and listing the qualities of leaders/managers or
undertaking some pre-session reading, e.g.
delegates for the effective time management
program were required to read The One Minute
Manager prior to attending. On occasion com-
pletion of a self-assessment questionnaire was
required, the results of which would be analysed
and discussed during the wokshop.
The workshop session. This was, with few
exceptions, conducted in a very nondirective,
nondidactic manner. The maximum use was
made of syndicate exercises with attendant
feedback/discussion during which experiences
and learning therefrom was shared/extracted.
Where appropriate CCTV was used generally to
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Empowerment in Organizations
Volume 4 · Number 3 · 1996 · 5–15
enable feedback on skills to be more meaningful
to the recipient. Although sometimes accused of
re-inventing the wheel, for us the validation of
the method was in the fact that the learning
message for the individual was all the more
powerful for it having resulted from his/her own
efforts.
It was our view that training could only truly
add value when it was directly relevant to the
work tasks of the individual. This meant ascer-
taining, relative to the session topic/title, what it
was that each delegate expected to gain from
attendance and focussing on those particular
aspects.
Where a workshop was one in a continuum
then the first session was almost always a review
of the action plan (see below) and the level of
achievement attained.
Action plans. Every training workshop was
completed by requiring each delegate to pro-
duce and share with his/her fellow delegates an
action plan to be implemented with effect from
the next working day and based on one or two
especial aspects of the learning obtained during
the program. For some delegates it would be
quite as simple as catching a subordinate doing
his/her job right and giving positive praise in
public. For yet others it might be somewhat
complex, involving a number of other
colleagues. The overall idea, which involved
immediate line managers, was to highlight what
the individual intended to do (and develop)
with the learning obtained.
Training notes/handouts. Nearly always the
training notes given to those attending were the
resultant of their own participation – as far as
possible using their own words, opinions, ideas
and guidelines (where these were produced).
Here again the theory was that we are more
likely to use that we have ourselves produced –
even in reference – than something devised by
the trainer which may or may not accord with
our own perceptions. An unlooked for benefit of
this approach was the tutor/facilitator – who
needed to be that much more aware of the
proceedings in order to encapsulate the dele-
gates’ input actually developed his/her own skills
at the same time as delegates were developing
theirs.
The skill of the facilitator was very much in
ensuring that all the knowledge/skills areas were
adequately covered.
 Empowerment – a management style for the millennium?
Ralph F. Long
Program evaluation. We were not entirely in
favor of the generally used post-course ques-
tionnaires or happiness sheets in this context
since they were likely to be completed in the end
of course euphoria and indicated only the
immediate feelings of the delegates. In the
colder, harder light of day those attending often
realize the true value of the messages imparted
or see the charisma of the tutor for what it was.
The true worth of any training program can
only be measured in terms of value-add where
the cost of the actual program is set against the
actual savings which come from improved
performance. Client companies were urged to
carry out the exercise lest training become seen
within their organizations as little more than an
act of faith.
In general, companies were required to
identify what was happening prior to the train-
ing event and the shortfall/overspend in terms of
product or service. Then they measured the
degree of change by a variety of means:
• comparative levels of customer satisfaction,
• increase in sales; whether new or repeat,
• improvements in product or service generat-
ed by employees,
• increase in bottom-line profit.
The value of these changes was set against the
cost of the training and a cost benefit exercise
carried through.
Conclusions
The natural question at this point is: Has it been
successful?
For most of our clients the answer was: Yes it
has! Although given the individuality of each
company, the base had to be relative to
increased performance within the market
place/niche.
For the few for whom the process failed to
work, the reason, in general, was that they were
organizations which, for many years, had been
managed in a totally autocratic manner. The
culture of encouraging subordinates to become
involved in the day-to-day operation in such
companies was beset by most of the reasons
ascribed to the failure of delegation – the major
being fear – on both sides of the managerial
divide. In these companies it was often easier to
revert to autocratic behavior rather than live
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Empowerment in Organizations
Volume 4 · Number 3 · 1996 · 5–15
easily with the question why when expressed by
subordinates.
It frequently seemed to work best in young
businesses, both in terms of trading and man-
agerial age, which were amenable to and ready
for change and which already had the basis of
participative management in being.
If people truly are a company’s most valuable
asset then the empowerment culture must be
the current most important investment to be
made by the stakeholders. The main benefits of
such an investment are likely to be:
(1) Clarity of objectives. In any enterprise it is an
imperative that those involved should have a
clear understanding of where the organiza-
tion is headed and their own role in the
achievement of the objectives. The strategic
and operating plan process certainly
ensured that the EMT all pulled in the same
direction. This was equally true in the
autocratically managed company.
With appropriate communication down-
wards employees were aware of where the
company was headed, their part in the
process and what it was worth to them.
(2) Involved, motivated and innovative staff. One
client, a large plc in the construction
industry, had implemented a performance
appraisal scheme – not unlike that described
above – for all staff employees which was
effective in the improvement of company
performance overall. A small but significant
percentage of hourly paid employees
(drivers, laborers, crane operators etc.) were
excluded from the scheme; mainly because
the sameness of their jobs did not appear to
lend itself to the devised scheme. However,
some two years or so down the road this
minority group began to question why, if
they were as vital to the corporate success as
everyone else, were they not accorded the
same appraisal activity – (shades of Elton
Mayo and Hawthorne). A representative
group of these persons were invited to assist
in the devising of a performance appraisal
scheme which would not only take account
of their particular needs but would also
parallel the staff scheme. At the end of the
subsequent day-long workshop this group
had not only produced a very acceptable
scheme which was an improvement on the
original but had also set down a series of
 Empowerment – a management style for the millennium? Empowerment in Organizations
Ralph F. Long Volume 4 · Number 3 · 1996 · 5–15

performance standards (best and least
acceptable) for each of the trades employed.
Additionally they determined – unlike the
senior managers who had helped design the
staff scheme – the responsibility for the
success of the scheme overall was as much
theirs as it was that of the managing direc-
tor.
Another client – in the health-care
industry – had achieved such a good
empowerment culture throughout the
company that the junior staff in one of the
nursing homes produced a Charter for Staff
Support (see Table I).
While the management team within the
home were aware of the happening it was
initiated and carried through by the
employees. Moreover it was intended to
review and amend the Charter on an annual
basis to enable newly recruited staff to have
an input to subsequent revisions.
(3) More effective management response culture.
We found quite frequently that senior levels
of management were under so many pres-
sures that basic good manners when dealing
with more junior levels of staff were over-
looked. In most companies this tended to
breed a resentment among those who found
their appointments cancelled at the last
minute and generated a belief that those
people up there simply did not understand
the problems at the sharp-end.
We do not claim that the process of
empowerment naturally engenders a proac-
tive style of manager however, it does seem
to produce a listening manager who is
capable of responding positively to the
people situations within the organization as
they arise.
This was vividly manifested during a two-
day training program we were running for a
major client which was aimed at giving unit
managers an awareness of marketing skills
relative to the services available within their
units. The first day was a difficult one with a
degree of resistance to new concepts that
had not previously been experienced. It was
not until dinner that evening – hosted by
one of the directors of the company that
things became clearer. Perhaps because of

Table I Charter for Staff Support

Teamwork and comradeship

We will demonstrate an understanding of one anothers’ roles and work together to achieve the same goals. There
will always be a sense of “togetherness, unity and equality”
Communication
Communication will always be open and honest. Information will always be given. Staff have the right to be
listened to and to be heard. We do not accept “buts” or “excuses”
Respected and valued
We expect to be respected and valued as individual human beings. We are all as important as one another. We
have the right to receive praise for a job well done, and to accept constructive criticism, which is given in a sensi-
tive and tactful way. We will accept people for who they are, not what they are
Compromise and cooperation
We will seek to be aware of others’ feelings and values. We will always establish the facts before reaching conclu-
sions. We will always offer help not hindrance. As far as possible discussion will always precede decisions. We will
allow individuals “time-out” after experiencing particularly difficult situations
Sense of humor
We will try not to take ourselves so seriously that we cannot laugh at ourselves. We will laugh with people never
at people. Humor will help us cope with sometimes difficult situations
Encouragement
We will endeavor to create an environment which promotes personal growth and development. We will encour-
age others to face difficult situations in the knowledge that help will always be available
We all have a role to play but in any situation this role may change
We will be flexible at all times
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Ralph F. Long Volume 4 · Number 3 · 1996 · 5–15

the informality of that situation many of the
unit managers began airing their grievances.
The following morning the Director and the
Lead Consultant went to see the Managing
Director. The result was his authorization
to suspend the training program and to
gather the extent of the dissatisfaction ready
for presentation to himself and the rest of
the board and senior management team
later that afternoon. The emotions were
dealt with by the consultants in the first part
of the exercise and thus the afternoon dis-
cussions were calm and factual; with state-
ments of the feelings engendered expressed
rather than demonstrated. Subsequently the
Managing Director produced a standard of
managerial behavior to be applied toward
employees at every level within the compa-
ny (see Table II).
(4) Empowerment breeds effective teams. The
culture wherein empowerment operates is
also the culture in which effective manage-
ment and work teams are developed. Team
members identify their roles and potential
and are committed to the achievement of
success. They are supportive one of another
and highly confident in their own abilities.
This was evidenced by the main board of
an international plc which made the follow-
ing statement to the management boards of
each of its eight regions:
We see ourselves as the Bankers and we look
for an adequate return on our investment.
Give us the detail of how you will use our
resources for the benefit of your region and,
ultimately, the company and we will give you
the assistance necessary to the achievement of
that plan.
Significantly all regions achieved their
targets and the effect on the organization
was an increase in profit by £2,000 per head
per year for each of four years.
(5) The evolution of a total quality management
culture. Many senior managers in companies
believe that the quality standards BS 5750/
ISO 9002 are more concerned with quality
assurance and quality control. Many more
are in favor of the total quality management
concept because it is felt that this embraces
not only product/service quality but, more

Table II Management Charter

The following list has been compiled for directors and senior managers as a guide to the professional standards of
management which are expected by our unit managers and other junior staff:
1 Appointment should always be arranged when staff time is required. When unannounced visits are made
there should be no obligation on staff to dedicate time to the visitor
2 The importance of punctuality should be recognized. Where last minute changes to plans are inevitable the
person being visited should be made aware as quickly as possible
3 When making telephone calls confirmation of person’s availability should always be sought and an indication
should be given of the amount of time required
4 When requesting action by staff the priority and timescale should always be made clear
5 Respect and understanding should be shown at all times for the normal working routines of each home
6 The company line management structure, including areas of responsibility, should be made clear to all staff
7 Key company issues should be communicated to staff on a regular basis
8 Special requests should not be made of staff without reference to their line manager(s)
9 When formal requests are made for decisions/action a response should be given as quickly as possible and
regular feedback should be given about progress
10 Due to the level of service being provided, it is recognized that breaches of confidentiality at any level are
unacceptable
11 Praise and credit should be given whenever it is deserved and any criticism should always be constructive
12 As early as possible in advance of planned marketing visits the unit manager should be given a detailed
briefing and should be involved in the planning of the visit
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 Empowerment – a management style for the millennium?
Ralph F. Long
importantly, the overall quality of manage-
ment in all its aspects.
The climate of empowerment provides
the opportunity for companies to involve
the appropriate levels of staff in the process
of improving the quality of product or
service offered to the customer; internal as
well as external to the company. It is an
acknowledged tenet that:
No employee starts the first day of his/her
new job determined to do as bad a job as
possible but it is the way the company man-
ages and deals with this person which causes
any subsequent problem.
One client experienced problems with a
newly opened unit which eventually were
laid at the door of the recruitment process.
The managing director decided to involve
the unit managers attending the problem
solving session of a general management
training program. The requirement was to
review corporate recruitment and induction
processes for newly appointed unit
managers. Their combined experience
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Empowerment in Organizations
Volume 4 · Number 3 · 1996 · 5–15
highlighted the problems created by the
current system and they produced a revised
(improved) scheme for his consideration.
Suffice it to say the resultant was imple-
mented in toto.
Empowerment is the culture which
underpins the concept of TQM
This means that corporations and individuals
within corporations take responsibility for the
achievement of the corporate goals and the
realization of potential.
It is not a culture which occurs overnight. It
requires commitment and hard work. The
rewards, however, are more than worthwhile for
all involved in the enterprise.
It is the management style for the
millennium and beyond.
Reference
1 Kolb, D.A., “Management and the learning process”,
Californian Management Review, Vol. XVIII No. 3, Spring
1976.