Use Fun and “Good Stuff” to empower people

Empowerment has many facets but in the end it comes down to an understanding of your employee’s needs, motivations and behaviours and essential communication tools and strategies that will help you influence your employee’s. Below we have gathered 2 of many aspects of empowerment which you should keep in mind when achieving to become a master in leading others. Let’s take a look at how important fun and acknowledgment is in your empowerment toolkit.

The need to have fun

Most times, Fun is “the reward” for all the dull and boring things we have to do all our lives. We tend to look for the fun in everything we do. If there is some fun involved, it becomes the justification for the hum-drum drudgery of our everyday existence. If there is no fun involved, then we will tend to create fun in the project. And, sometimes we do things just because they are fun.

In the workplace, “Does having fun at your job mean that the quality of the work suffers?” The answer is “NO”. In fact, if employees are having fun while working, most often they will take the time and effort to do it right the first time. Studies have shown that productivity and the quality of the work increases in an enjoyable work environment. (FUN)

Studies have also shown that you will get only the minimum productivity and quality when the workplace environment is one of fear and intimidation. Employees are never sure of what to expect and constantly fear punishment. (Lack of FUN)

We can rationalize things any way we want, but Fun is a motivator. Think it about for yourself. Wouldn’t you rather work at a place where you enjoy what you are doing? Isn’t it better to have a workplace that is fun to be at, rather than to be at a place that is nothing but pressure and stress?

As a manager or leader, you can influence the workplace you are in. You can reduce stress and increase productivity simply by introducing and encouraging a little fun here and there. The culture of your organization and the attitude of your employees will swing in a positive direction when there is a little fun to be had by all.

“Empowering” employees means encouraging them to “whistle while they work” so to speak. Encouraging employees to have fun will go a long way to ensuring employee productivity, job satisfaction and loyalty.

“Empowerment” means learning how to make the workplace an enjoyable place to be. Your customers and suppliers will also recognize the enjoyable culture that you are encouraging. If you were to see a Fun workplace instead of a Stressed workplace, who would you want to do business with.

Catch them doing some “Good Stuff”

As leader or manager, you should realize that recognition and acknowledgement are huge motivators in anyone’s life.

Because we constantly struggle to meet our need for accomplishment and success, we have developed the idea that if we find the mistakes of others, we will look better or we will appear more competent. Nobody really teaches this principle, we just watch others do it and then adjust the process to suit ourselves. It is a habit that is well engrained in our subconscious mind, so much so that we view “mistake finding in other people” as a valuable asset to our skillset.

Here is a question for you: “What is your impression of a person who constantly points out other people’s mistakes?” I do not trust them and I do not respect them. To me, they are malicious back stabbers.

If this is just an inherited skill without a serious evaluation of its consequences, then we need to question the value doing it. This brings up the question: “What can we do instead that would be more in line with our values?”

Searching for the “good stuff” is a talent

The obvious answer is to search for “the good stuff” that people do well. This may take some time, effort and energy to get it right. Secondly, what you do with that information becomes important. Recognition is very different from praise and acknowledgement is very different from prestige.

Praise and prestige are both evaluations. They are somebody’s opinion. The problem with giving evaluations or opinions is that as soon as you don’t give it to the next person, feelings are hurt and morale goes down.

On the other hand recognition and acknowledgement are tangible statements of fact. There are no inherent values attached.

Searching for the “good stuff” is a talent well worth developing. It will have a dramatic positive affect on morale. The reason is because it meets our basic need for accomplishment and achievement. Done well, this form of recognition is an effective “Empowerment” tool.

“Empowerment done in this way has three benefits. One is that you can feel “empowered” by giving it away to your employees. Two is that your employees feel “empowered” by your gift of recognition and acknowledgement. And three your employees will begin to emulate you. They too will search for the “good stuff” in others.

Being a Leader means taking a risk. So take risks that have a proven greater positive potential.

If you would like to delve deeper into the topic of empowerment, the free eBook “Empowering Leadership” written by Douglas L. Jones is for you.