Skill Practice

Exercises for Empowerment

Executive Development Associates

Assume you are Mary Ann OConnell, general manager at Executive Development Associates. Your firm provides outplacement, training and development, career planning, and head-hunting services for a large number of Fortune 500 companies. You have been at the corporate board meeting for the last three days in the Rocky Mountains, and you relied on your secretary to screen out all but the most important or urgent messages. You slipped into the office on the way home from the airport Monday evening, just to check your electronic messages and your mail. Aside from a host of phone calls to return, here is the collection of messages retrieved from your email file and mail box.

Assignment

1. For each message, outline specifically the plan you will implement to empower others effectively to solve these problems. Determine who should be involved, what level of initiative should be taken, what actions you can take to ensure empowerment, how accountability should be maintained, and so on.

2. Write out the actions youd take in response to each item. A worksheet has been provided on the next page to remind you of what you should consider as you record your responses.

Solving Problems Through Empowerment Worksheet

For each message, write out your plan of action. This plan should include answers to the questions listed below. Not every question is relevant to each message, but most are, and they can guide your action plan. After you have formed your own responses, form a team of fellow students and share these plans in turn. Provide feedback to one another on what is especially good, what could be improved, and what could be added to each action plan.

1. Who should be involved in resolving this issue? Will you form a team?

2. What kinds of personal mastery experiences can be provided for whomever you involve? Can you model successful behavior?

3. What kinds of support, information, and resources can be provided?

4. How will you create emotional arousal and create confidence in others?

5. What are the main considerations in deciding if you should engage others in each task?

6. If you opt for engaging others, what will you do to:

   • Begin with the end in mind?

   • Identify boundaries?

   • Specify level of initiative?

   • Allow for participation?

   • Match authority with responsibility?

   • Provide support?

   • Maintain accountability?

   • Ensure consistency?

   • Avoid upward delegation?

   • Clarify consequences?

Interoffice Memorandum

Data Processing Center

• DATE: 15 June

• TO: Mary Ann OConnell, General Manager

• FROM: Roosevelt Monroe, for the Data Processing Staff

After looking over last quarters audit, it is clear that the number of complaints our group is receiving from individuals throughout the company is escalating. The problem is an obvious one to us. It is, simply, that several incompatible software systems have evolved over the last several years in various departments, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to coordinate across units. As you know, some data have to be retyped two or three times into different systems because of these incompatibilities.

The trouble is, our own employees, not to mention our customers, are becoming increasingly impatient with our slow turnaround time. They focus squarely on our group as the bottleneck. We think the rising complaint numbers in the quarterly audit are misleading, however, and they divert us from the real cause of the problem.

Were writing this memo to you to collectively urge you to address this issue as soon as possible. At a minimum, it should be discussed at our upcoming staff meeting on Tuesday. So far, the data processing staff is taking the blame for not getting data processed fast enough, yet it is really the fault of the system, not our unit.

Well look forward to hearing from you on Tuesday.

Interoffice Memorandum

Human Resources Department

• DATE: 15 June

• TO: Mary Ann

• FROM: Lucy

I was excited by your speech at the senior management meeting last week in which you established a new challenge for all senior executives. With the new competitive environment that we face, the vision that you articulated for our future is both exciting and challenging and, I think, an important step forward. It really makes clear the key success factors that should drive our business.

In particular, I think your directive for all senior executives to disseminate the vision throughout the organization to their own subordinates is a good way to get the message delivered. However, you made a statement in your speech that has me troubled. You said, We used to pay you on the basis of new accounts generated, quarterly earnings, customer satisfaction ratings, and new product designs. Our new barometer is going to be how youre doing in disseminating the vision throughout your own units.

Frankly, Im perplexed as to how well ever measure this directive. As the one who has to administer the appraisal and compensation systems, Im not sure what criteria well look for or what indicators well use to determine success. Im afraid that well create dissatisfaction if we dont have something specific outlined. Our people, especially those who may not perform, will think it is purely arbitrary. Do you really mean to have us change the appraisal and compensation systems to include this new criterion? How do you propose we measure effective performance? What would you like me to do to support your statement? Did you mean to make the statement that you did?

This is rather urgent because I have a staff meeting Tuesday afternoon, and I promised to have a response by then. Ive already stalled until I had a chance to talk to you.

Copy of a Letter

Midwest State University

24 May

Dear Ms. OConnell:

I am happy to be joining Executive Development Associates after several years at Midwest State University. As you know, leaving Midwest State has been quite traumatic for me, and that is what motivated me to make a request of you. Im convinced that the reason I didnt receive tenure at Midwest State is because the expectations were never clear about what my responsibilities were and what the criteria were for success.

I know your company is very professional and employees are pretty much on their own, but Im feeling a need to get some specific performance requirements outlined for me. Im sure that I can be a good addition to your company, but I want to be clear about what your expectations are.

I have set a meeting with you on Tuesday through your secretary. Would you please outline a specific set of responsibilities and expectations for my job as instructor in the training and development department? If possible, Id like it in writing to avoid any misunderstanding. Regardless, Ill look forward to talking to you Tuesday.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Lester Frost

Interoffice Memorandum

Training and Development

• DATE: Monday, a.m.

• TO: Mary Ann

• FROM: Pam

• RE: Tom Kinnirs Jury Duty

I know youre just getting back, but weve got an emergency on our hands.

I was just notified this morning by Tom that he has been selected for jury duty and that (can you believe it) he is being sequestered! Holy cow, Mary Ann, this couldnt come at a worse time. As our expert on activity-based costing, Tom is the only guy we have who can teach the topic. So whats the trouble, you say? The trouble is that we have over 100 corporate trainers showing up here for a seminar on Friday, and the seminar isnt prepared yet. Tom said that he has some notes and a few transparencies on his desk, but he had planned to spend this entire week designing and preparing it. Not only dont any of us know the topic very well, but were not even sure what information we need, what data still needs to be gathered, whos got what, and how we go about filling in. Help! Were counting on this seminar to make budget this quarter, and were feeling a little ticked off at Tom for waiting until the last minute. What do we do next?

By the way, how were the Rocky Mountains???

Interoffice Memorandum

Outplacement Department

• DATE: Monday, a.m.

• TO: Mary Ann OConnell

• FROM: Aneil Mishra

• RE: Pending Plant Closure

You may have missed the news over the weekend. It was announced in the paper that Detroit Manufacturing has filed for Chapter 11 protection and that theyre closing their Toledo plant. That means about 4,000 people will be out of work.

If we want the business, weve got to get moving right away. They will be looking at proposals from outplacement firms next week. Weve got to get our proposal together, identify staff, determine a budget, and prepare a presentation in the next day or two.

Sounds like a great opportunity. Ill stop by tomorrow when you get back.