Seeing as I’ve written so much on the topics of trust, inspiration, transparency, and engagement etc. the natural progression seems to be empowerment.

My definition of empowerment in this context is you helping your employees grow and become more confident in their abilities.

As I look at the outline in my mind of how to achieve talent optimization, high levels of engagement and retention, and the effective recruitment of top talent, it seems to me that empowerment needs to be addressed.  (After establishing trust, of course.)

Employee empowerment has a significant effect on creativity and creativity has a strong effect on innovation.  Successful companies are innovative.

So how can you empower your employees and encourage creativity and innovation?

Many of the things you can do will be the same exact things that you do to instill trust and increase engagement.  Once you have a decent level of trust established, try some of these suggestions and you will not only bolster that trust but also encourage creativity.  They all go hand in hand.

Believe in them – and let them know it.  Show them that you have all the faith that they will do their job well and also that they will continue to improve in their role, even if they make mistakes.

Give them freedom – freedom to make decisions quickly without a bunch of hoops to jump through.  Freedom from a ton of rules and regulations that stifle creative thought and make it not worth their time or energy to institute creative problem solving.

Align values – sorry, I’m saying it again.  Let your employees understand the values and goals of the company and how each of them fits into this overall corporate picture.

Have them participate in important decisions.  I’ve said this before too but it is such a factor in engagement, inspiration, empowerment and innovation.  How can an employee feel connected to the ultimate goal if he/she is not part of the process?  Ask for their advice or suggestions and listen to what they have to say.  You might even learn something.

Empowering your employees is going to do wonderful things for your organization.  Remember, business today is no longer about commanding and controlling with a top-down hierarchy.  Organizations require a connect and collaborate mindset and empowering your employees will not only make them more creative but will reinforce the connection and the fact that everyone is in this together.