Empowering Team Members

Empowered leadership encourages an environment where team members can express differing viewpoints and challenge authority constructively. Wheelan (2020) suggests that leaders who empower their teams may observe members seeking greater involvement in decision-making, including challenging established authority. When actively managed, such challenges can enhance team functioning without disrupting the cohesiveness of the team. Within this week’s discussion I will demonstrate through peer-reviewed research that as leaders we can apply specific strategies to facilitate team empowerment.

Strategies for Encouraging Challenges to Authority Without Disrupting the Team

One approach to facilitating empowerment is through structured communication processes. The research of Potosky et al. (2021), based on studies of elite military teams, discussed the importance of feedback mechanisms in maintaining effective teamwork. This was especially true in complex environments where team coordination is necessary for team success. The researchers demonstrated that well-defined feedback structures, including formal and informal feedback loops, enable team members to share critiques constructively. These mechanisms can also help prevent conflict by providing clear avenues for communication that are focused on team objectives. This demonstrates that as leaders we can empower our teams by encouraging open dialogue that helps maintain alignment with the overall team goals.

Aligning team goals is another approach that can support empowerment and cohesion in situations where challenges to authority may occur. Mascareño et al. (2019) found when team members are aligned with common goals, they are more likely to approach challenges in a constructive way. This means that instead of creating conflict, challenges become opportunities to improve the team’s performance. Therefore, even when authority is questioned, we can help our teams stay focused on overall success by ensuring that team members are working towards shared objectives.

Other Ways Leaders Can Empower Team Members

Delegation of responsibilities and fostering autonomy are additional ways that we as leaders can empower our team members. The research of Tokadlı et al. (2021) examined the effects of dynamic task allocation in teams. They found that flexible delegation enhances both collaboration and individual accountability. The researchers went on to conclude that when team members are given ownership of specific tasks, they are able to contribute more meaningfully to team objectives, promoting a stronger sense of engagement.

The role of autonomy in empowerment is further discussed by Mohagheghi et al. (2020), who studied team autonomy in large organizations. Their research indicates that when leaders provide team members with autonomy, particularly in areas where they have specialized knowledge, individuals may feel a greater sense of ownership over their contributions. Autonomy allows team members to make decisions that align with their expertise, which can support the team’s overall performance.

Continuous learning can also contribute to team empowerment. Chiang and Hsu (2021) investigated the impact of creativity on new product development (NPD) teams to enhance team performance. They found that when supported by continuous development opportunities, varied levels of creativity within teams resulted in enhanced performance. From this it is evident that ongoing skill development and feedback can create conditions where team members feel empowered to challenge existing practices and contribute innovative solutions.

Example of an Empowered Team

The research by Chiang and Hsu (2021) is one clear example of an empowered team through their study of NPD groups. Their research determined that NPD teams benefitted from leaders who encouraged experimentation and supported creativity. This enabled team members to contribute more effectively to product development. They went on to conclude that promoting an environment where team members felt capable of offering new ideas and solutions empowered them to realize improved outcomes.

Conclusion

Empowering team members involves strategies that facilitate constructive challenges to authority while maintaining team cohesion. Structured communication, goal alignment, delegation, and continuous learning can contribute to creating an empowered team environment. The research presented throughout this discussion demonstrates that factors such as these can enable team members to challenge authority in ways that contribute to team goals and innovation. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that as leaders we can adopt these practices to create more engaged and effective team performance, managing potential and realized conflicts through team empowerment.

References

Chiang, Y.-H., & Hsu, C.-C. (2021). Working with more creative coworkers and new product development team performance. Small Group Research, 53(3), 400-426. https://doi.org/10.1177/10464964211043154

Mascareño, J., Rietzschel, E., & Wisse, B. (2019). Envisioning innovation: Does visionary leadership engender team innovative performance through goal alignment? Creativity and Innovation Management, 29(1), 33-48. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12341

Mohagheghi, P., Lassenius, C., & Bakken, I. O. (2020). Enabling team autonomy in a large public organization. In M. Paasivaara & P. Kruchten (Eds.), Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming – Workshops (Vol. 396, pp. 245-252). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58858-8_25

Potosky, D., Godé, C., & Lebraty, J.-F. (2021). Modeling the feedback process in teams: A field study of teamwork. Group & Organization Management, 47(6), 1218-1258. https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011211018017

Tokadlı, G., Dorneich, M. C., & Matessa, M. (2021). Evaluation of playbook delegation approach in human-autonomy teaming for single pilot operations. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 37(7), 703-716. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2021.1890485

Wheelan, S. A. (2020). Creating effective teams: A guide for members and leaders (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.