Three steps to creating a Pay it Forward Environment

It is true that when you empower other people, you are not only influencing them, but you also empower the people they influence. So when you empower another person, you are actually giving him the power to accomplish something. Thus, you are basically giving others the ability to empower, too.

But how will you be able to empower another person? The truth is empowerment is the product of responsibility and authority. When you empower someone, you must also give him the authority to make decisions in order for him to accomplish his responsibilities. In doing so, the person will have the opportunity to develop his leadership skills. It will give him the freedom to be at his best all the time, thus becoming more efficient and productive.

But what if the person makes a mistake? If it does happen, you don't have to worry too much about it. You have to make the most out of it – look for the positives - and try to learn from the mistakes. All of us commit mistakes every now and then. If we learn from our errors, we become stronger in facing the challenges ahead. This will take us an inch closer in accomplishing our goals.

The biggest set back for new leaders is not empowering their people because of the belief they will not be able to accomplish the work as well as you, "the manager" do. Keep in mind, if they did, they might be sitting in your chair. You might have been promoted because you did your work well but you are not a leader unless you empower others to grow as well. View clever workers as a bonus in your camp, not as a threat, because they can make you and your department look good.

So how do you begin to empower others, to build that pay it forward environment? The first step is to know the abilities of those around you. It is also important to keep in mind that not every person can be empowered the same way. The truth is every individual has his or her unique personality and experience. For instance, some people might feel too overwhelmed if given too much decision making power. If this happens, it can cause a lot of stress to that person and affect the whole team. That is why it would be wise to lead each person at their own pace to success, allowing them to stretch within their capacity.

Second is to build a culture of trust so that if mistakes are made, they are learned from and don't evoke punishment or ridicule, neither of which empowers. Staying in one's "safety zone" stifles creativity and growth. Sometimes you have to allow others to step outside the square, as you must do yourself, in order to achieve great things, and understand that sometimes this will result in great results and sometimes mistakes will happen.

Third is to recognize what is going well. We all absorb praise like sun rays on the first days of summer, let your team members soak it in and lather it on thick. They will then learn to give positive feedback and praise to others as well, in addition to wanting to continue to do well themselves to earn more praise.

As a result your work environment will be one of collaboration, trust and productivity and you will feel good about it and yourself at night!