EPowerment Principle #1: Extended Learning Models

Last week I introduced the concept of EPowerment – capturing the terms Empowerment, Emotional Intelligence and Electronic communications. I received some nostalgic feedback like — “what did we ever do with “empowerment”? – “It was a great term that I have almost forgotten.”  – “What a good time to be talking about this again.”

So as we approach 2010, a new decade, feeling like it was just 2000 yesterday, what are some lessons to be learned in specific regard to learning and professional development?

EPowerment

I am delighted to announce the title of a new book that I am working on with 10 other wonderful co-authors. The title is EPowerment – a combination of three E terms.

The first E is Empowerment – I was first exposed to the term Empowerment in the early 90s – and it quickly became a powerful term for the noble transference of decision-making down the food chain. By allowing every employee to make decisions at the time decisions need to be made, in lieu of going through the proverbial red tape bureaucracy, great efficiencies could be realized. I loved the idea as a relatively young professional at the time. Though the intent and the concept were great, there were some shortcomings of Empowerment as few models of exactly “how to” do it were available.

Personal Growth

I recently spoke at a SHRM conference on EQ in the workplace and decided to do something different. At one point in the speech, I asked the following: Raise your hand if you wake up every morning and wish for negative experiences to happen to you. I got a chuckle out of that as, obviously, no one raised their hands. I then asked: Raise your hand if you have negative experiences every day from something as mundane as traffic on your way to work to more complex experiences like finding out that your spouse just got laid off. And this time, everyone raised their hands.

EQ and Tough Times

Years ago in my Big 4 consulting days, I did a good bit of work in Merger and Acquisitions – specifically in Merger Integration work. I often times led teams in defining the new combined organizational and operational structures which often meant we decided who stayed and who had to go. Once a merger is announced, the only people that get excited are the shareholders and top executives. Employees, middle managers, and even customers tend get worried about how this will impact them. My role was to ease this anxiety and my governing mantra was two fold:

1. Take very good care of the folks leaving because it sends a powerful message to the folks staying.
2. Over communicate with those staying.

Danger or Opportunity

The chinese symbol for change has two meanings – Danger and Opportunity. Cantonese is a language that has been around for over 2000 years and how apropos in these times when there seems to be bad news at every corner of the day from the media spelling bad news.
 
Most folks listen or look at bad news and figure out intelligent ways to cope with it and not let it bring them down – personally and professionally. Very few will ask: What is the opportunity here? And the truth of the matter is that there is tremendous opportunity in these times. Yes, I said it…tremendous opportunities. For those of you that have been laid off or have been looking for jobs or have seen your small business significantly constrict over the past 12 months, you’re calling BS on me right now. I know. But hear me out.