The 3 Keys to Empowerment: Release the Power Within People for Astonishing Results - Softcover

Blanchard, Ken; Carlos, John P.; Randolph, Alan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1576751600 ISBN 13: 9781576751602

Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2001

Synopsis

As Ken Blanchard, John Carlos, and Alan Randolph clearly demonstrated in their previous bestseller, Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute, empowerment is not a goal that can be achieved in a minute. Empowerment is a process that requires ongoing effort, awareness, and commitment to transforming the hierarchy. This essential guide offers managers detailed, hands-on answers to their real-life questions about how, exactly, they can navigate the journey to empowerment.

Written in an easily accessible Q&A format, the book closely examines and expands on the three keys to empowerment originally presented in Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute-sharing information, creating autonomy through boundaries, and replacing the hierarchy with teams. It clearly outlines the promises and challenges of each stage of the journey, providing managers with thought-provoking questions, clear advice, effective activities, and action tools that will help them create a culture of empowerment. Wherever they are in the journey, managers will find a clear roadmap in this user-friendly action guide.

About this title

Review

"Empowerment" is one of those business-management buzzwords that generate either excitement or disinterest. Blanchard, Carlos, and Randolph fall into the former category, but they do seem to sympathize with those whose eyes glaze over. Following up their 1996 management book, Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute, The 3 Keys to Empowerment, explains the concrete steps managers can take to empower their employees fully. It starts with information, which managers should share in massive quantities with employees at the start of the empowerment process. The second step is setting up parameters that everyone understands: what employees can and should do, and what actions and decisions will continue to be made by senior management. The third is to develop teams for eventually replacing the old hierarchical structure.

All of this takes time, and the authors point out that team members go up steep learning curves, starting out highly motivated but lacking competence, and quickly lose motivation when they realize how difficult the transition is going to be. Competence and motivation eventually rise, but managers still need to manage differently at each stage of the employees' development. None of this is particularly intuitive, and none of it happens fast. But the rewards, the authors say, include more tuned-in employees, less turnover, and, ultimately, a wealth of brainpower at the company's disposal. --Lou Schuler

About the Author

Ken Blanchard is chairman of The Ken Blanchard Companies, a full-service management consulting and training company in the areas of empowerment, leadership, teamwork, performance management, customer service, quality management, ethics, and visioning. One of the most sought-after speakers to management groups, he is coauthor of 15 books, including The One Minute Manager, many of which have been international bestsellers.

John P. Carlos is a management consultant, trainer, and motivational speaker. He heads his own consulting group and is a consulting partner with The Ken Blanchard Companies. For ten years he was the director of training for Circle K, a retail food company with more than 5,000 outlets worldwide.
Alan Randolph is an internationally known management educator and consultant and accomplished author. His clients have included many of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as a number of smaller entrepreneurial companies. He is the author or coauthor of 6 books and is a consulting partner with The Ken Blanchard Companies.

Edition details

• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 1576751600
• ISBN 13: 9781576751602
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 304