Empowerment: the fundamental process for unleashing human potential*

By Pat Rubino who can be contacted at www.HumanPotentialGroup.com; patrubino@HumanPotentialGroup.com

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1. Introduction

Recently, the word "empowerment" has become an integral part of programmatic goals and worksite team-building. The word "empower" has been around for some time. In literal terms empower means to give legal or moral power or authority; to authorize. But what of the word "empowerment"? Is

empowerment simply a word that has been coined to help people feel more powerful in a time of rapid change?

Empowerment involves a larger process for unleashing the human potential and enhancing human ability to nurture societal growth.

It is interesting that the word empowerment has come into such prominence in a time of great change and economic restraint as people are struggling with limited resources to meet seemingly greater demands.

Without question, our organizations, our communities, the nation and the world are in transition. Our society is struggling to change from an industrial, manufacturing based, economic giant to a down-sized, delayered, more technological, communication base. In this wave of major transitions, there is upheaval and a feeling of uncertainty; people are struggling to define their jobs, their businesses, and indeed their very roles in life. With such transition comes tremendous change accompanied by a sense of loss and

uncertainty that is felt by many, but especially by those who have not been able to find a satisfactory niche in which to fully develop what they perceive to be their role.

Feelings of helplessness and futility within people and countries can cause unrest and even violence as people strike out looking for ways to feel empowered. What kinds of paradigmatic shifts can facilitate

positive change? What does it take to feel empowered? Is there a dynamic relationship between change and empowerment? Are there outdated past patterns that must be abandoned in order to help people move toward a sense of feeling empowered?

2. A systems perspective of empowerment

An ecological or systems perspective of empowerment emphasizes the mutual interactions and interdependence of people and their environments. A systems perspective implies reciprocal and

dynamic interactions and relationships between people and the significant environments of life such as family, work, and community. Self-empowerment implies a dynamic relationship of the physical, social and psychological environments of the individual.

Empowerment implies a process. In this process, individuals acquire resources and information, process them and expand their repertoire of knowledge. As part of the empowerment process there is a dynamic quality in which they may also enable others to recognize and use their own resources to the best of their

ability. Individuals not only have the capacity to direct their own process of self-empowerment, but also can become instrumental in nurturing others toward their empowerment.

The process of empowerment is viewed as a way to nurture individual growth and human potential that can be communicated and transferred to societal growth. This empowerment process is believed to be accompanied by greater awareness of options, greater use of talents and increased creativity and interdependence with those around us.

Empowerment contains the word "power". Power is often viewed negatively as control, primarily of others. Control is used to disempower. Too much power often becomes destructive and thus detrimental to individual growth as well as the growth of others. Empowerment on the other hand, denotes the increased potential for successfully living interdependently while striving for self-growth.

3. Empowerment in a time of great transition

Is empowerment something for which we all strive? Visionaries recognize it as an important new idea in the process of change and growth. Sometimes against all odds, people struggle to use their creativity and talents only to find their efforts thwarted by inflexible guidelines or organizational restraints that do not

allow creativity or change in the way things are done. Thus the paradox.

We are in a time of great transition when we are being told that in order to survive, we must become more relevant and technologically efficient. At the same time, our institutions are so reticent to deal with many of the changing trends that creativity is often not valued or honored in guiding our efforts. Key questions must be examined. What must institutions review, revise, and let go of in order to allow change to occur and to implement new ideas? Must individuals rethink some ideas of protective caution to develop trust in order to express creative ideas and move to self empowerment? Is such interdependence possible? Such questions influence our assumptions and inputs of the important components of what creates empowerment for people.

The basic premise of empowerment is that the process is enhanced, in fact only possible, in an environment where an individual can pursue personal growth and freely share ideas. Thus, empowerment is suspended and embedded in an environment of freedom and open communication. The context of freedom and the ability to communicate freely are critical because they provide the safety and

trust in which an individual has the liberty to explore thoughts, choices and creative options. This freedom implies responsibility. Empowered performers must take responsibility for their own performance if positive outcomes for self and for all people are to be achieved. Through this exploration, individuals actively seek and deal with changes that are occurring in our social and economic systems. They also consider innovative changes or shifts in ways to think about issues.

4. An environment of empowerment

The freedom to think and be creative is highly dependent on one’s ability to trust one’s self, to trust others and be trusted. Basic trust is believed to come from the types of interactions experienced within the family. Outside the home, people exhibit their feelings of trust through their interactions with others in the workplace and the community. Those who have acquired trust tend to be trustworthy and create accepting environments within the workplace that encourages the freedom of creativity necessary for

empowerment. Freedom to be responsibly creative only occurs where trust and respect, of self and others, are present.

Communication with respect and trust embedded in freedom is part of the essential environment in which empowerment can occur. In order to establish an environment of freedom, trust and valuing productive creative ideas must be communicated. Communication has two important parts. These include sharing ideas, thoughts and feelings plus the ability to listen. Listening, being listened to, and providing feedback are important aspects of both communication and empowerment. The process of feeling safe to share ideas with others while listening to their responses and ideas must be experienced and believed for an effective communication environment to exist. Such a positive environment fosters individual growth and nurtures empowerment. In order to expand the positive effects of growth to a higher level, innovation must be shared and implemented in the workplace.

The work environment that provides an atmosphere of trust and respect in people to freely communicate ideas further encourages the process of empowerment. The freedom to know oneself, pursue ethical, responsible choices, and work to make responsible goals

and guidelines for change in an ever-transforming world is what empowerment is about. The ultimate outcome for empowerment is enhanced quality of life.

5. Our challenge

To change our way of thinking or our way of doing things is seldom an easy process. People tend to cling to what they know, the comfortable, familiar ways of seeing and doing things. Thus, the choice to change our perceptions and our way of doing things is a difficult decision. It is made more difficult by the imperative nature of the required change in our current world. For some the demand is so great that its impact is disorienting, almost paralyzing. Those who are able to process large amounts of information and embrace new knowledge while seeing changing ways as a challenge feel empowered and can develop new horizons from which to view themselves in interdependence with others and the world.

The many facets of the concept "empowerment" could be a metaphor for the process of positive change in ourselves and in our communities as we develop new societal paradigms. For each individual the process is unique. The combination of many individual factors and experiences influence how individuals perceive themselves as empowered. As we seek to empower ourselves, we can empower others as we show respect, develop environments of trust and work toward a world that can function interdependently.

This interdependent process has many options for expanding our individual horizons and quality of life.

Sharing what this means with others can enable us to work together with a common goal of empowerment. The challenge of empowerment is available to all. As the inevitability of change surrounds us and we try to find new ways to deal with societal and world issues, we can choose to be empowered. Empowerment is the key to true leadership.

REFERENCES

Aburdene, P. & Naisbitt, J. MEGATRENDS FOR WOMEN. New York: Billard books, 1992.

Bristor, M.W. INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND ENVIRONMENTS. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt, 1990.

Brown, T. "Leaders of the 90s." INDUSTRY WEEK, 1990, 239, 34.

* Reprinted by permission of the author