Case_Study_-_Delegation_and_Empowerment

Case study two Question 3. Delegation and Empowerment “It is a lot easier and faster if I just do it myself.” Certainly everyone had that in their minds. I know I have, but this approach is wrong, it will severely limit your productivity. Instead, by learning how to effectively delegate and empowering others can expand your productivity and effectiveness. “He believes he has to know people well enough to trust them and their judgments….”- (Appendix 1). Jack knows it the best, you just cannot trust someone without knowing them well enough first, especially in a business organisation. In the case it says: “Every week, there are unexpected visits to plants and offices…..” This is one of the Jack’s ways of getting to know employees. “We’re pebbles in the ocean, but he knows about us.” – (Case). All these above has showed that he would give the power his employees but on the other hand, he needed to know that particular person well enough to trust him/she, that he/she has the abilities for the job. Another important aspect of this process is the Work-out (The GE Work-Out). Where thousands of GE employees get an opportunity to share their ideas and thoughts, even lower-levels of the organisation can suggest and share their ideas to the bosses. This empowerment concept has been greatly favoured by Jack, it not only simply provide the employees opportunities to speak up, most importantly is when their ideas count, their dignity is raised, they will feel important other than feeling numb, like robots working in a factory. “They are written to inspire and motivate as often as to stir and demand action. Two years ago, for example......” – (Appendix 2). Jack’s way of motivate are unique and effective. “Motivation in the workplace isn't about what you do for your employees; it's about the work you empower your employees to do for you.” – (Appendix 3). Motivated employees take more responsibility for their work, so when relating this to staff empowerment, motivated employees are more likely to be able to handle situations and problems immediately and correctly, making their own right decisions which will benefit the organisation. “This place is run by its great people,” says Welch. “The biggest accomplishment I’ve had is t find great people, an army of them. They are all better than most CEOs. They are big hitter, and they seem to thrive there.” Jack does not see himself as a manager but sees more as an assistant. A person who finds the right people and put them in the right jobs and provide them with the best allocating resources they needed. As a leader, he has faith and trusted the people whom he recruited. He believes that in order to enable his leaders to contribute their best effort at work, he needed to free managers to manage and to empower them to flourish and grow. He gave them the power to make decisions and to contribute ideas and organize their own workdays. And let them perform. For example: “I don’t know how to build an aircraft engine,….. I don’t know what should run on NBC at 9a.m…… I don’t really want to be in that business, but the guy who brought me that idea wanted to be in it, and I trust him. He’ll take it and make it work.” This has showed that he would give the power his employees but on the other hand, he needed to know that particular person well enough to trust him/she, that he/she has the abilities for the job. (ref: case) He believed ‘managing less’ means that leaders would have more time to think big thought and be more creative means more time to help GE reach the next level. “What he wanted is “Relax!” Stop getting in people’s way, cut them some slack. Stop looking over their shoulders. “Let them perform.”” Welch. 2003, p13.) Effective leaders don’t only know how to use all the brain they have, but are also good at using all the brains they can borrow. Jack Welch engages employees and encourages them to speak up and offer ideas to improve the work process. It improves overall decision-making, which lets the organization become more responsive, a real competitive advantage in today's marketplace. References GE WORK-OUT – Creating the spirit of the Start-Up Firm in a Large, Complex one. By Vadim Kotelnikov. Retrieved 9th June, 2009 from: (http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/cs_change-mgmt_ge_work-out.html) Slater, R. (2003). 29 Leadership Secrets From Jack Welch. New York: Tata McGraw Hill. Appendix 1 HOW JACK WELCH RUNS GE He believes he has to know people well enough to trust them and their judgments. ''I don't know how to build an aircraft engine,'' he says. ''I don't know what should run on NBC at 9 p.m. on Thursday nights. We're in the cat-and-dog insurance business in England. I don't really want to be in that business, but the guy who brought me that idea wanted to be in it, and I trust him. He'll take it and make it work.'' Appendix 2 They are written to inspire and motivate as often as to stir and demand action. Two years ago, for example, Woodburn turned down a promotion from Welch that would have required a transfer because he didn't want to move his teenage daughter out of school. Woodburn does not report directly to Welch but to Gary L. Rogers, CEO of GE Plastics. Yet Welch spoke to Woodburn about the decision on the telephone and within a day dashed off a personal note to him. ''Bill,'' wrote Welch, ''we like you for a lot of reasons--one of them is that you are a very special person. You proved it again this morning. Good for you and your lucky family. Make Diamonds a great business and keep your priorities straight.'' To Woodburn, the note was an important gesture. ''It showed me he cared about me not as a manager but as a person,'' he says. ''That means a lot.'' Appendix 3