5 Ways to Empower Employees

What is empowerment?  To empower is to give power to someone else, hence taking it away from yourself or someone else, and giving it to them.  In the context of a job, it usually means giving 'ownership' of a task or project to someone and then stepping back.  You will still have to do work, but you will only do work that the empowered one asks of you.  There  is plenty of research that shows the benefits to Morale, Productivity, and Results by empowering employees.  In fact, I've written about this before in my green & clean post, but this article will give you 5 methods to empower employees, that maybe you never thought of before.

1. Be Explicit
You can't empower someone without both letting that person know, they are in charge, and really also the entire organization.   Here's a great way to do it by email:  "Hello everyone, just want everyone to know that I'm stepping away from Project X and putting XXX in charge.  She/He's empowered to take all actions necessary to get the job done within the approved budget."

2. Set Boundaries
Empowerment can be daunting, especially when it's used infrequently, for the first time, or with new employees.  In these cases, it's best to set boundaries!  Set a budget, explain the goals very clearly, explain what all the resources available are, and be sure to include yourself in those available resources.

3. Help Prioritize
In any organization, there is usually a lot going on, so much so that many employees feel overwhelmed and not sure what to work on in any given moment.  You can help by being clear with each individual what their priorities should be.   If you have projects that just need "a little attention each day" set a specific amount of time you think would be appropriate.  In general, set a clear priority to all work/tasks and try not to change it.  Remember, something you are empowered to do, will naturally be a higher priority.

4. Be Supportive
Supporting means touching base and reminding the person who is empowered of their resources (including you).  The more junior the empowered person, the more you should touch base.

5. Don't Take it Back!
Yes, you should be measuring and tracking results, but when things aren't going how you think they should, RESIST the temptation to jump in and take over.  If you do, you've destroyed empowerment, and it's hard to get it back.  They'll always know that you could jump in at any time, and start to expect it if they fail.  You have to let them fail, if its going to fail.  This is the hardest, why?  Because you know you can do it, and probably better... but YOU MUST RESIST!  Just offer support, help prioritize, and get out of the way.  Long term, if there is a performance issue, you can address it later, for now, don't break the empowerment you gave, or it will kill your credibility.

Getting a Job in a Startup

Recently, I have noticed a few misconceptions and confusions about getting a job at a startup.

Dollhouse

A startup is not like a dollhouse!  It is not simply a smaller version of a house (e.g. like a dollhouse).  A startup is not a small version of a company.  There are usually no departments (it's almost always 1 person per role).  There is no such thing as "that's not my job", everyone does whatever is needed at a startup, and that can change week-by-week.   So, stop thinking you can apply to be the "strategic financial analyst" for a startup.  That job doesn't exist, be the CFO or Direct of Marketing instead... since those titles mean "you do everything".

That said, there are two phases where you can join a startup, the founding phase, and the funded phase.

Founding Phase 

In this phase, you are too early to get paid.  You won't.  There is no money.
However, you will be able to call yourself a "cofounder", and you will (or should) get stock.  A "founders share" which is somewhere between 10-20% or so.

The key here is believing and showing that for now, you can you do the whole thing!  What thing?
One of four roles:

1. Technical - you can build the prototype (yourself, no help)
2. Sales - closing deals, has a network in the industry and can get the sale. (especially important in B2B companies)
3. Marketing - All aspects of marketing, including "making the website look pretty" along with: target customer, research, brand, design, lead generation (especially in B2B), content, business cards, etc.  Also, Sales, in the case of B2C (because sales and marketing are basically the same thing in B2C direct startups)
4. Finance/Ops (rare) - this is not often needed, but sometimes a founder needs help with finance/ops.  You'll have to do it all: accounting, finance, planning, manufacturing, legal, etc. (FYI: the original idea person is the founder, the others are cofounders)

By the way, yes, you can work a side-job during this phase, but usually at least 1 of you needs to be "full-time" on it. (or you won't get hungry enough to make it actually launch)

Funded Phase 

During this phase, you get "hired", and have to "interview".  You have to"apply" to a job opening.  Good news is, you will get paid (usually less than market rates).  Bad news is, you will not get "much" stock (just a few stock options, like less than 1/4percent, maybe more if you are an executive).

How do you get a job in the funded phase?

1. Know your role: in this phase, it's still about what you can do for the company... it has to fit into a box of either: sales, marketing, tech, or ops.  And you have to be willing (and eager) to do anything "legal" to help the company succeed, including get coffee/etc.
2. Find the job: by networking for sure, but even more so, just by looking on LinkedIn or even craigslist.  Find the open position somehow!  Then apply to it.  By resume, usually, and even better by referral (hence the networking).  Make sure the referral has your resume too though, even startups use those.
3. Interview: yep. You'll have to do that.  We're looking for passion, excitement, and SHOW US how you "have done this job before".  That is critical.  Don't apply for a job at a startup that you've never done... we don't (usually) have time to train you.

Transitioning from Founding to Funded Phase

Not all the cofounders join the company in a "paid role" once you get funded.  Usually just 1 or 2 do, then more as the company grows.  Some cofounders never get a paying job out of it... and that's normal.  (hey you get to keep your stock though, at least whatever % you have vested).

Why Startup vs. Enterprise/Big Company

Simply because it is more fun.  Why?  Because you get to do more things!  Everyone is passionate. And most importantly, what you do matters (to the big picture of the company)!

So, get out there, apply already, and have fun doing it!