employee initiative

Employee Initiative:How to Make It Happen

© 2012 Advantage Caribbean Institute Ltd.

Course objectives

• Create a shared vision and mission statement

• Identify and overcome obstacles to empowerment

• Perform the steps of completed staff work• Practice systematic analysis• Establish meaningful accountability

measures


Empowerment


Building ownership

• See it

• Own it

• Solve it

• Do it


Sharing information

• Good decisions depend on good information

• Responsibilities without information is a recipe for failure


Challenging types

• Afraid of failure• Stuck in their

old ways

• Unmotivated• Happy doing

exactly what they’re doing


Examples of unspoken norms

• “Taking risks is avoided because mistakes are frowned upon.”

• Creative thinking is suppressed because the boss rewards consistency and stability.”


CSW philosophy

• Answers, not questions• Solutions, not problems• Recommendations, not alternatives• Facts, not assumptions• Reasons, not excuses• Suggestions, not complaints• Specifics, not generalities• Brevity, not superfluous detail


Essential skills for CSW

• Self-management/time management

• Problem solving (individual and group)

• Decision making (individual and group)

• Negotiation• Conflict resolution• Team player attitude


Details that constitute CSW

• Cover letter in your boss’s name

• Extra copies already made• Materials three-hole

punched if appropriate• Mailing labels made• Meeting(s) set up• Copies distributed


Summary statement

• Describe the problem/situation• Explain the effects on the organization• State your recommendation and why you selected

that solution


Don’t leave anything for your boss to do except sign his/her name


Accountability system

• Measures the right thing• Provides feedback• Uses principles of self-correction


James Burke, former CEO of Johnson and Johnson, has observed that the ultimate measure of an organization's success is the extent to which it "serves all of its constituencies better than its competition."

PBS Video, 1995

Specific or general?

1. James led three successful brainstorming sessions with his team.

2. Margaret is really stressed out and can’t do her job.

3. Charles’ top priority is watching out for himself.

4. Gail is the glue that holds this team together.

5. Scott missed two meetings in the past two weeks.


employee initiative

Education

advantage caribbean

csw cover letter

csw philosophy answers

information good

james burke

principles of selfcorrection

bosssname extra copies

practice systematic