Many leaders decide to show their confidence in their employees’ abilities and acknowledge their hard work by granting them autonomy. Though well-meaning, leaders can sometimes hand over the reins to an employee who isn’t ready to accept the responsibility. When employee autonomy is granted prematurely, it can lead to poor outcomes for the employee, team and organization. Leaders need to understand their employees’ time to autonomy and provide the appropriate support and guidance along the way to drive successful outcomes.
Looking to empower their employee, a leader decides to give the employee complete ownership of a project, taking a hands-off approach to give them the freedom to drive it. A few weeks later, the leader expects the project to be closer to completion, but in reality, the project is marred by confusion over objectives and missed deadlines.
This workplace scenario is an example of leaders assuming autonomy equals empowerment, a common misstep in leadership. Autonomy can lead to empowerment when employees can use their skills to achieve results, contribute to organizational goals and take ownership of their work.
However, employee autonomy has a fine line between empowerment and unstructured independence. Autonomy without preparation, structure and support is not empowering but destabilizing, with detrimental results for not only the employee but also the team and entire organization.
Assigning autonomy before employees are ready for the responsibility can be more damaging than anything. When autonomy is granted too early or without proper preparation, it can cause:
Remember, employee autonomy doesn’t mean that leaders need to be completely hands-off and let their employees make all decisions independently. Leaders should provide structured autonomy by offering support, confirmation and validation along the way.
It’s critical that leaders know if their employees are ready for autonomy before giving them these responsibilities. Leaders can avoid the consequences of premature autonomy by consistently assessing their employees’ level of readiness. Performance Readiness® is one of the most effective ways leaders can ensure they assess where their team is at and determine whether they are ready for autonomy. If not, they’ll be able to identify and provide the exact amount of support and direction their team members need in order to prepare for autonomy in the future.
Keep in mind that, though a team member may be capable of being autonomous, they may not yet be able to accept independence. Many leaders make the mistake of confusing capability with ability, thinking that an employee’s potential leads to foregone conclusions about their performance. While an employee may appear confident or seem capable of taking on more responsibilities, in reality, they may not be prepared for autonomy yet.
Capable employees demonstrate potential to become autonomous in the future. Leaders can cultivate capability, turning it into the ability to build sustainable performance that prepares employees for more autonomy.
Employee autonomy can motivate team members to deliver their best work, develop leadership skills and guide their team to greater success. However, empowerment results from development, not unwarranted delegation. Part of delegation is understanding when employees are properly prepared for and have earned autonomy.
Leaders can decide when and how to grant their employees autonomy by assessing their Performance Readiness®. This assessment allows leaders to ensure autonomy is granted only when it’s earned and when the team member is ready for it. The Situational Leadership® Essentials course from The Center for Leadership Studies (CLS) teaches leaders how to assess Performance Readiness® and adjust their leadership style based on what the employee needs to succeed, so they can pave the way for future autonomy.
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