Frank, on June 8 you wrote,
> As odd as it may seem, I would like to know more about Empowerment which I
> thought until recently that it meant 'getting/allowing people to be more
> autonomous'. Would that be a good definition ? Or what would your
> definition be ? I only see the word written, and lack the context that
> would help me grasp the real meaning (if any).
Doesn't seem odd to me at all. It's one of those words whose definition
is elusive, and for which there may not be a common mental model among
users.
> Do you consider it as yet another fad ?
It has certainly seemed to be a fad, and sometimes an excuse, particularly
when used in the "transitive" sense: that is, someone, usually with
greater organizational power, declares that by "giving away" some of that
power, they are "empowering" people lower in the hierarchy to do something
by themselves which they formerly needed permission to accomplish.
>From my point of view, it's not possible to "empower" another person,
since this relies on a transactional model that implies that power is a
limited quantity to be shared out at the whim of the powerful. Instead, I
would suggest that empowerment only truly occurs when people (in an
organization or not) find themselves in a position to claim and exercise
the "power" [authority, responsibility, creativity, etc.] that is already
within them. From this perspective, management's task is to use _its_
power/authority to create the system conditions which will allow others to
claim their own empowerment.
I'll stop there, as I suspect others can/will say this more eloquently,
and as well challenge us to improve it.
> I am also searching for references on Empowerment. What are the major
> books you would recommend on the subject ?
Anything by Peter Block.
Thanks for asking; I'll look forward to hearing from others, and to your
promised summary
--Malcolm Burson "Still looking for a new position" mooney@maine.maine.edu Malcolm Burson
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