A few thoughts stimulated by the Empowerment thread
For me empowerment has two components:
The first is inside the person who becomes (feels) "empowered" (the
"empoweree"?)- they simply feel able, know how and are motivated to take
action to achieve a goal. The territory of empowerment is limited by
their mental models.
The second is the person(s) ("empowereer") able to stimulate (by action,
word etc) the feeling inside the "empoweree"
The two protagonists however exist in an ongoing relationship
The keys to increasing the feeling and effects of "empowerment" then would
be
- to develop "empoweree's" ability to see and modify their own mental
models
and
- to develop the "empowerer's" skill in defining and encouraging the
empoweree to take more control of their mental models in achieving a goal
The intresting dynamic that may then occur is for the "empoweree" to
challenge, or at least question the empowerers right to empower! This
creates a mutual learning dynamic (growth) an generative learning loop.
The model explains why just saying you to someone " you are now empowered"
seldom works. They need to feel it, and they will only feel it if their
mental models become modified.
I would be interested in any critiques of this model?
Regards
Martin Silcock
--Martin Silcock <msilcock@wagstaffs.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>