Don’t Choose One Tactic and Expect Success

It takes more than one action to empower your employees.  As simple (and obvious!) as that sounds, it’s what struck me the most while writing yesterday’s post on enabling your employees.  Maybe a better way to structure the post would be to highlight tactics by company since each of the companies I included–King Arthur’s Flour, New Belgium Brewing Company, Linden Labs, Patagonia and Zappos–use a minimum of three strategies to empower employees.

Even if started on a whim or without design, the companies that truly empower their employees build it into their decision-making criteria and bake it into their strategy for innovation or sustainability.  They don’t choose one tactic and expect success.

It’s inaccurate to say “I practice yoga” if all I do is downward dog.  Yoga is a combination of poses and mental discipline, which together make up the practice.  Enfranchising your employees is no different.

Possibly related posts:

1. The Success of Your Company’s Mission Hinges On The Answer To “What’s Your Job?”
2. An Untapped Tactic to Boost Your Company’s Social Mission–With Alice Korngold
3. Choose Your Own Cause-Marketing Ending