What is the common denominator of all companies? Whatever type of organization is managed, they all have something in common, and that is that they work with people, people who have needs, desires, goals and objectives that they seek to cover or achieve, and that without a doubt, the work or work that performed in a company, it is always focused on wanting to satisfy those elements.
The way in which companies are currently managed, emphasize aspects that were not even taken into account before, and that are currently vital steps to achieve business success, factors such as human capital, the way in which which is given importance to each of the people who have a relationship with the industry, and the way in which they are instructed, prepared, educated and trained to be able to face the challenges that life currently puts in front of each individual.
There are tools or strategies that allow the necessary support, by a company or organization, to each individual who works in the different sectors or departments in which they are divided, to name a few, reference is made to "Coaching" and to "Empowerment" that are key tools to achieve maximum performance by the human resource, and that will focus on the search for success. For this reason, for a company, whatever the branch in which it works, it is an investment that is worth making, jointly, in order to favor the performance of each person present in the organization.
Working together.
The "Coaching" and the "Empowerment" are new methodologies that allow to focus the efforts of the people who work in a company, to look for the success of the same, as well as to improve their job quality.
These two concepts are born from ideas, which have been used in the industry for several years, derived from total quality control, the just-in-time system, Reengineering, production requirements, among others. It arises with the need that managers are not always aware if their staff is working correctly, if there is little or no control over the work they do, whether or not there is a motivation for issues related to their functions or if it is only seen as an obligation rather than an action they like to do. This type of personnel only gives importance to their salary, their vacations, their benefits and pensions, and they are rarely interested in their collaborators, or in the company itself.
Before these needs that arise and that in problematic situations, can greatly affect the operation or production of the company, these new ideas arise that seek to generate a change in the way of thinking and acting of workers in different business sectors.
Coaching in companies.
The so-called “Coaching” is a strategy that allows to develop the potential of the personnel of an organization, favoring the promotion of leadership and the improvement of performance. Currently it is necessary for a supervisor to change her status and become a facilitator. Its main responsibility is the development of employees, through training, encouragement and, above all, trust. Communication is also a very important factor, because through it, information channels can be created, allowing the exchange of ideas, suggestions, needs, complaints, etc.
There is also the concept that Coaching is a system in which processes, systems, concepts, work tools and human resources are included, thus forming a form of leadership, personnel selection and creation of groups or work teams.
Currently, this strategy continues to be perfected, with the aim of meeting the needs and requirements that companies have around it. Poves (2005) defined Coaching as a personalized training process, which directs one or several people, to fulfill the objectives that have been proposed. It is applied to improve the quality of life, personal and work, highlighting situation or aspects that can be improved, by applying defined tools or concepts.
Benefits of investing resources in "Coaching"
- It allows to promote in the human resource the factor of production of positive results, helping to improve the performance and performance of their tasks, increasing productivity and the quality of the service that is given. It develops the potential of the personnel that works, reporting on the responsibilities of those that can perform better or have the best possibility of greater progress. It improves the communication ties within the organization, as it improves the flow of information that exists between the different departments. It allows to generate a leadership character in the personnel such as managers and supervisors. Helps to develop the motivation and enthusiasm of the staff, to be able to work in groups or teams correctly. It increases the level of commitment that the staff has around the company, and the fulfillment of its objectives.
A good Empowerment helps a lot.
For its part, the "Empowerment" favors the change in the balance of responsibilities in a company. The organization allows employees to have a certain degree of influence and power in their work area, without the need or obligation to repeatedly request permission to act. In other words, this strategy seeks to delegate responsibilities and authority to the employee and the opportunity to fulfill their specific tasks, with the ability to make decisions that can be reflected in their development.
In other words, "Empowerment" is the way in which responsibilities can be distributed to subordinates or work colleagues. It could be confused with the task of delegating responsibilities only, however, this process involves some differences that characterize it in a special way.
- When a task is delegated, only one task is being transferred to another person, but the responsibility remains with the manager.
In the “Empowerment” strategy, the aim is to transfer full responsibilities for the tasks and the way in which decisions are made.
- In this strategy, one of the bases on which any action will be based is trust. You have to trust the decisions made, and the people in whom the work is being distributed. Delegating is a unique process, instead, the "Empowerment" is managed as a continuous process.
For Johann Johnson, the "Empowerment" strategy can be defined as: "The act of delegating power and authority to subordinates and giving them the feeling that they own their own work." And indeed this definition encompasses the process by which this work tool is handled.
The General Manager of Expreso SA defines this process as a concept, a philosophy or a way in which a company can be managed, in such a way that all the resources that the organization has are related, such as capital, technology, equipment, resources human etc.
Avellán (2004) mentions some of the characteristics that are necessary for a Coaching strategy, that it works in the correct way and can give great results within a company. Features such as:
- It is necessary to implement or improve the relationships that exist between collaborators, since it is a job that will be carried out as a team, promoting individual learning, and it requires an agreed operation according to the rhythm of the personnel involved. they are obtained through observation processes, reporting the perception of behaviors by the human resource. This is favored with a high degree of objectivity of the facts presented. Golman (1995) assures that the facts reflect in a great way, in what a person becomes, and this is very much what is represented in Coaching, it is completely focused on the actions of the staff and that at the same time, can be improved as much as possible.In this way, emphasis can be placed on the aspects that are handled in Coaching, in terms of the description within the company. It also entails a mutual responsibility between the supervisor and the company's human resources, to work together in the promotion development and continuous improvement in performance that exists within the company.
Elements of a good Empowerment.
For this methodology to be carried out, it is necessary to have as a basis, some elements, on the part of the parties that will be involved:
- Responsibility for results.
It is undoubtedly a sad reality in companies, and in society in general, that when adverse results occur, very few people take responsibility for what is happening. Therefore, it is necessary that anyone who receives a specific responsibility or task, becomes a participant and responsible for the results that are produced.
- Power for decision making.
A concept that needs to be managed is knowing how to direct staff or resources, without a doubt, leadership must be a fundamental characteristic.
- Material resources for the execution.
If a person is given control of their work or work area, they must be aware of the resources at hand to carry out their specific tasks, without this knowledge decisions can be made or projects can be planned, which can hardly be met due to lack of resources.
- Necessary information and knowledge.
Ignorance is not the same as innocence, therefore the parties involved in the “Empowerment” must have a broad knowledge of the factors that are involved in the task or tasks assigned to them, such as: time, budget, human resources, material used, care, needs, etc.
- Professional competence of the empowered subject.
Undoubtedly, professional ethics and the desire for personal and work improvement are concepts that must be present at all times, and with which people must constantly guide themselves.
Koontz and Weichrich's theory.
There is a theory that shows in a mathematical or objective way, the process that this tool must follow, for its correct application and interpretation in a company. According to Weichrich and Koontz, the way to proceed is to:
- (P = R) Power = Responsibility. This indicates that the power that a person is going to receive or is going to be given, must be equal to the responsibilities that she will receive. (P> R) If the power is greater than the responsibilities, the person in charge, who.
For this reason, it is necessary that the distribution of these two factors be in a balanced and correct way, and in the same way, a specific methodology must be followed that marks the stage of implementation of the “Empowerment” that is being worked on.
The following list indicates the principles on which the strategy is based, as well as a suggested methodology for its application:
- Assign the different responsibilities in the tasks to be carried out Assign authority and responsibility over the activities Define which are the standards of excellence to be followed Give and provide necessary training to achieve the objectives of the quality standard Provide the necessary information, as well as the specific knowledge of the tasks and authorities that are going to be given Give feedback, indicating how the performance and operation of the strategy has been, as well as of the people involved Observe and recognize the achievements that are going Reaching out.Total trust in the employee (s).Giving spaces, so that the process can be carried out without any setback. Collaborating with dignity and respect.
And like some other strategies that are adopted in the business sector, to improve any type of process and administrative aspect, the correct application can bring to the organization a series of competitive advantages such as:
- Innovation and creativity are promoted. There is more clarity when making important decisions, since they are carried out as a team. Jobs are diversified. This process requires vitally, trained workers to assume the weight of the responsibilities that They will acquire. The parties involved have a sense of responsibility not only for the work they do, but also for a commitment to seeing the company run better. The individual involved can actively solve problems rather than duplicate or generate more orders. Work teams improve their performance when they reach higher levels of productivity and take initiatives on correct actions. The company is structured in such a way that it can facilitate the task of its members,so that they can do not only what is asked of them, but what is needed. Communication channels are improved, so that information arrives clearly and precisely in order to be processed and interpreted. Leadership encourages participation. The leader becomes democratic, creating the conditions for knowledge, that is, he takes into account the opinion of others, and does not impose his criteria. Self-discipline and commitment on the part of team members, work constantly. respect and recognition of ideas is clearly encouraged, helping each collaborator feel confident to participate.Leadership encourages participation. The leader becomes democratic, creating the conditions for knowledge, that is, he takes into account the opinion of others, and does not impose his criteria. Self-discipline and commitment on the part of team members, works constantly. Respect and recognition of ideas is clearly promoted, helping each collaborator feel confident to participate.Leadership encourages participation. The leader becomes democratic, creating the conditions for knowledge, that is, he takes into account the opinion of others, and does not impose his criteria. Self-discipline and commitment on the part of team members, works constantly. Respect and recognition of ideas is clearly promoted, helping each collaborator feel confident to participate.
The Empowerment seeks to redefine the way in which an organization or a company controls its human resources, and for it to be achieved effectively, it is necessary to take into account three aspects that are very important: Relationships, discipline and commitment. The first point refers to the ties that unite the staff must be efficient and effective in order to achieve the objectives that the company has set, and that they are managed individually in each area of the company, in the same way they must be solid, to be able to resist the passage of time. In the aspect of discipline, the aim is to promote the order that exists, in which people develop in the workplace and that can clearly specify the roles, responsibilities and positions of each of them.For its part, the commitment refers to the loyalty, energy and persistence in the actions of people within the organization, in each of the activities it carries out.
The steps to follow in order to obtain the best results are the following:
- Obtain the support of the higher hierarchies of the company. Have a clear vision of the project, and make it known to the parties involved. Define the approach in which you are going to work, together with the strategies and values that you are going to seek to follow. each of the participants. Promote in the organization, the concepts of leadership, delegation and teamwork. Develop clearly and precisely the jobs, with the different factors that this indicates. Have and disseminate the objectives that are the company, making known what is expected of each person involved. Apply the feedback system in the system. Design and apply performance management systems. Define which are the variable remuneration systems to be had.
Conclusion.
On some occasions, the performance and function of the personnel that work within an institution is not sufficiently supported to be able to motivate them to carry out their responsibilities in a certain way. There is also the possibility that there is no clear guide that allows the human resource to fully understand the importance of its position within the organization, and with this in mind, there is no feeling of belonging or commitment to the company.
Therefore, these two strategies allow to foster a culture of change, and an action that can direct the personnel to develop their activities, under an approach of total commitment to the company, and this will lead to being able to comply more quickly and effectively with the objectives proposed by the organization.
The distribution of responsibilities helps to generate a sense of belonging and importance in people, since they can see more clearly their participation in projects or in meeting objectives, which can undoubtedly be achieved by taking advantage of the benefits generated by the coaching and empowerment.
Thesis proposal.
Implement a coaching and empowerment system together, in a local company, looking for the limits in which the staff favors the acquisition of responsibilities.
Objective.
Promote a culture of leadership, motivation and responsibility in the personnel of a company, locating the crucial points of the implementation of a coaching and empowerment system.
Bibliographic references.
- Loida Avilés Quiñones, Jorge J. Centeno Morales, Diana Gonzaléz Tosado, Brunilda Nieves Pérez, Gloria Santiago Agosto. (2006). How «Coaching» and «Empowerment» contribute to improve performance in organizations. Puerto Rico: Universidad Metropolitana.Acosta Carrión Xochitl, Piña Muñoz Pablo Ernesto. (2013). COACHING AND EMPOWERMENT APPLIED TO WORK TEAMS. Juan Sarabia, Quintana Roo: Technological Institute of the Maya Zone, Aida López García. (2008). Empowerment application as a world-class tool for business management. Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo: Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo.Lammoglia Viridiana. (2013, July 11). Coaching and empowerment applied to work teams. Recovered from
