business grinds

Question 1

benefits of empowering employees

Answer 1

•improved decision making
•quicker decisions
•employees more responsive to needs of customers
•personal touch with customers

Question 2

improved decision making
(employee empowerment)

Answer 2

control in hands of employees, use their greater skills and knowledge for benefit of business

Question 3

quicker decisions
(employee empowerment)

Answer 3

don’t have to constantly refer to superior for their input, which slows down decisions and disrupts their work

Question 4

employees more responsive to customer needs
(employee empowerment)

Answer 4

improved their skills and initiative as they come up with ideas to solve issues with customers leading to more satisfied customers

Question 5

personal touch with customers
(employee empowerment)

Answer 5

as they feel more cared for and that staff are interested in their case personally rather than giving same answer to all customers

Question 6

risks of empowering employees

Answer 6

•mistakes
•damaged reputation
•stress
•demotivate
•possible bad decision making

Question 7

mistakes
(employee empowerment)

Answer 7

if empowerment is introduced without adequate training the risk of mistakes increases

Question 8

damaged rep
(employee empowerment)

Answer 8

staff may make errors without management knowing leading to possibly a damaged rep of business with customers

Question 9

stress
(employee empowerment)

Answer 9

some employees (eg students, part timers) may be unhappy with the extra responsibility and/or lack training leading to added stress

Question 10

demotivate
(employee empowerment)

Answer 10

the stress may demotivate employees as they feel under too much pressure in their position

Question 11

possible bad decision making
(employee empowerment)

Answer 11

lack of control and day to day supervision may encourage done empowered employees to take unnecessary risks, leading to bad decisions

Question 12

storming

Answer 12

members try to establish their positions in the team, leading to tension and conflict as the members ideas/actions/views are challenged

Question 13

norming

Answer 13

ground rules and procedures are agreed and there’s an increased focus in the task at hand
team member’s trust each other and the groups way of working together emerges