Employee Enablement: What it is and why it's important

Brenda (not her real name) was sent to me for coaching by her supervisor Joey. They both worked for a company that supplied precision parts for most major airlines. I was familiar with the company as I had run offsites for their senior team. Brenda supervised a six-person group who was responsible for quality control, a critical step before the parts were sent to customers. Joey told me that lately he noticed that Brenda seemed distracted which had resulted in some of her teammates missing critical defects, even after they had installed AI agents especially designed to help catch flaws.

I was able to see Brenda in person. When I asked her why she thought Joey had asked her to visit with him, she expressed frustration and said “I’ve become very frustrated with my job in the last several months and it has nothing to do with the use of AI. My team and I have integrated that well into our workflow. I’d become anxious about quick decisions my team member needs answers to from customers. I seemed to always be busy, yet I don’t seem to be making much progress on the projects Joey gives me or other requests from senior management. That overload has me fearful of making mistakes.”
I had heard this before with other corporate clients. I began explain the concept of employee enablement. This is defined as the extent to which an employee has the tools, resources, skills, clarity, and autonomy to perform their work efficiently. Researchers define it as the psychological state where a person has autonomy, competence, and the dedication to convert their involvement into results. I told Brenda that we would work together with Joey so that she would experience greater ownership of her job, be able to innovate with her team, share ideas with others in the company, and feel encouraged to take initiative when she saw opportunities to improve how work was accomplished to serve customers and improve the way the company performed. Brenda’s face lit up and she said she was eager to move forward.
At first Joey was a bit skeptical when I suggested the three of us meet. He relaxed when Brenda distributed a handout I had prepared on employee enablement. We walked through the 5 drivers which are applicable to any industry and position:
· Clarity: Clear goals, priorities, accountabilities, and timeframes.
· Capability: Skills, training, and judgment.
· Tools and Systems: Technology that reduces friction and improves a process.
· Autonomy: The ability to make decisions within certain parameters.
​· Support: Coaching and openness to feedback.
I suggested that Brenda and Joey schedule a meeting to discuss employee enablement with the CEO who I knew would be receptive as he is a life-long learner and supports employee development.
Brenda called me on the phone and told me the meeting had gone very well. The CEO named Mark called me and asked if I would come in and lead a one-day workshop for his team and other managers to discuss how employee enablement could become one of their best practices and help them continue to be the supplier of choice within their industry.