Get clear on what is expected of you. The first step to feeling more empowered is to determine your direction. Be clear about your company’s mission, vision and annual goals.

Work with your manager to understand how your team and individual goals this year are helping to achieve broader organizational goals. Make it your personal responsibility for your current position and any position you are working in available and review it regularly.

Find a mentor.  Working with a mentor can help you define and achieve personal career goals, including increased empowerment in the workplace. Ideally, you should find a mentor who is in your industry or who has a job that you would like to find someday. Ask them for their honest feedback about your strengths and areas for improvement over time.

Ask for consistent feedback.  The best way to improve your skills and professional growth is to seek feedback from those who know your job. Seek feedback from your boss and coworkers to get an overall picture of your performance. It can help you take control of your personal growth at work by understanding exactly what you are good at and what you need to improve.

Communicate with your supervisor. Your most powerful advocate at work will likely be your supervisor or direct manager. They are responsible for your performance at work and want to see you successful and satisfied in your role. Talk to them about your desire to feel more empowered at work and discuss ways you can make this a career goal.

Building trust
Sometimes, we need to trust others to complete certain tasks or have certain goals without much supervision. While it may sometimes feel uncomfortable to give others this strength, especially if you take responsibility for their mistakes, it is absolutely necessary to build empowerment.

Everyone makes mistakes. It’s important to allow people to learn from them and move forward without losing confidence. If you’re a manager, it’s important to give employees the benefit of the doubt if they make a mistake, especially at the start. Tell your report that it is acceptable and that some errors are expected.

Asking for feedback
One of the best ways to empower others is to ask them what they need – especially if you are a manager or supervisor. Whether they don’t feel empowered as a result of micromanagement or don’t have access to certain information, opening these lines of communication will increase empowerment for everyone.

Offer instruction
If one employee is in a unique position to figure out how to do a task that no one else knows, they end up spending a lot of time solving other people’s problems. In these situations, it is often better and quicker for everyone involved to create instructions or conduct training sessions so that every employee has the same understanding.

You will find that many people would rather have the information they need to do the job themselves than have to pass it on to others. Share knowledge among employees to create an independent environment.

Simplify discovery
Creating materials is a big step in empowering your employees, but it only works if there are simple ways for other employees to find and use the information. The best way to educate a team on how to get the job done on their own is to publish instructions in a common room that everyone has access to.

If you take the time to provide employees with a simple, direct way to access the information they need and educate themselves, everyone is more productive. People who need certain information can find it, and people who have information do not spend their time teaching others.

Show your appreciation

One of the most effective ways to empower others is to express appreciation for their efforts. Offering positive feedback to show responsibility and take ownership supports this behavior. It also makes people feel valued and valued, which fosters a positive work environment.

Recognizing limitations
While offering others more responsibility and information can make them feel empowered, it can also make them feel overwhelmed if not done right. Part of successful empowerment is identifying other people’s limitations and making sure they don’t feel tired or responsible for tasks that don’t contribute to achieving the goals for their position.