Challenges for EE and High Performing Teams

While much benefit can be gained from EE in the workplace and its relationship and impact for high performing teams, there are some potential challenges, hazards, and drawbacks. These could be summarized as “proceed with caution” advice for organizations.

First, as far as boundaries within EE practices, and in particular the more open boundaries within virtual teams, Blanchard et al.¹ note that one major problem that results from them is with the freedom that results within these boundaries, as people exercise their empowerment and freedom poorly. They go on to note that “empowerment is a new world for most people, and their lack of empowerment competence must be addressed.”² Other emerging challenges related to empowerment and teams in a global context, both “face to face” and virtual teams. are arising. Ashkenas, Ulrich, Jick, & Kerr³ speak about the following issues and challenges:

• Teamwork across different cultures in relation to overcoming cultural biases, stereotypes, and fears
• Teamwork and communication issues due to language and world view differences
• Collaborating (being a highly effective team) with former “competitors” within an organization or between organizations

Recommendations for EE and High Performing Teams

As far as solutions in light of the challenges ahead, two concrete recommendations are offered:

• First, organizational empowerment practices and boundaries within “face to face” and virtual contexts need to be clearly and ”compellingly” communicated by the organizational vision.⁴
• The continuing and developing stages of EE and virtual team models within an organization need to have some continual level of accountability and nurture for it to succeed. Katzenbach & Smith speak about mutual accountability and team accountability and its benefit for teams. As far as EE, Blanchard et. al state that EE can seem as if it is “supposed to” just let the employees alone. However, they go on to state that the process of EE is not smooth and that employees and organizations need at times a “firm and inspiring description of the land of empowerment, towards which they are headed.”⁵ One internet dialogue in relation to EE practices noted “Empowering people by eliminating fear and giving them a clear vision does not necessarily require subordination of self, abdication of visible authority.”⁶ Moreover, in an article “The Uncompromising Leader,” the authors note that “concern for the firm’s people, culture, and heritage can all too easily slide into complacency, inward focus, and loss of competitive vitality.”⁷ They go on to state that leaders of “high commitment, high performance organizations refuse to choose between people and profits.”⁸ As applied to EE practices and virtual teams, there must be balance between empowering people and some level of continual nurture, accountability, and leadership to the EE practices. Moreover, while not encroaching and infringing on the empowerment of the employees, aspects of accountability, nurture, and leadership serve to motivate, equip, aid, and guide employees in their continual endeavors. Ultimately, Bossidy, Charan, and Burck state that “the leader who boasts of her hands-off style or puts her faith in empowerment is not dealing with the issues of the day.”⁹

1. Blanchard, K., Carlos, J.P., & Randolph, A. (2001b). The 3 keys to empowerment. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. [↩]
2. Blanchard, Carlos, and Randolph, p. 79 [↩]
3. Ashkenas, R., Ulrich, D., Jick, T.,& Kerr, S.<(2008). The Boundaryless organizations: Rising to the Challenges of Global Leadership. In J.V. Gallos (Ed.), Business leadership (pp. 87-98). San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons [↩]
4. Blanchard, K., Carlos, J.P., & Randolph, A. (2001a). Empowerment takes more than a minute, 2e. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, p. 40 [↩]
5. Blanchard, Carlos, and Randolph, p. 2001b, p. 154 [↩]
6. Blanchard, D. (2006, July). Ken Blanchard’s memo to managers: It’s not about you. Industry Week. Retrieved July 17, 2008 from http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?t=1414 [↩]
7. Eisenstat, R.A., Beer, M., Foote, N., Fredberg, T., & Norrgren, F. (2008). The Uncompromising leader. Harvard Business Review, 86, 50-57 [↩]
8. Ibid., p. 51 [↩]
9. Bossidy, L., Charan, R., and Burck, C. George, B.(2008). Execution: The gap nobody knows. In J.V. Gallos (Ed.), Business leadership (pp. 87-98). San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons [↩]