Well - we often talk about it in terms of empowering people. That usually means we give them ‘permission’ in respect of something. But that, while being something I have encouraged managers to do, is not what I want to explore with you by my question.
I’m interested in how people become empowered within themselves. So often our upbringing, experiences at school, then work, or within the culture we inhabit, keep us in a quiet acceptance that someone else has a right to have authority over us.
That may be demonstrated when we dare to voice our opinion. I’m currently watching ‘Life’ on TV; it stars Alison Steadman as a wife of 70 who is dominated by her husband (he loves her in his way) and ridiculed by him for her opinions and this behaviour has been passed on to her, now grown up, children. Then she bumps into a school friend who cannot understand where the wild and fearless teenager, who she knew at school, went.
Who is the real you who has become trapped into a lesser version of yourself?
What do you long for?
What do you want to do about it?
Please don’t wait until you are 70. But, even if you are, it is never too late to empower that person within you who is crying out to be heard, valued and respected and move into being comfortable in your newly empowered state. Whatever the circumstances, empowerment can be experienced and, actually, it will not be dependent upon what others think.
I remember two young colleagues coming to me in a nervous state because they were both due to have their appraisal with their dominant, bullying, line manager who rendered them speechless - unable to articulate their perspective of work she was criticising. I encouraged them to think of the most important two things that they wanted her to hear within that meeting; then to practise how they would say it and speak it out loud to the wall. That way they would experience a little bit of empowerment through deciding what they wanted to communicate and for those seconds, not to feel bullied. They both did so and felt so happy about that achievement. Both went on to make excellent career progress.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject?