The sixth century B.C. philosopher Confucius said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
In more recent times, Steve Jobs put it this way: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
At heart, we all know that we should do what we love and love what we do. That applies to our work and our personal lives.
In order to ensure we love the work that we do, empowering ourselves is crucial.
Here are some of the key reasons why it is important to feel empowered in your place of employment:
Feeling Empowered Leads to Greater Motivation at the Workplace
Empowerment and authenticity go hand in hand at the workplace. When an employee feels empowered, he or she has a stronger ability to accomplish and achieve.
But if that employee is not completely open and honest in the workplace, he or she can be less confident and empowered.
All employers need to encourage people to be authentic. When authenticity in the workplace is commonplace, it is much easier for employees to feel empowered. In turn, authentic and empowered employees become more motivated.
But empowerment at the workplace is also about employees having greater autonomy. Many experts agree that workers who have more control over their daily tasks find their work much more engaging. That then makes them more motivated.
If you are able to demonstrate what you are capable of doing at work and feel empowered at every step of the way, you will find your work more engaging and be more motivated.
Employers Need to Actively Encourage Employee Empowerment
If employers want their employees to have trust in their companies, they need to actively enable their workers to be empowered.
When your employer acts as a coach, pushes you to do your best work in a helpful way, and supports you at every stage, you are sure to feel more empowered.
On the other hand, if your employer seems uninterested or uncaring toward your contributions and never recognizes a job well done, you are sure to soon feel undervalued and lose all sense of self-empowerment.
In turn, your motivation, efficiency, and productivity will suffer, and you could end up looking for work elsewhere.
Empowerment Brings Improved Creativity
Empowered employees are more committed to meaningful goals and use creativity to achieve those goals.
That means you may take on additional duties or support your organization in other ways, thus your job will always be interesting and you will always have new challenges to embrace.
This is not about taking on extra workloads. It is about having more engaging work on a daily basis and using your creative skills. Ultimately, that means you do what you love and love what you do.
On the other hand, if you do not feel empowered at work, your creativity could dry up, you could become frustrated with daily tasks, and soon lose interest in the work you do and the company you work for.
When You Feel Empowered Your Job Satisfaction Will Go Through the Roof
At the end of the day, when you feel more empowered at your place of employment, you gain higher job satisfaction.
That works around the other way, too. The more satisfied and happier you are at the workplace, the more empowered you will feel.
And that benefits you and your employer. It also benefits your work colleagues. When you are happy and confident in your work, your colleagues will notice and it could urge them to become more empowered and happier in the work that they do.
Wrapping Up
When you do a job you love, it is easier to feel empowered and gain a high level of job satisfaction.
But the reverse is also true. When you are empowered at your place of employment, you are sure to love your job more, regardless of whether it is your dream job or not.
In turn, you will gain the skills and attributes needed to pursue the career of your dreams.
Of course, being empowered does not only benefit you at work. It is also something that you will feel outside of work and can help you in various areas of your life.
