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		Empowerment; The Solution for Meddling By Terrance J. Bradford, Hall Director, Texas A&M University – Commerce If your employees were asked their true feelings about your management style what would they say? Would you be called pompous, conceited, lard-butt? The answer to these for some of you would be “yes.” No big right? Now for the big question; would you be called a meddler? You may be asking yourself, “What is a meddler?” Well a meddler is someone who interests themselves with things that don’t concern them. They interfere without right or propriety. If you think you fall in this category let me sincerely suggest you treat your staff to lunch for the next month or decide today, to change up a few things and put to use the following information. Meddling can be solved with simplicity by taking the time to empower your workers. People tend to do better when they are trusted and expected to do their best. In management, empower would be defined as to enable or authorize an individual to think, behave, take action, and control work and decision making freely. You can do this by letting your workers act on the mission set before them. Define the goals clearly and equip your workers with the time and resources to get the job done. That’s it! Sit back and relax or better yet get your own work completed. It is important that we as leaders take an interest in empowering those under our leadership. Hostile work environments are unproductive. So many times we look at student development but fail to develop those workers who aid in this goal. When those whom you lead realize the potential in their freedom something happens. Passion and purpose come alive in the workplace. Look for ways you can empower those you lead and set them free. Taken from the “Checklist for Life for Leaders,” here are a few things you can do in order to empower your employees: Identify your natural gifts for empowerment, and work on areas that need improvement. Write a vision statement for how you would like to empower each individual you lead. Research practical tools of empowerment that apply to your field of endeavor. Read the section “Enabling Others to Act” in The Leadership Challenge by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner. Ask those you lead what resources would help them do a better job and feel a sense of ownership. Discuss with other leaders ways they empower their workers. Here is a quote every employer should take heed too: "The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it." --Theodore Roosevelt References Empowerment Is. Retrieved May 2, 2005 from http://humanresources.about.com Life, Checklist for (2004). Checklist for Life for Leaders. Nashville: Thomas Nelson About the Author Terrance J. Bradford is a Public Relations major from Texas A&M University – Commerce. He currently serves as a Hall Director for award winning Julia B. Hubbell Hall which is an all male facility. Prior to his professional experience, he served two years as a Resident Assistant.