Empowerment and Values

Empowerment and values go hand in hand. The basic premise of trusting employees to do the right thing comes directly from the amount of trust that can be placed in their judgment. This is why the Nordstrom model is so significant: the emphasis being on the use of good judgment in all situations. The fact that employees are empowered with that trust from the first day of employment tells the entire story.

One of my favorite guests on my talk show has been author John Miller. John wrote The Question Behind the Question (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, NY, 2004). He raises the issue of what he calls an “integrity test” and challenges all employees of an organization to ask themselves whether they believe in the integrity and principles of their organization. He suggests that they reflect on what they say at home to family and friends about the company for which they work.

As if that were not challenging enough, Miller goes further to suggest that employees have a decision to make at that time. He calls it “believe or leave.” In other words, if you do not have respect for your employer and what the company is all about, you should leave—as soon as possible.