I remember it like it was yesterday when I received the call I’d been hoping for, to become a strategic advisor. As I joined the team, I had a discussion with the now-leader that we must treat this new team as a startup. Although we had a chain of command, we were told “go and do” what would make an impact both internally and externally.
History matters, so here’s a bit. The team was tasked to define better practices, to reach out to key players in the Human Capital Management world, and to evangelize the importance of what it means to be great in business for all employees. Not to mention, traveling, creating content, establishing a brand, and delivering impeccable results that helped business leaders across the globe serve their employees.
This team did not disappoint.
I’ve spent most of my career in individual contributor roles. Sometimes it’s baffling, difficult, and incredibly rewarding when you reflect on what it takes to achieve professional goals that align with the business.
What I learned is that you can’t do it alone, culture matters, and autonomy may not be for everyone. That’s the focus of this blog; autonomy and why your organization should strive for it.
How is autonomy defined?
Autonomy can be often confused with “doing what you want, when you want it.” That’s not the case. The definition is based on “the quality or state of being self-governing; self-directing freedom, and especially moral independence; or self-governing state.” However, achieving autonomy in the workplace is not just about giving employees freedom; it's about fostering a culture of trust, accountability, and empowerment. When individuals have autonomy, they feel more engaged, motivated, and responsible for their work. Here's a detailed guide on how to manage, build, and create autonomy with your colleagues, along with resources that support the benefits of autonomy.
"Achieving autonomy in the workplace is not just about giving employees freedom; it's about fostering a culture of trust, accountability, and empowerment."
Understanding workplace autonomy
Do you allow employees any level of independence and freedom to make choices related to their work?
In my experience, the answer people leaders often give is “yes.” But I want you to stop and ask yourself if your employees constantly have to run their decisions by others to seek approval. If the answer is yes, your employees lack autonomy.
Autonomy allows employees to have authority in choosing how they accomplish tasks, solve problems, and manage their own time within certain boundaries.
How do you manage, build, and create workplace autonomy?
Establish clear expectations and goals:
The adage “there is more than one way to do something” is the foundation of autonomy. However, the following ingredients of building the foundation for autonomy requires you to relinquish control.
Clarity: clear as mud or clear as crystal?
Each employee must understand their role, how it impacts the business and the teammates surrounding them, what happens if quality and control of their output isn’t at a high standard, and the weight if informed decisions aren’t good.
SMART Goals: The framework still provides value.
Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. By establishing goals, there is room for flexibility within the job function to achieve them in the appropriate time that’s convenient to the individual. We don’t “control” autonomy, we work within the boundaries of what makes the employee effective within their SMART goal.
Resources and support: Do employees have to ask, or are they readily available?
- Establishing how people learn is the top priority. By understanding the how, you can quickly enable competence through training and development.
- Feedback and guidance, not micromanagement, allows the employee to feel supported. Autonomy doesn’t mean abandonment; it means supporting while allowing freedom in decision-making.
Solving problems might mean delegation that supports creativity.
- The art of making decisions also includes delegation. Delegation requires a sense of self-awareness and vision so that the output meets the needs of all parties involved. In other words, delegate based on expertise and capabilities. Delegation is a sign of trust and an opportunity for someone to prove their initiative.
- Are you limiting employees to only think certain ways? Autonomy requires the work to foster a culture that values innovation and “outside the box” thinking. This means when an employee comes to you with a new idea, the response isn’t “no,” it’s “what could this be?”
Don’t just promote open communication and collaboration, actively do it.
Transparency fosters trust. However, are we actively seeking the employee’s level of comfort sharing ideas, receiving feedback (as a leader), and having a willingness to communicate about challenges? If we don’t do the above, it’s more difficult to establish collaboration leading to team autonomy. Autonomy doesn’t mean isolation; it means collaboration with communication to freely execute. The environment created around this must be rooted in transparent communication.
Conclusion
In a study conducted by Harvard, teams that were given some autonomy significantly outperformed other teams.
Autonomy is about choice, confidence, and execution, a system that the organization believes in the employee and the employee believes in themselves to do the job they were hired to do successfully. One of the greatest ways we celebrate autonomy is to recognize and reward these employees that achieve tremendous results. A factor many employees have forgotten is that when one person does well, the whole team looks good. Let’s bridge the gap by adjusting the goals of our organization by listening to feedback, understanding outcomes, and adapting to autonomy where it best fits.
Autonomy is one of the key sources to a greater culture, employee engagement, and performance. All of which drives lower turnover and higher profitability.
Building autonomy in the workplace requires intentional effort and a supportive environment. By establishing clear expectations, providing necessary support, encouraging decision-making, promoting open communication, and recognizing achievements, you can create a workplace where autonomy flourishes. How will you respond to the needs of employees by working towards autonomy?
Hear more about autonomy in the workplace on The People Purpose Podcast.
