4 Ways to Embrace and Inspire Employee Autonomy

Few companies have explicit discussions regarding employee autonomy and its benefits. Why? Executives and managers likely think they already embody an autonomous management style. Unfortunately, I regularly see evidence to the contrary. Leaders will delegate tasks and micromanage employees instead of letting their teams have autonomy at work.

This isn’t a sign of poor management. Rather, it’s a misunderstanding regarding the importance and definition of staff empowerment (which is directly tied to engagement). Fewer than a third of employees feel actively engaged, and disengagement often dead-ends in absenteeism, reduced productivity, increased turnover, and lukewarm morale.

So what do bosses do to counteract disconnection? Typically, they hand out bonuses or raises. Though that sounds reasonable, research reveals that when financial stability is no longer a worry, annual monetary perks mean less and less. After all, everyone gets a salary bump sooner or later. Money isn’t a motivator or indicator of exceptional performance, but autonomy is.

Why Is Autonomy Important?

When bosses embrace and inspire employee autonomy, they show trust in their team. Think of it as handing your car keys over to someone else. If you really trust someone, you won’t worry about the person’s driving skills or the state of your car. Instead, you’ll hand them the key fob and put faith in their abilities.

Of course, exhibiting full confidence in others’ decisions can be tough. You may be hesitant to give up control, but inserting yourself will annoy top performers who may start looking elsewhere for more freedom. After all, superstars get paid handsomely; the differentiator for them is finding an employer that promotes and practices autonomy in leadership.

If you want to employ an autonomous management style and retain and attract top talent, here’s what you can do:

1. Talk about autonomous leadership.

Before instituting any type of formal program changes, discuss autonomy to fuel employee engagement and get everyone on the same page. Bring in a few of your key players for one-on-one discussions. Ask them to define their idea of micromanagement versus autonomy and find out what they think of their current freedom as well as your communication style.

The point of this exercise is to set the stage for handing out authority raises in the future. Listen, learn, take detailed notes, and talk only if you need to prompt more dialogue. Ultimately, you want co-workers to feel safe as they share their vision for an autonomous boss-employee relationship. Consider bringing in an external speaker to get the ball rolling.

2. Design a general autonomy model.

An autonomy model outlines when and where worker self-governance takes place. For example, your model might establish that an employee can move forward with projects and tasks that fall under a certain dollar amount (e.g., administrative assistants can order supplies and equipment under $250 or customer service representatives can refund clients up to $1,000). These parameters ensure continued progress toward end goals.

Autonomy isn’t restricted to financial considerations, either. Consider decreasing the number of check-ins you have with your team or exchanging weekly meetings for monthly ones. Base your model on what makes sense for your team and remember that you can tweak it.

3. Reserve micromanagement for specific circumstances.

Contrary to popular belief, micromanagement isn’t all bad, and it can coexist with an autonomous management style. In fact, micromanagement may be necessary in some cases, such as crises or unprecedented events. For example, many leaders took the reins in order to navigate the coronavirus pandemic, and they might maintain control even as things return to normal.

Make a conscious decision to micromanage appropriately. How you handle micromanagement will depend on your business, but as long as you’re aware of why you’re being hands-on, you can be confident that you’re making the right choice. If you’re ever not certain which way you lean, tell your employees to alert you when you become overbearing.

4. Make it OK for employees to self-advocate.

At some points, you’ll likely contradict your autonomy model. When you overstep your bounds, your colleagues should feel comfortable telling you without worrying that you’ll take offense. This can be a huge shift in the traditional corporate hierarchy arrangement, but it works.

When you give out autonomy raises, explain to each employee that you’re going to honor the boundaries set within your agreed-upon model. Add that you’re open to improvement and want the experience to be positive, so they’re welcome to come to you for autonomy-supportive leadership.

Autonomous leadership works brilliantly to foster team collaboration and trust. If you’re looking for other ways to boost your emotional intelligence and communication skills, take my Talk SHIFT assessment.