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A manager or leader who is focused on growing and developing their team often encourages autonomy at work. In addition to its benefits for corporations, such as improved productivity and retention, autonomy can provide employees with a sense of control and reduce stress at work. Fostering a culture of autonomy can benefit your leadership skills and interpersonal relationships.
The basics of autonomy at work
When viewed from a business perspective, autonomy at work refers to a manager's ability to give employees the authority and freedom to make their own decisions. A sense of autonomy fulfils the basic human desire to own one's behaviour and actions from a personal perspective. Overall, autonomy refers to the ability of individuals to shape both their workplace and surroundings in a way that promotes their best performance at work.
In order to facilitate and promote autonomous creativity, it is necessary to understand both how much latitude an employee can exercise and how much autonomy they are permitted to exercise. Building a culture of autonomy at work can provide many benefits when it is based on mutual trust, effective communication, and integrity.
The benefits of creating an autonomous workplace culture
Every team member, including the manager, must actively participate and contribute to a culture of autonomy. Numerous benefits can be derived from a culture of autonomy for teams, managers, and companies.
Fostering Mutual Trust
A manager who trusts their employees is more likely to invest in them, encourage them to advance professionally, and involve them in higher-level team decisions. Employees who have received trust and support from their managers are more likely to extend such trust and support to their managers and the organization as a whole.
Promoting Health and Well-being
A sense of autonomy may reduce work-related stress, which is associated with a number of additional benefits, including improved reasoning, judgment, and other cognitive abilities. Good health improves productivity, absenteeism, and
concentration.
Strengthening Work Relationships
The existence of interpersonal trust at work can reduce work-related stress and enhance employees' commitment to their careers. In the workplace, this may manifest in a higher level of employee involvement in decision-making, an improvement in employee retention, or an increased focus on client service.
Improving Employee Motivation
Motivation occurs when employees are able to relate to expected behaviour or actions, such as when the behaviour is aligned with their personal goals. By providing autonomy, intrinsic motivation is maximized and intrinsic motivation is more likely to occur.
Internalizing Goals and Objectives
Autonomy promotes a work environment where motivation is maximized and counterproductive behaviour is minimized. Oftentimes, employees in these environments are aware of and accept the company's goals and strategic directions, internalizing and incorporating them into their own objectives.
Managing Interruptions
It has been suggested that autonomy can enable workplace interruptions to become positive social interactions instead of disruptions. The productivity of a company increases when employees are able to organize their day as they see fit, including when they seek advice from colleagues without fear of retaliation.
Enhancing Productivity
The performance and productivity of a team can often improve when each member feels valued and has an opportunity to be creative. Managing at the macro level rather than at the micro level benefits companies with cultures of autonomy.
Managing autonomy has some benefits that extend beyond the team and the organization.
Essential elements of a culture of autonomy
To promote autonomy in the workplace and develop a mindset focused on success, growth, and team development, the following elements are essential:
Trust
It is essential that managers and their teams have trust between them in order to maintain autonomy. It is essential for a manager to think and believe that team members take pride in their work. Companies can capitalize on employees' genuine interest in collaborating creatively by building a trusting environment.
Employees must also trust their managers in order to feel autonomous at work. In order to achieve autonomy, team members may need to trust that their manager will provide them with the tools, resources, training, and support to succeed.
Communication
An autonomous culture can thrive when it is based on trusting relationships and is backed by practical, timely, respectful, and multidirectional communication. When managers use communication practices that respect their teams' autonomy, they can boost job satisfaction.
When team members are more satisfied at work, they are more likely to take part in activities that benefit the organization, including:
Ability to solve complex problems creatively
Streamlining and innovating business processes
Establishing new revenue streams and product lines
Integrity
Both integrity and autonomy refer to making sound decisions, such as acting in the company's best interests. Integrity is demonstrated through honesty, decency, and fairness. Communication is also related to integrity, as taking action usually requires one to consider one's core values.
Strategies managers can use to promote autonomy
Consider these strategies in order to foster autonomy within your team:
Easing into Autonomy
As with any significant change in the work environment, research and preparation are essential. Introduce the concept of autonomy to your team and discuss its boundaries. Engaging employees in the development, implementation and communication of autonomy may be their first exposure to this approach as a professional.
Building Trust
By delegating tasks, seeking input, and coaching team members through challenges, managers can build trust with their team members. The process of building trust can sometimes require a certain amount of vulnerability, but teams value managers who are authentic, honest, and compassionate.
Celebrating diversity
Creating a safe and supportive environment for team members to express their ideas is one way to encourage greater autonomy and participation. In the workplace, a sense of belonging and the ability to see one's role in the future of the organization help to build trust.
Recognizing achievement
At either the individual or team level, managers who recognize their teams' achievements and successes encourage active participation and increase motivation. When managers focus on positive aspects of team development, such as encouraging, coaching, sharing problem-solving, and celebrating, autonomy can thrive.
Supporting Team Success
In a culture of autonomy, tools and resources are essential for team members to succeed. By involving your team in discussions about these and other needs, you can effectively include them in decision-making and demonstrate your appreciation for their contributions.
Balancing Autonomy and Accountability
To achieve effective workplace autonomy, the approach to accountability must meet the needs of the organization as well as support the flexibility of the teams. Having clear expectations for success and being open about constraints and challenges can promote trust between managers and employees.
Encouraging Work-Life Balance
An attitude of care, compassion, and empathy may help build motivation, trust, and positive working relationships. Work-life balance should be encouraged while adopting an attitude like this. Creating a better work-life balance can reduce stress at work and at home as well as improve your career performance.