The Power of Autonomy

My latest piece was published in Chief Learning Officer yesterday, and I wanted to highlight a few key takeaways we can all benefit from. Autonomy is a key driver of individual performance. People have free will, and they want the power and ability to exercise their own judgment and discretion.

Just think about it like this.

What frustrates parents more than a toddler who wants to “do it” themselves, whether that be putting on shoes, picking up spilled Cheerios, or grabbing a snack? Doing things for ourselves is hardwired into our brains from an early age.

That doesn’t change when we become adults. We want to be in control of our own activities. The best way to increase motivation and drive better performance is by providing your employees with the conditions for autonomy and allowing them to cook (as the kids say these days).

I cover four conditions that drive autonomy in the article. Here’s a preview of them. Be sure to check out the link for the full article!

1. Clarity: You need to provide your employees with clear direction and expectations.

2. Competence: You need to provide your employees with the training and resources to complete their job effectively.

3. Authority: You need to empower your employees to make decisions and act in accordance with the directions you gave.

4. Measurement: You need to assess and provide valuable feedback on each task, so your employees can improve and continue working autonomously.

Give your employees the means to drive their own results! And be sure to check out the full article below for more insights into how you can create an environment that fosters autonomy,

A simple question

Until next time,

Rick