I was recently considering the function of professional enablement within the organization.  Professional enablement is the term I use to describe a higher level of  professional development. 

While there can be some flexibility in professional development, the caliber of skills needed in today’s businesses are typically too complex for people to master in the normal “sit n’ get” form of professional development and take home PDF’s or notebooks.  This is where the switch to professional enablement provides true growth opportunities for employees.

Professional enablement is most successful as an investment in teams. The enablement process starts with team members reviewing the day-to-day reality of each team member’s role and, as much as possible, to understand and possibly define, the outcomes that each role needs for team success. This simple process of understanding employees’ roles and what they need to succeed can move an organization into breakthrough performance. 

 

Incorporating professional enablement in the workplace does require a bit of “slowing down,” however, to allow teams to both consider as well as reflect and synthesize their learning.  This process should also provide some experimentation though, in being creative and producing something new, so making space to do so amongst production work can be valuable for individual and team growth. Yet, It can be challenging in the workplace to find opportunities to be enabled to exercise new things you’ve learned.  

 

In my opinion, the modern workplace needs this explicit shift to incorporate professional enablement for individual and team reflection and synthesis to work alongside any professional development programs like trainings and seminars.  This will make it easier for your team members to adjust to professional enablement. Showing your team members that you’re willing to invest in this and make space for them to build their talents will be recognized as mutually beneficial for all involved.

 

OK, so that’s my definiton of professional enablement.  The enablement process does start with a form of professional development with the introduction of “How enablement works.”  It also should include some form of coaching through the process in difficult situations, then mentoring as the process becomes more familiar.  The assumption is, of course, that teams are constantly trying to improve.  Thus the enablement process of review, then reflect and synthesize becomes, over time, a key standard operating procedure for teams.

Leadership is always about when and where the buck stops. Ultimately, everyone will step aside or fall away when a truly difficult issue needs to be resolved. If there is a way for the difficult issue to be "bounced up" in an organization, it typically will be.  This fact can give a leader a bit of a "hero" complex - "The issue is coming to me to fix!"   Well.... not actually.  It is coming to you because others are not necessarily confident in their thinking about the resolution - or - they don't want the possible negative  fallout if they are wrong in their resolution. Thus, it comes to you because you are the last stop!

What you don't want to do is try to actually be the hero and resolve the issue alone.  If an issue is big enough that others are hesitant about its resolution, you can rest assured they do have ideas that might assist. They were just not confident enough without your support or agreement.  Therefore it is important to ask others their opinions. 

It is also important if the solution comes from someone else's input.  By giving them credit and support, acknowledging their solution, you show them respect and support and they respect you more.   True leadership is not about making the tough decisions, it is about building others capacity within the organization to also make decisions.  The ultimate leadership function is to make sure decisions are made at the appropriate level, with trust and respect. 

Input from others is important, but "the buck stops here," cannot be avoided. How each of us handles that fact helps to determine how others see us as leaders.