How to Empower Your Employees

AG Consulting Partners is pleased to share the following article contributed by Tom Postings, a Manager in our Management Consulting Workforce.

Richard Branson once said “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.” In consulting, it’s easy to let the focus of delivering quality results to clients distract from engaging employees.

As someone who has been lucky enough to have amazing managers support me, I firmly believe in the importance of empowering employees. Investing time in employees not only builds confidence, but also teaches them how to take initiative. Here are four rules I believe all managers should follow.

Explain the Big Picture

In consulting, clients will often assign tasks without providing all the context. As a manager, it is important that you help your employees understand how individual components drive the overall project outcome. Help them think through the strategy of the task and how it impacts the project. Employees perform best when they understand the big picture.

Lead by Example

Treat your employees how you would expect your manager to treat you. Being available and showing genuine interest in your employee’s work and lives will instill a level of respect and confidence in your employees. This will set an example for them to follow suit.

Give Employees Room to Grow

Growth comes from feeling uncomfortable. While it’s important to provide employees opportunities to highlight their strengths, it’s even more important to make them step outside their comfort zone. Provide employees with opportunities to work on internal consulting projects so they have a safe place to make mistakes when trying something new.

Invest in People So They Invest in You

To retain talent, you need to train talent. Be a mentor to your employees. Teach them how to prioritize client requests. Train them to establish and manage client relationships by keeping lines of communication open. Provide perspective when they struggle with formulating their ideas. The more time you invest in employees, the more they will grow and help you grow in return. Their success is your success.

At AG Consulting Partners, we believe in taking care of our people first to enable them to bring their best to every client project. Our employees embrace the entrepreneurial spirit and embody our core values: transparency, stewardship, and intention. Founded in 2009, and headquartered in the Greater Seattle area, AG Consulting Partners is recognized as one of Inc 5000 and Puget Sound Business Journal’s fastest growing private companies.