The 8 “T”s of Empowerment

Leading business speaker on Sales, Intelligent Motivation and Customer Loyalty, Jim Cathcart is the author of Relationship Selling in which he outlines the 8 “T”s of empowering ourselves and authors.

These 8 T words are useful for motivating staff, if you are a senior leader, and if you’re not then they are useful for motivating yourself.

Jim says that anytime we want to empower and motivate for more achievement we simply have to ask the following eight questions to determine what aspect of empowerment would have the most value:

1. T — Target

Are you clear on the target, the goal that you’re trying to achieve? If not, make sure you’ve focused your attention on the specific outcome you desire.

2. T — Tools

Do you have the tools or information needed to do your job well? Do you have what you need to be ready to perform at a high level?

3. T — Training

Have you received enough training or orientation to be able to use these tools and information very well?

4. T — Time

Have you had enough time for the training to take effect, for it to sink in, for you to try and succeed, try and fail, try and adjust and succeed again? Without the proper amount of time, success is not likely.

5. T — Truth

Do you know the truth about how all of this really fits together? What happens when you’re finished with your part? What happens before you get involved in the project? What is the truth about how everything fits together and works?

6. T — Tracking

Are you getting the feedback that you need in order to stay on the beam, to be on-project, on-goal? Are you measuring and getting the feedback that tells you when you’re on track and when you’re off?

7. T — Touch

The human touch. Are you getting the support and encouragement you need? Are there other people you’re in touch with who can help you achieve your goal?

8. T — Trust

Do you trust yourself appropriately for your skill and mastery level? Do the others around you trust you enough to give you the kind of resources you need?

Empowerment is not something you just ‘do’ and get instant results, it takes time to build a strong community and it takes time to build a strong ‘self’.