Having one or two micromanagers in your company may be inconvenient, but it is unlikely to jeopardize your success.
Surprisingly, the chances of risking the goal of success are higher if you have multiple micromanagers. That’s because too much bureaucracy may result in excessive badgering of employees. Hence, work autonomy is essential.
Giving people the flexibility to work in a manner that suits them is what autonomy implies in the workplace. Employees who have autonomy at work have more control over how and when their tasks are completed.
In reality, research has demonstrated that perceived autonomy increases individual and group productivity while also improving mood, albeit the neurobiological mechanism by which this occurs is unclear.
Depending on your company, workplace autonomy will take on various forms. However, if done effectively, it may benefit your workers and corporate culture in multiple ways.
Autonomous Motivation Explained
Forbes reiterated in its article the prevailing claim of 1970s psychologists Richard Ryan and Edward Deci. They revealed that one could understand autonomous motivation through the lens of self-determination theory (SDT).
In a nutshell, SDT works on the premise that intrinsic variables, rather than extrinsic incentives, are the most effective motivators for individuals to complete activities.
The self-determination theory examines motivation in terms of three psychological needs. These are autonomy, relatedness, and competence.
According to Ryan and Deci, autonomy is the most critical factor in developing intrinsic drive.
Independence and freedom motivate individuals to accomplish their best job with autonomous motivation.
The greater a person’s sense of autonomy, the more driven they become.
Personal Autonomy vs. Workplace Autonomy
Personal autonomy is the action taken outside of the job; the freedom to make decisions in your life to attain your objectives.
This liberty will come with its set of repercussions. The difference is that you just have yourself to answer to in your personal life. It’s the standard way of life in society, and it’s the contract that everyone signs.
Workplace autonomy is distinct from the concept of personal autonomy.
Work autonomy is characterized by working toward a predetermined objective and is comparable to personal independence.
Workers’ methods for achieving that aim may be interpreted. However, if the outcome isn’t sufficient, the employee will have to account for someone other than themselves.
They will also have to account for their depleted workplace team.
Workplace autonomy is defined as independence within the constraints of a larger organizational purpose.
Employees who can freely choose how to carry out their responsibilities are happier, more productive, devoted, and inspired than those who are experiencing excessive supervision from superiors.
The level of autonomy, which affects their choice to remain with an organization or look for a new job, influences employees’ feelings of engagement with their work and organization.
A worker’s level of autonomy may vary dramatically from day to day.
That’s because employees have a different degree of work responsibility each day. For example, there are days when an employee works alone. Then, on the next day, the team or organization will start collaborating. Hence, the decision-making is a bit complicated and slow since, parliamentary wise, everyone and not just one employee is making the judgment or rather sharing the critique.
Depending on their talents, experience, and personal preferences, each individual will work in a somewhat different manner.
If your company wants to develop, be innovative, and ultimately succeed, it must understand and capitalise on these distinctions.
Importantly, autonomy could be a good way to deal with a lack of job engagement.
Employees who are trusted and given the freedom to handle things independently are more likely to be engaged.
Examples of Work Autonomy
Here are a few concrete instances of job autonomy in action in the workplace.
Allowing workers to determine their own schedules
Employees who are free to choose their work schedules are the most obvious example of functional autonomy. This exhibits individualism, trust, and decision-making independence.
Allowing workers to choose their own deadlines
Deadlines are crucial, but they don’t have to be imposed by the boss all of the time. An empowered employee recognizes the significance of a job and may set their deadline. They are taking responsibility for themselves and must achieve a goal they have set.
If the deadline is not met, the person who set the deadline has the responsibility.
Providing people with the freedom to create their own methods
Individuals should build their paths to success once duties and objectives have been specified. They are allowed to tackle the problem in whatever way they choose and to think as creatively as they desire.
However, a well-established procedure isn’t definitive. Self-sufficient employees may adapt and adjust their policies and practices as needed. They are conscious that they are improving their process to generate excellent results for the team and business.
Obtaining feedback on organizational objectives
When leaders ask for feedback from their staff, it helps build trust and enables people to express their concerns. Objectives should be set by the people responsible for accomplishing them rather than by a predefined set of goals.
Allowing workers to choose where they want to work
On principle, a boss forcing a team into an office is like forcing an old-school thinking style. Working from home is now more achievable than ever.
Some workers like to work from home and should be free to do so if it’s feasible in their position. Employees who want to work in an office setting should have the option to do so.
Employees should have the ability to make their decisions in both circumstances.
Allowing workers to choose their own perks
Letting the employees determine their employment perks is empowering. Not everyone values the same advantages. As a result, putting an entire staff on the same payroll isn’t always the ideal option.
Nothing makes an employee happier than having the option of choosing an employee benefit plan that meets their demands.
These examples are backed up by decades of study.
Research shows that employees undertaking complicated or creative work are more productive and engaged when given discretion over how and when they work.
Advantages of Autonomy in Workplace
There are various advantages to encouraging autonomy in the workplace. Putting confidence in a group may transform a company’s culture, replacing a feeling of hierarchy with trust.
When employees are granted autonomy, they feel less pressured and more confident. As a result, the following far-reaching favourable effects result.
There are various advantages to encouraging autonomy in the workplace. Putting confidence in a group may transform a company’s culture, replacing a feeling of hierarchy with trust.
When employees are granted autonomy, they feel less pressured and more confident. As a result, the following far-reaching favourable effects result.
Better Up has listed the advantages of workplace autonomy:
Enhances employee satisfaction
Some businesses are having difficulty increasing employee happiness because they use the incorrect strategy. They often miss the need to eliminate rigid, preset norms. The mere act of offering liberty to workers boosts job happiness.
Employees who work at their own speed and according to their standards are more likely to be pleased. Every assignment is a reason to feel satisfied since the rewards of hard work are instances of personal success.
Increases employee motivation and engagement
When team members make their choices, workplace engagement and motivation automatically rise. Learning and adhering to a set of tight regulations is a time-consuming task. This is especially true when workers are disciplined for breaking the rules.
On the other hand, taking up jobs with freedom is energizing. It encourages employee self-advocacy and allows for more innovation in the workplace.
Employees that are trusted by their bosses try to go above and beyond. They will often wish to demonstrate that they are deserving of the confidence placed in them. Workplace engagement is accomplished in this manner, and employee job satisfaction rises.
Enhances employee loyalty
Employees that have more work autonomy are happy. Employees who are satisfied with their jobs are less likely to look for alternative opportunities. As a result, job turnover greatly decreases, resulting in considerable time and effort savings in recruiting and onboarding.
Employee retention is also essential since it reduces workplace interruptions. A team that has spent a lot of time together is likely to be more efficient. Training new personnel may, at least temporarily, impair that established efficiency.
Encourages ingenuity and creativity
People with an open mind come up with innovative and inventive ideas. As a result, there is an increase in innovation.
To keep changing and improving, a workplace needs innovation. A company may become stagnant if employees do not have autonomy in the workplace. This is particularly true when workers are discouraged from coming up with fresh ideas and thinking creatively.
If companies want to keep up and be relevant, they must develop. When there is a culture of uniformity in the company, it can’t evolve.
Establishes a trusting environment
A trust-based workforce performs well, resulting in increased production. When workers know they can rely on them to complete duties, they give the same faith to their bosses. The ensuing culture of mutual trust in the workplace is conducive to real creativity.
Internal conflict lessens when leaders are trusted, and work satisfaction rises as a result. Leaders who can be trusted are more accessible, and conflict resolution becomes more manageable.
Increases productivity
Employees who are given autonomy are more likely to be self-motivated, inspired to succeed, and engaged at work. A rise in productivity is an unavoidable consequence of this.
Self-awareness and free-thinking employees are setting out to attain professional objectives in their unique style. And achieving these objectives propels the company forward as a whole.
Employees believe they are appreciated
Freedom is one of the few things that makes an employee feel appreciated. Successful outcomes entail commendation when objectives are attained by personal thought and ingenuity. They are worthy of praise and respect since their solution yielded results.
As a result, this contributes to a sense of belonging. Individuality was allowed to flourish, and employees felt free to express themselves. As a result, they can get employment. As a result, group dynamics might develop spontaneously.
Encourages people to develop leadership skills
Employees develop self-reliance and resilience when they have autonomy in the job. These are only two of many crucial leadership abilities.
Because independent thinking is associated with problem-solving, an atmosphere centred on autonomy is ideal for developing leaders.
Encourages the development of new skills
There is no better setting for skill development than one in which individuals have the flexibility to do what they want.
When people are permitted to be creative, they are more likely to be innovative. However, creative solutions often require the acquisition of new abilities.
Employees are also encouraged to broaden their skill sets as their responsibilities grow. Consequently, a workforce that tries to develop based on personal objectives emerges.
Scholarly research supports these claims.
Autonomy was linked to greater job satisfaction and a lower likelihood of leaving a job in a study of nearly 1,400 healthcare workers in Taiwan.
A 2017 study by the University of Birmingham found that employees with higher autonomy reported job satisfaction and a greater sense of wellbeing.
Researcher Daniel Wheatley commented on the University of Bringham’s study, saying that greater degrees of control over work activities and schedules can provide considerable advantages for the employee.
The beneficial impacts of informal flexibility and working from home add to the evidence that schedule management is highly appreciated and crucial to ‘enjoying’ their jobs.
How to Further Drive Work, Employee Autonomy
Provide the tools and technology that allow employees to be more autonomous at work.
Think about enabling rather than controlling your workers’ time, and provide them with the tools and technology they need to work how and where they choose.
Put employee experience first when creating your IT stack, and your workers will reciprocate by putting your organization’s objectives first. You’ll perform better if you move toward employee empowerment and workplace autonomy as soon as possible.
Improve leadership skills
Leaders must no longer consider employment in pre-pandemic terms. Today’s world is much more complicated and creative, and employees are no longer interchangeable cogs.
Leaders must shift from being individuals who have all the answers to being people who promote flexible working arrangements so that workers may be as effective as possible.
You don’t have to manage tasks or time; all you have to do is state the what (goals and expectations) and let people figure out how to get there.
Create flexible rules and initiatives that promote workplace autonomy.
Organizations must devolve authority from top to bottom, no matter how frightening this seems. If you want people who are self-starters who work independently, you must create rules and programs that enable them to do so.
Don’t preach employee empowerment and then micromanage them. Create a positive employee experience, and you’ll be able to keep (and recruit) exceptional workers who will help you achieve your goals.
Takeaway
The corporate environment is transforming, with the emphasis moving toward more autonomous work.
Employees still need leadership and guardrails, so this isn’t a free-for-all. The manager’s job as a guide and mentor is now more vital than ever.
The benefits of increasing workplace autonomy are overwhelming, although it is a shift that takes time to adopt.
Workers who are empowered are more satisfied, and satisfied employees are more productive and driven. Employees and their supervisors benefit from autonomy because it allows them to grow and develop professionally and personally more quickly.
