The 3 Keys to Empowerment [Hardcover]

Ken Blanchard (Author), John C. Carlos (Author), Alan Randolph (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 8, 1999

"Empowerment" can be a mind-numbing topic, but in The 3 Keys to Empowerment, Ken Blanchard and his coauthors use concrete examples, a Q&A format, case histories, and entertaining sidebars to keep the discussion lively.

The first "key" is information, which the authors say managers must share liberally with employees to help create a sense of ownership. Next is setting up understandable boundaries that will make employees feel both comfortable and challenged. Finally, managers must develop teams to replace the old hierarchical structure. Armed with this new model of empowerment, companies can navigate the demanding world of global competition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Empowerment" is one of those business-management buzzwords that generate either excitement or disinterest. Blanchard, Carlos, and Randolph fall into the former category, but they do seem to sympathize with those whose eyes glaze over. Following up their 1996 management book, Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute, The 3 Keys to Empowerment, explains the concrete steps managers can take to empower their employees fully. It starts with information, which managers should share in massive quantities with employees at the start of the empowerment process. The second step is setting up parameters that everyone understands: what employees can and should do, and what actions and decisions will continue to be made by senior management. The third is to develop teams for eventually replacing the old hierarchical structure.

All of this takes time, and the authors point out that team members go up steep learning curves, starting out highly motivated but lacking competence, and quickly lose motivation when they realize how difficult the transition is going to be. Competence and motivation eventually rise, but managers still need to manage differently at each stage of the employees' development. None of this is particularly intuitive, and none of it happens fast. But the rewards, the authors say, include more tuned-in employees, less turnover, and, ultimately, a wealth of brainpower at the company's disposal. --Lou Schuler

From Booklist

Select any book by Blanchard and his team, and there will be a long queue of pre-sold readers. The latest from those authors picks up on the theme of empowerment started in Empowerment Takes More than a Minute and has a very practical, functional twist. Each chapter, arranged in a question-and-answer format, gives advice and details on realizing all the steps and processes. Scattered among the tips are relevant case histories, skills, and reinforcement from other consultants. One example is a sidebar that mentions the art of effective praising, including the expression of sincere appreciation. And the authors stress that sharing information, at the very beginning, doesn't mean explaining a future vision and mission. Smart psychology at work. Barbara Jacobs

Product Details

• Hardcover: 286 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers; 1 edition (April 8, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576750604
• ISBN-13: 978-1576750605
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,621,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Few people have influenced the day-to-day management of people and companies more than Ken Blanchard. A prominent, sought-after author, speaker, and business consultant, Dr. Blanchard is universally characterized by his friends, colleagues, and clients as one of the most insightful, powerful, and compassionate individuals in business today. Ken is one of the most influential leadership experts in the world and is respected for his years of groundbreaking work in the fields of leadership and management.

Dr. Ken Blanchard is the cofounder and Chief Spiritual Officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies, an international management training and consulting firm that he and his wife, Margie Blanchard, began in 1979 in San Diego, California. In addition to being a renowned speaker and consultant, Ken also spends time as a visiting lecturer at his alma mater, Cornell University, where he is a trustee emeritus of the Board of Trustees.

Ken has received many awards and honors for his contributions in the fields of management, leadership, and speaking. The National Speakers Association awarded him its highest honor, the "Council of Peers Award of Excellence." He was inducted into the HRD Hall of Fame by Training magazine and Lakewood Conferences, and he received the Golden Gavel Award from Toastmasters International. Ken also received The Thought Leadership Award for continued support of work-related learning and performance by ISA--The Association of Learning Providers. Ken has been inducted into Amazon's Hall of Fame as one of the top 25 best-selling authors of all time. The business school at Grand Canyon University bears his name. In addition, Ken teaches students in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership Program at the University of San Diego.

Born in New Jersey and raised in New York, Ken received a master's degree from Colgate University, and a bachelor's and PhD from Cornell University. An avid golfer, Ken belongs to the Loch Lomond Golf Club in Scotland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful!, May 8, 2001

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 3 Keys to Empowerment (Hardcover)

The 3 Keys to Empowerment revisits the three keys discussed in another Blanchard book, Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute. These three keys are: share information with everyone, create autonomy through boundaries and let teams become the hierarchy. They should be applied to each of the three stages of moving toward empowerment. Many of the actions suggested for the initial stage: "Starting and Orienting the Journey," are repeated in the discussions of the other stages, "Change and Discouragement" and "Adopting and Refining Empowerment." The authors say some areas need repeated focus so readers can implement change. Unfortunately, this is repetitive.

The book's most useful feature is the Empowerment Action Plan, a clear, easy to follow list of specific actions leaders can take at each stage of the journey to empowerment. The 3 Keys is written for CEOs and senior executives.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Explaining the Journey to Empowerment, May 7, 2003

By 

Matthew Dodd (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 3 Keys to Empowerment (Hardcover)

After reading and being intrigued by the authors' previous book, "Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute," I was curious about this follow-up book. I was pleasantly surprised to find this book was written as a complementary "stand-alone" book with a much different style than its predecessor.

Unlike Blanchard's usual simple, entertaining, and fun-to-read story-telling books, this book was a detailed, practical, common-sense guideline for individuals and organizations on their journeys from hierarchy to empowerment. Besides the credible factual and objective analysis of becoming empowered, this book confirmed for me what I always suspected about Blanchard's usual powerful parables: they are backed up by extensive research, knowledge, and experience.

This book starts with a great, concise overview of "Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute," and then moves on to common, expected questions with practical, executable answers designed to assist people and organizations going through the journey from hierarchy to empowerment. The book concludes with an outstanding detailed empowerment action plan that captures the essence of how the 3 keys to empowerment (share information with everyone, create autonomy through boundaries, and let teams become the hierarchy) can and should be applied simultaneously through the 3 stages of change (starting and orienting the journey, change and discouragement, and adopting and refining empowerment).

Designed as a guidebook, I can easily see the book being used by leaders at all levels who must deal with and implement empowering, or other major changes in their organizations. As is the case with all guidebooks, the information in this book requires the readers' judgment in applying it to the realities of their situations. If viewed as a guaranteed checklist for success by people and organizations that want a quick fix with little thought, this book will likely fall short of expectations. If viewed as a practical, common-sense packed reference, I believe this book will be an invaluable leadership tool for long-term effectiveness and efficiency.

22 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A roadmap to the Land of Empowerment, July 12, 1999

By 

Alan Randolph ([e-mail]) (Baltimore, Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 3 Keys to Empowerment (Hardcover)

Ken Blanchard, John Carlos, and I wrote this book as a follow up to our best selling Empowerment Takes More Than A Minute. This book is designed to help any manager or team leader or company president who wants to release the power of people for astonishing results. We know that empowerment is often viewed as a buzzword, but we also know that it works for those who stick with it. We think this book can help team leaders and team members know what to do to keep moving forward. Let us know what you think and ask us any questions you have -- we will respond.