Is Autonomy in the Workplace a Good Thing?

Have you ever considered the nature in which you work every day? Are you independently responsible for getting your work done, tracking your progress, and meeting the goals you and your manager set for the week or the quarter? If so, you function in an autonomous work environment. Find out how and why working in a culture steeped in autonomy can be a good thing.  

By Helen Harris

When you think about what you like about your job, is it the ability to work independently and in a way that best suits you to get the job done? 

If so, you like an autonomous work environment. 

Autonomy, as defined by Merriam Webster, is having the right or power of self-government, existing or capable of existing independently, or responding, reacting, or developing independently of the whole. 

So what does this term mean when applied to the work environment? And is it a “good” concept, as compared to a more heteronomous or dependent workplace? 

What Does Autonomy in the Workplace Mean? 

Lisa Rangel, executive resume writer, explains that an autonomous workplace is essentially when the employer states the desired results and allows the employees to figure out how to reach those results, individually.

However, she does mention one caveat: It’s up to the employer to adequately train and prepare employees before fully releasing them into an autonomous work environment. 

“Autonomy doesn't release the manager of managing, but that also doesn’t mean micromanaging,” said Rangel. 

She further explains that a manager still needs to assess what their employees need. For example, employees who are more experienced may be able to independently manage projects quicker than others, whereas younger employees or those new to a certain industry might need more checkpoints to help them navigate through projects. 

“I think autonomy doesn't necessarily mean lack of management, but it should be assessed based on where the person is in their development and the nature of the task,” said Rangel.

Sarah Johnston, executive resume writer, LinkedIn Learning Instructor and keynote speaker, states that the key to understanding autonomy in the workplace is first grasping the concept that it usually does not happen automatically.  

For instance, she uses the example of medical residents: There’s going to be a time where these professionals have to learn, ask questions and be supervised. 

“You're not going to have complete autonomy to practice medicine while you’re in residency; you still have to review your notes and work with an attending physician,” said Johnston. “That’s just part of the process.” 

So for anyone starting a new job or a novice in their career, there’s a learning curve that is associated with acquiring more autonomy. Once you’ve demonstrated excellence and that you're capable of doing your job competently, you are usually given more independence if that’s the culture of your workplace.  

This learning curve is important because, as Johnston stresses, if you were just released into a completely autonomous work environment with no training or direction and no idea of how to meet the expectations set for you, you’d likely fail. 

“Different kinds of people need different kinds of work environments,” said Rangel. “So businesses need to adjust culture accordingly. But often where employers fail is when they try to hire anybody into certain jobs that are poorly designed. And then they feel like they need to watch people to do the poorly designed job that was ill-fitted in the first place. That's never going to work.”

Why Autonomous Workplaces Are Beneficial 

Johnston equates autonomy in the workplace to trust.

Rangel additionally stresses that for an employee in an autonomous work environment (or any work environment) to be successful, they must be rooted in the company culture. 

BetterUp pivots off both of these points, noting that while workplace autonomy will vary depending on each organization, when implemented correctly, it can benefit employees and company culture.

“Encouraging autonomy in the workplace has several benefits,” said Maggie Wooll, managing editor at BetterUp. “The act of putting faith in a team can change a business atmosphere, replacing a sense of hierarchy with one of trust.” 

BetterUp also notes the following benefits of an autonomous workplace:

• Increases job satisfaction. 
• Increases employee engagement and motivation.
• Improves employee retention.
• Encourages creativity and innovation. 
• Builds a culture of trust.
• Boosts productivity.
• Employees feel valued.
• Develops leadership qualities in employees.
• Promotes skill development.

“Employees are more likely to be engaged when they feel like their leader trusts them to do their job,” said Johnston. “I’ve found that as a manager, when I don’t overly define the job and give people creative freedom, the outcome is better than I expected. When people have the autonomy to own the outcome, they are often more invested and inclined to work harder.”

But she states that for an employee to thrive in an autonomous environment, two things must happen: 

1. The employer must establish the criteria and parameters for the task or project.
2. Both the employee and employer need to understand how the task or project will be evaluated and measured.

Johnston also brings up the point that in today's heavily virtual work environment, it is more difficult for employers to keep tabs on employees. Employers can choose to either let this challenge turn into a toxic situation or establish mutual trust and respect with employees that work will be completed. 

Harvard Business Review supports this viewpoint, stating that companies and leaders that ditch policies for principles, invest in competence and relatedness, and give employees the tools they need to do their job well regardless of location can create a culture of autonomy and flexibility to the benefit of the organization, teams, and individual employees.

But to ensure that work is done independently in a remote-work environment, Johnston offers the following tips: 

• Regular check-ins with an agenda.
• Online productivity tools like Trello and Asana.
• Clear expectations and direct feedback.

“If you want to create a truly autonomous environment, remember that your employee may not work on the same schedule as you,” said Johnston. “Don't text or call them [at odd hours] just because you’re working. Remember that they may keep a different schedule or routine.”

How To Ask for More Autonomy 

If you are craving more autonomy in your position at work, Rangel suggests consulting your manager and proposing more independence in trial form. 

For instance, if you would like the freedom to work from home, you could ask for one month of working from home on Mondays and Thursdays. You would need to assure your manager that you would still be responsible for the same tasks and still attend all meetings — just virtually. Rangel emphasizes that maintaining open communication and check-ins with your manager during this trial is important.  

After that month, schedule a time to meet with your manager to evaluate how the work-from-home days went and discuss making it a full-time arrangement. 

Johnston also suggests that if you’re wanting more independence to take initiative and ask for more responsibility. But the key in doing this is, to again, maintain a regular cadence of meetings with your boss to update them on your progress and to ask any questions you may have. 

“Sometimes your boss may not know that they are being a micromanager or that you want more freedom,” said Johnston. “So, when you consistently deliver above expectations, it's a lot easier for your boss to give up some of that freedom or give up some of that control and let you function more autonomously.” 

Top Takeaways 

Is Autonomy in the Workplace a Good Thing?

• Autonomy is having the right or power of self-government, existing or capable of existing independently, or responding, reacting, or developing independently of the whole. 
• Autonomy doesn't necessarily mean lack of management, but it should be assessed based on where the person is in their development and the nature of the task.
• For an employee in an autonomous work environment (or any work environment) to be successful, they must be rooted in the company culture. 
• “The act of putting faith in a team can change a business atmosphere, replacing a sense of hierarchy with one of trust.” 
• When people have the autonomy to own the outcome, they are often more invested and inclined to work harder.