When people feel powerless at work, they are often told to focus on what they can control.
That advice is not wrong, but it can sound frustratingly simplistic when the real problem involves staffing shortages, rigid policies, limited budgets or decisions made several levels above them. Most employees cannot solve those problems on their own. Many supervisors cannot either.
Reclaiming agency does not mean pretending otherwise. It means looking for the choices that remain inside the constraint.
Start by Separating What Is Fixed From What Is Flexible
When a difficult decision is announced, everything surrounding it can begin to feel non-negotiable. But the decision itself and its implementation are not always the same thing.
A policy may be fixed, while the communication around it is flexible. A deadline may be fixed, while the order of the work is not. A new system may be mandatory, while employees may still have useful input about training, risks or workflow.
A helpful starting point is to ask:
- What part of this decision is final?
- What is still open to influence?
- What choices can I make without needing permission from the entire organization?
The answers may not be dramatic. Agency often returns through smaller decisions: asking for clarification, naming an unintended consequence, suggesting an adjustment or choosing how to communicate something difficult.
Focus on the Next Available Action
Feeling powerless often pushes people toward enormous questions:
- How do we fix the culture?
- How do we change the system?
- How do we make senior leadership listen?
Those questions may matter, but they can also make action feel impossible. A more useful question is: What is the next responsible and appropriate thing I can do?
That might be documenting a recurring problem instead of complaining about it informally. It might be asking which priority should be delayed when a new one is added. It might be inviting a quieter colleague into a discussion or proposing a small trial rather than waiting for approval of a complete overhaul.
A small action will not solve every problem. It can still interrupt the belief that nothing you do matters.
Leaders Can Make Agency More Visible
Supervisors often control more of the immediate environment than they realize.
They can explain which parts of a decision are fixed and where employees still have discretion. They can clarify priorities rather than expecting people to absorb every new demand. They can invite input while there is still time for that input to affect the outcome.
They should also avoid asking for feedback when no genuine choice exists. Nothing reinforces powerlessness quite like being invited to contribute after the decision has already been finalized.
When something is not negotiable, say so honestly. Then explain where employees can still shape how the work moves forward. Agency does not require complete freedom or organizational authority. It begins with seeing the next choice clearly enough to act on it.
You may not be able to change the entire system. But you can still decide how you will participate in it, where you will use your voice and what influence you are willing to exercise.
Jaime Mann is a leadership speaker, facilitator, and founder of The Amaryllis Project, where she helps leaders strengthen self-leadership, communication, accountability, and connection at work. She works with organizations and leadership teams to turn insight into practical behaviour change — without the fluff. Jaime is completing a Master of Professional Studies in Psychology of Leadership through Penn State and brings experience across construction, safety, human resources, education, associations, and professional services. Her writing explores how leaders can show up with more clarity, courage, and humanity, especially when work gets messy.
Photo Credit: Kaboom Pics, Pexels
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