Creating climates whereby individuals freely assume ownership of their actions, tasks, job, a client, themself and the reputation of an organization, comes down to a simple sequence of interlinked actions. In working with profit and not-for-profit sector organizations over the two past decades, a clear model has risen that differentiates the winners from the losers.
Winning organizations and individuals freely assume ownership and do not engage in the excuse game for not attaining performance expectations. But taking ownership is a byproduct of three other more important elements. How you go about assuming ownership, and how you go about creating a climate whereby others assume ownership of their job, responsibilities, themselves and the organization overall can be achieved by understanding how four factors or elements are interlinked, and thus where your first energies must be directed.
So the burning question in most leaders’ (as well as parents) minds is “how do we go about getting others to assume a higher level of ownership?” And with this, I began my home work assignment.
What has been learned is this:
- The starting point may not be what you and your organizational approaches have been doing historically. When you know what the depth of your or another person’s skills and abilities are, and you draw upon those skills and apply, delegate, task management them appropriately, you experience success in accomplishment or a self VICTORY. When one experiences a VICTORY one’s self-esteem goes up!
- When one is victorious, one becomes significantly more MOTIVATED about applying himself, assumes more responsibility, and becomes more excited about participating. At this point, the necessity to establish incentive and motivation programs and initiatives becomes less appropriate!
- When one becomes MOTIVATED, overseeing their victories and successes, one becomes significantly more PASSIONATE about life and the endeavors they apply themselves into.
- We take OWNERSHIP of those things, and people we are Passionate about.
- And to get people to take more ownership starts by setting them up for VICTORY!
The cycle or circular diagram becomes an addiction to victory, ever seeking more opportunities to showcase their best skills and abilties for more achievement and success.
How I realized the model was to do reverse analysis of some of the most successful business and many of my clients today. People that assume OWNERSHIP seem to be among the most PASSIONATE at what they do. Those that have high passion for what they do are continuously MOTIVATED by what they do. And this only happens when people are set up for VICTORIES by doing those things which they are best mentally and physically equipped to undertake. All of this feeds one’s self-esteem, and when one operates from a high level of self-esteem, it is both exciting to see what one can accomplish and what one willingly takes OWNERSHIP of!