Comments on: Surviving Work: The Power of Ownership http://www.southboundhome.com/2008/03/04/surviving-work-the-power-of-ownership/ Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:56:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: chris http://www.southboundhome.com/2008/03/04/surviving-work-the-power-of-ownership/#comment-705 chris Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:52:00 +0000 http://www.southboundhome.com/2008/03/04/surviving-work-the-power-of-ownership/#comment-705 I believe they made a movie about this....Office Space.... and you're a Bob! =) I believe they made a movie about this….Office Space….

and you’re a Bob!

=)

]]> By: Matt http://www.southboundhome.com/2008/03/04/surviving-work-the-power-of-ownership/#comment-704 Matt Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:08:44 +0000 http://www.southboundhome.com/2008/03/04/surviving-work-the-power-of-ownership/#comment-704 I agree with you to a point. Obviously, there are going to be some people in any situation that simply don't want to buy in, and never will. But I also feel like there is a sector of the working population that gets described as lazy or complacent, when honestly they just haven't been approached yet with the right task. What their being offered to take ownership of doesn't necessarily appeal to them, but something else might. This is generally easier to see when speaking about administrative tasks that aren't the sole focus of a business, but simply the tasks we all have to undertake to keep a business running successfully. In my example above, if we had assigned that staff person the responsibility of summarizing accounting code that is put out by the hundreds of standard setting bodies that we have to follow, they would have likely hated it, and floundered. But we were able to give the staff person options, they chose one that interested them, and flourished, making it easier for those higher up to become completely hands off. One might then say that it isn't always possible to give people options, and that is true, to a point, but I think more often than not it's easier to do than people want to believe. You just have to subscribe to the notion that people are going to work more effectively doing something that they enjoy, regardless of their job description or experience level. Thanks for the well put response, cuz... I agree with you to a point. Obviously, there are going to be some people in any situation that simply don’t want to buy in, and never will.

But I also feel like there is a sector of the working population that gets described as lazy or complacent, when honestly they just haven’t been approached yet with the right task. What their being offered to take ownership of doesn’t necessarily appeal to them, but something else might.

This is generally easier to see when speaking about administrative tasks that aren’t the sole focus of a business, but simply the tasks we all have to undertake to keep a business running successfully. In my example above, if we had assigned that staff person the responsibility of summarizing accounting code that is put out by the hundreds of standard setting bodies that we have to follow, they would have likely hated it, and floundered. But we were able to give the staff person options, they chose one that interested them, and flourished, making it easier for those higher up to become completely hands off.

One might then say that it isn’t always possible to give people options, and that is true, to a point, but I think more often than not it’s easier to do than people want to believe. You just have to subscribe to the notion that people are going to work more effectively doing something that they enjoy, regardless of their job description or experience level.

Thanks for the well put response, cuz…

]]> By: chris http://www.southboundhome.com/2008/03/04/surviving-work-the-power-of-ownership/#comment-703 chris Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:15:57 +0000 http://www.southboundhome.com/2008/03/04/surviving-work-the-power-of-ownership/#comment-703 Matt - Good article(s), but I have to disagree with your assumption that people will take ownership if truly given ownership. I have seen many attempts - good and bad - to hand ownership to others, and the success of that handoff is almost always based on the work ethic of the individual taking ownership. A manager can give away 100% responsibility and all the power needed to make it work, but if the receiving individual isn't motivated to grow, it just won't work. Some people are comfortable where they are; they don't like change. They don't want to take on responsibility. They don't want to make decisions. These people will never take ownership unless it is simple, easy, and fool proof. I'm in a project right now with this exact problem. The "leader" was given everything needed, told a due date, and left to do it. Well, he's too busy worrying about his other personal business to spend time working on the project, and after 6 months, nothing has been done. Nothing. So, for people like you and me who enjoy challenges, learning new things, and having experiences - ownership works. To the lazy or complacent, it just leads to aggravation. Just my two cents... chris Matt -

Good article(s), but I have to disagree with your assumption that people will take ownership if truly given ownership. I have seen many attempts - good and bad - to hand ownership to others, and the success of that handoff is almost always based on the work ethic of the individual taking ownership.

A manager can give away 100% responsibility and all the power needed to make it work, but if the receiving individual isn’t motivated to grow, it just won’t work. Some people are comfortable where they are; they don’t like change. They don’t want to take on responsibility. They don’t want to make decisions. These people will never take ownership unless it is simple, easy, and fool proof.

I’m in a project right now with this exact problem. The “leader” was given everything needed, told a due date, and left to do it. Well, he’s too busy worrying about his other personal business to spend time working on the project, and after 6 months, nothing has been done. Nothing.

So, for people like you and me who enjoy challenges, learning new things, and having experiences - ownership works. To the lazy or complacent, it just leads to aggravation.

Just my two cents…

chris

]]>