It’s been quite a while, a little over four months, since I’ve added anything to my Surviving Work series. In the last installment of the series, I spoke about the Power of Simplicity, and how communicating in a clear, effective manner, both orally and in writing, can lead to better relationships with clients and peers. When these relationships can be developed into an attribute that you, and only you, as an individual hold with a client or peer, it is simply one example of the Power of Ownership at play.

I’m purposefully using the term ‘ownership’ here in an abstract way, to describe the process that an individual uses to take control of the tasks that they are asked to perform on a daily basis. For instance, in the example above, an individual could change the way that they communicate with clients in relation to their peers. That individual could be said to be creating ownership of that communication; of making it their own by using the method that works best for them. This change could result in positive or negative reaction by the client to the new method of communication. Either way, ownership has been acheived, but we’d obviously like to focus on those instances where the power of ownership over a process creates positive change in the work environment.

A perfect example of the power of ownership having a positive effect on working environment can be found in my office. Due to our small size, all levels of staff are forced to take on administrative tasks that would generally be performed by management level employees or higher. When these tasks were being initially discussed and assigned, one staff member expressed interest in heading up our recruiting efforts in the area. In the past year and a half, since we have let this staff person take on this additional job responsibility, with little to no guidance from management, our recruiting efforts have been organized, our relationships with area colleges and universities have grown, and our interview procedures have become standardized, and the number of qualified applicants that we have been able to interview has increased exponentially. This staff person has responded beautifully to the challenge put upon them, in large part because they were given not just the task, but the responsibility for its’ success, and the ability to structure it the way that they saw fit to do so.

How is this possible? Because the power of ownership is inherent in all of us, I think. We have an innate desire to be a part of a larger entity, and to feel a sense of belonging. We also want to know that what we’re doing, and not how we’re doing it, makes a difference. Taking ownership over a process in our own careers’ gives us that. Conversely, using ownership as a management tool to create positive changes in an entity’s culture promotes a more productive and independent staff. We can all promote the power of ownership in our work environment, by taking control of individual processes in our daily job tasks, or by letting go, and allowing staff, or peers, take ownership themselves.

Related Articles

SalesTrax - Helping Others Take Ownership

EzineArticles - Taking Ownership of Tasks

Note: Notice that the second article linked to takes a more conventional approach to assigning ownership of tasks, rather than letting employees take ownership themselves. Additionally, the criticism assumption of ownership about half-way through the article, that people don’t want to be assigned additional tasks or extra work, is one that I take exception to, based on my argument above. Finally, pay attention to the second to last paragraph. There is once again an assumption that people will not take control of a task given to them. I once again take exception, believing instead that if allowed, employees will take ownership of tasks, and that the fault in these situations generally lies at the feet of management for not completely letting go of tasks assigned to others. This article is a good example of The Power of Ownership gone wrong, with negative effects.