5 Ways to Cultivate an Ownership Mindset
Every business can benefit from a culture of ownership that encourages employees at all levels to take initiative. Without an ownership culture, your employees may end up being too dependent on your personal presence and control over every decision and detail — and that’s not productive.
More critically, your employees’ failure to make a timely decision when you aren’t available could negatively impact your business. Additionally, employees who don’t feel a sense of ownership are less motivated, less engaged, and more likely to leave the company when they do find better opportunities elsewhere.
An ownership culture starts at the top. Your team looks to you to demonstrate what ownership looks like. They’ll also need your support to learn how to take ownership. Here are five ways you can build
Provide the resources your employees need to be successful
This might mean providing training courses on new technology and tools, creating mentorship pairings, and practicing communication skills.
Communicate the big picture
It’s also important that all employees gain a solid understanding of all aspects of your business and how different areas connect and what the different roles do. This understanding provides the broad knowledge base that employees may need for solving a problem or serving a client.
Encourage self-reflection
Make your one-on-ones with employees a two-way street. Before offering feedback and advice, invite them to assess their performance or bring up things that are going well as well as things that require improvement.
Give employees freedom within a framework
Set clear expectations and boundaries, so employees feel empowered to make decisions and suggest improvements but also understand the limits of their authority.
Let your team lead
Look for the right opportunities for your team to develop solutions without your guidance or involvement. Task them to explore options, report on their findings, and make recommendations for your consideration. If you do make a final decision that differs from their recommendation, take time to fully explain your thinking and express your gratitude for their work.
An ownership culture empowers those who work within it by giving them the opportunity to take responsibility for their decisions rather than just following orders from above. When everyone feels responsible for making sure everything runs smoothly, productivity is higher than ever!
If you would like to learn more about how this might apply to your business, let’s talk: