How to make your employees to take over ownership

There is a big difference between the worker performing the tasks and one receiving full ownership of the work. One is involved and the other is invested. The involved worker meets expectations, follows the instructions and complements his work. The invested worker looks out of the task, asks why he matters and is looking for ways to improve the results.

When I founded Butterflymx In 2014, I quickly realized that it didn’t encourage employees to work; It makes them care about the same as you. You can assign duties, set dates and track performance, but the actual property can’t be forced. It have to be grown.

Teams with invested employees achieve higher results, cooperate more effectively and drive true business development. When employees take over, they stop working only for payment and start working intentionally. Property is not something that is born of several high achievements; This is something that every manager can intentionally build into team culture. Let’s break up how to make this transformation.

Why employees do not accept properties (and how to change it)

If you would like employees to take over, you need to understand why they do not do it yet. Most of the time this is not a lack of motivation; Something in culture in the workplace prevents this.

1. Lack of clarity = no property

No one can take on something that has not been clearly defined. If employees do not fully understand their roles, duties or a way of measuring success, they are going to hesitate to take the initiative. Instead of accelerating, they are going to wait for the direction.

Repair is:

• Define the roles, duties and goals with precision.

• Make sure every worker knows what is expected of them and how his contribution matches into a larger picture.

• Set clear KPIs that measure success beyond “work”.

• Establishment of ownership at the starting of the project. Who is responsible for what and how they are going to track progress?

2. No place to make decisions

If employees think that their contribution does not matter, they are going to not exceed the minimum requirements. The property consists in how work is done.

Repair is:

• Give employees autonomy to make significant decisions.

• Instead of dictating at every step, let the team members vote in the processes that affect them.

• Ask their opinions: “How do you think we should approach it?”

• Give them the freedom to test their solutions.

3. Fear of failure kills the initiative

If employees are afraid that mistakes shall be punished, they are going to play safely. Nobody takes over something when they think that an error can damage their fame or profession. Fear crushes the initiative.

Repair is:

• Normalize the failure as a part of the growth process.

• Move the way of pondering from “failure is evil” to “failure is data”.

• When something goes according to plan, ask, “What can we learn about it?”

• Encourage you to solve problems over the fault. Help employees to solve problems and improve them as an alternative of closing them.

Strategies for supporting property in your team

If you would like employees to take over, you need to allow it. Ownership does not occur by accident; It is built by a culture that encourages initiative, rewards responsibility and gives people autonomy to take over.

1. Engage employees in setting goals

People are more involved in the goals that help to create. If the goals are dictated from above, employees may follow, but they are going to not feel invested personally.

Go from setting goals for your team to set them in the team:

• Instead of handing over quarterly KPIs, organize a strategic session in which employees define their key goals.

• Ask: “What do you think, what is realistic but an ambitious goal?” And “What do you need to succeed?”

• Lead the conversation, but let employees define their success indicators.

2. Give employees a saying about how the work is done

Microromagement is the fastest way to kill property. If employees feel that they have no control over their work, they are going to stop taking the initiative and wait for the instructions.

Transition from task management to manage results:

• Instead of rewriting every detail, how to make a project, clearly define the desired result and let employees find the best way to achieve it.

• Ask: “What do you think, what approach would work best?” and enable them to test their ideas.

• Be available for support, but do not enter, unless they need suggestions.

3. Pull people responsible

Ownership thrives in environments where responsibility is clear but supporting. If responsibility happens only when something goes incorrect, employees will avoid responsibility and do not accept it.

Implement weekly controls focusing on progress and solutions:

• Replace “Why is it not done yet?” from “What road locks slow you down?”

• Make them to be checked. Focus on solving problems and adjusting the strategy, not only status updates.

• Encourage employees to reflect on progress: “What works well? What would you change next time?”

4. Recognize and reward property

People repeat what is recognized. If you simply reward hits for goals, employees focus on numbers. If you furthermore may award the initiative and responsibility, employees will accept more.

He publicly emphasizes employees who show ownership, not only those that achieve their goals:

• Call employees at team meetings who have solved the problem proactively or took the initiative on the project.

• Send a quick cocktail or e-mail to confirm when someone has ownership.

• Rewarding behavior, not only the results: “I appreciate how you embraced it; it had a great influence.”

Bringing employees to take over ownership is not about demanding more; It is about providing them with confidence, clarity and autonomy to fully get involved. When employees feel authorized to make decisions, take the initiative and see their influence, stop working on the check boxes and start working deliberately. They are not waiting for the direction; They rise, solve and drive the results.