Ownership encourages engagement

Ownership encourages engagement.

The word “ownership” makes some people squirm. The word elicits expectations of judgment for every mistake, of unreasonable deadlines and strict consequences. For those dispassionate in the project’s stated objective, ownership of the project is like a noose around their neck. To those who resonate with the mission, however, ownership is the necessary and desired way to hold themselves and their colleagues responsible for the completion of the project. Rather than fear the consequences of failure, those who are passionate about the project find their name on it encourages them to engage with heart and mind to bring the project to a successful close. To deny ownership to those who want it is to deny recognition and stunt engagement ((Campbell)).

Have you read job descriptions lately? It may have always been this way, but there’s a disheartening generality in the description of most job positions. If, after being hired into the role, the applicant is given no further direction about their expected responsibilities, most will get tired of the effort to figure out what they’re accountable for and will either stop working or quit. The need for responsibility is equally important at the project level.

When projects have clear owners, a business benefits in two ways. First, there’s a single contact to determine the status of a project. Instead of wondering how a project is going, any stakeholder has only to corner the owner to get the answers they need, or a promise to get back to them soon. Second, the owner may be confident of recognition. Every stakeholder knows that it’s they who are responsible for the success of the project, along with a select number of owners and helpers, and that they’ll be answering for gains or losses. This may “put a fire under them” to keep from ruining the project, but it may also encourage them with the though of recognition at the end, and that stakeholders are depending on them to finish well.

This insight hits home with me. I’ve discovered that I have a high desire for recognition in my work, but I find my efforts are entirely overlooked at work. I presently have a number of tasks given to me “on the side” for which I will receive no recognition nor will anyone care if they are finished until weeks later when problems may or may not arise. The result for me has been a regular difficulty remaining engaged and interested in my work, and especially in the side projects which presently comprise the bulk of my daily activity. My application to this is to ask around and find out if others on our team suffer from a similar desire to have more ownership and recognition or if it’s only me and, if that’s the case, I’ll bring it up with our management.

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