Reap the rewards
of your own success

Hand out a bag of apples. Ask everyone to mark a landmark on their apple. Collect the apples and then hand them out again, randomly. What do you see happening? Chances are people look around, looking for “their” apple. They effortlessly recognize their own apple again. This shows how quickly ownership arises when you feel connected to something. How do you translate this principle to the workplace?

Roles in ownership

Ownership is determined by two types of conditions: intrinsic conditions and contextual conditions. These are both person-dependent and environment-dependent. When someone takes leadership over ownership themselves, the greatest motivation occurs. As a manager, you influence the extent to which someone dares to do this. A good approach encourages ownership, while a less successful approach inhibits it. So, how do you approach it?

Intrinsic conditions ownership

• Wanting. You must want to contribute. Not because of reward or recognition, but because you yourself want to see results. This starts with clarity about your goals. What exactly are you working toward?
• Ability. You need skills as well as the confidence that you possess those skills. Feeling competent strengthens your ownership. What skills do you already have and which do you want to develop further?
• Significance. You want to understand how your contribution fits into the bigger picture. People want to be meaningful. How clear is it to you what role you play in the big picture?

Contextual conditions ownership

• Transparency. As a leader, encourage ownership by communicating clearly. What is the mission? What is the strategy? What do you expect from someone? The clearer the line, the easier it is for someone to take responsibility.
• Space. A person can only take ownership if there is space to do so. Too much control makes responsibility shift to the manager. Let someone determine “which apple is theirs.”
• Trust. Ownership occurs when someone feels that you have confidence in their approach. Then the work becomes theirs, not something they perform for you.

Tips and tricks

A manager who does not show ownership has difficulty encouraging it in team members. It only works when you yourself lead by example. That means you take responsibility for your behavior, priorities and choices. You work purposefully and from intrinsic motivation. That doesn’t make you perfect, but it does make you engaged.

Some practical tips for executives in the workplace:

• Involve new employees from the beginning. Getting them involved in decisions creates immediate emotional commitment.
• Communicate openly and listen actively. By asking questions and giving and asking for feedback, someone feels seen. This increases motivation and loyalty.
• Encourage people to come up with their own solutions. Ask for someone’s own ideas first before giving advice. In this way, someone develops critical thinking skills as well as ownership.
• Discuss what someone needs. You don’t have to come up with everything yourself. By exploring together what strengthens commitment, someone gains more control over their own development.

Your own orchard

Feeling responsible for your development does not come naturally to everyone. Through your motives you get clarity about what you stand for and what you find important. You don’t have to carry everything, but you can take responsibility for your part: your own orchard. What do you want to be proud of? When you take ownership, it grows. You see the results and that reinforces the feeling that you are significant.