Tired of all the news about our tough economic climate? There are some bright sides to the gloom. One is the fact that every (smart) person in your organization recognizes that his or her financial security depends upon the viability of the company. Simply said, all employees can and should view themselves as owners and invest in nurturing the organization’s growth. (See, there’s a reason we used a seedling picture after all!)
Some worry that employees thinking they’re owners will result in too many bosses and not enough worker bees. So how do you create an ownership mindset and still get things done?
Make sure everyone knows where you’re going. Ownership doesn’t mean everyone chooses a different vision for the organization. Create a strong, shared understanding of the future success you will build together.
Make sure everyone knows how you’ll get there. Make values, assumptions, priorities and best practices transparent and non-negotiable.
Share info. Openly share as much data (financial, progress, results) and information as you can with as many people as possible. With information comes good decision-making.
Feed people. Stay connected with people, so that you know what they’re doing and what help they need to accomplish their goals. Know your people’s strengths and aspirations and support their ongoing development.
Watch your organization bloom. Employees who think and act like owners will flourish, the company will expand, and you’ll have more fun and excitement (the good kind) than ever.
Whether your employees own shares in the company or not, they’re owners. In good times and especially in bad, we’re all in this together.
Have a question or want some input from Humanergy about this topic? Contact us and we’ll get right back to you!