The Big ‘O’ or the Big ‘B’?

The Big ‘O’.

That’s right.

Ownership.

It’s a theme that keeps cropping up in my work. Typically in the context that it’s missing.

The first thing I owned must have been a toy of some sort, though I can’t for the life of me remember which one. Maybe a stuffed fluffy monkey called Banana that got dragged around from pillar to post? Not sure.

As adults, things get a bit tougher. More serious.

We get to buy and own stuff. Maybe a car, a house, and be responsible for the repayments and maintenance.

And when we enter the world of work, we have to own our time and how we spend it to ensure we are focused, prioritising correctly, and delivering what we’re expected to deliver to negotiated deadlines.

We have to own our development of skills and knowledge, so that we can be helpful and of value, and progress in our careers.

Ownership in the workplace also means owning our behaviours, being emotionally intelligent, and communicating effectively and respectfully. It also means owning the consequences of our behaviours and actions.

With ownership there’s no room for blame or passing the buck. It’s about knowing what needs to be done, finding out if we don’t, and then getting on with it with a healthy sense of urgency.

It means not letting our teammates down. It means showing up with our head and heart in the game and positively playing our part, with our teammates, to deliver something over the line, sharing our knowledge, asking for help if we need it, helping others if they need it, or respectfully debating potential causes of a problem and exploring the most suitable solution.

It means speaking up in meetings when we have a different perspective, or speaking out when we see something wrong, or admitting when we might be wrong and absorbing any lessons, because ownership also means living our own values and standing up for the shared values and behavioural standards of our organisation.

The Big ‘O’: Ownership – of who we are, what we do, how we show up, and the choices we make.

What are you choosing to own?