Recent studies show how much employees value ownership over their projects. Employees also value leaders who trust them to take responsibility for their work. Ownership and trust are especially important to younger workers, including members of Gen Z, who increasingly join the workforce each year. In this blog, we’ll describe strategies for fostering a culture of ownership. Use these strategies to empower your team to take ownership of their work, foster a sense of pride, and get the job done.
Explain expectations clearly.
Nothing undermines project ownership faster than being uncertain what success looks like or what consequences will occur if one fails. Lay a foundation for ownership by giving clear explanations of what you expect to see in the finished product – and what the stakes are for completion.
Delegate based on team member strengths.
When you delegate based on each team member’s strengths, you ensure work will be done by the team member most capable of doing it well. You also give your team members an early confidence boost. Because the assignment caters to their strengths, they’ll experience early success and self-trust that comes from competence.
Encourage your team to seek its own answers before turning to you.
Even if you delegate every part of a project, it’s important to remain available to your team. Yet it is also important not to be their first recourse when they hit a snag. Encourage team members to search for solutions or ideas before coming to you. When they do ask for help, ask them what they’ve tried first.
Assign, explain, encourage – and then step back.
Delegation is a difficult skill for managers to learn. For good management, however, delegation is essential. Being able to explain what needs to be done and then allow your team to do it both builds their skills and gives you the time you need to focus on the tasks you cannot delegate.
Looking for ways to bring out the best in each member of your team? Get in touch with the experts at Odell Studner today.
We’ll help you ensure your business has the support and structure it needs, so you can focus on leadership.
