Business Success Articles, Business Success Strategies, Leadership Development

How to Get Your Employees to Show Up With An Ownership Mindset

(Originally published in the Hudson Valley Business Journal - May 7, 2007)

Imagine what your business could achieve if your employees brought with them to the workplace an ownership mindset. How different would it be? How would your customers be better served? How would your bottom line be improved?

On more than one occasion recently I have either overheard or been in a direct conversation with a business leader who has lamented, "I wish our people would had an ownership mentality or at the very least would take ownership of their job."

My immediate response is to inquire what that might look like if their employees did come to work with an ownership mindset. They tell me things like they would be proactive in getting things done. They would answer the phone quicker and with a better attitude. They would have more attention to detail and they would smile more.

But when I follow with a question as to whether their business fosters a culture that encourages and reinforces an ownership mindset I get a blank stare.

Few business leaders invest the time, energy and resources to create that special environment. That's a shame because the upside potential for a business that creates an ownership mindset is truly unlimited. If you are one of the precious few willing to step up and create the proper environment then keep reading my "9-Steps to Creating an Ownership Mindset in Any Business" below:

1) Self-Evaluation
You first must evaluate your present culture. Are you doing what it takes to create that ownership mindset? Review steps 2-9 below and identify the areas where you need to raise the bar in your company.

2) Be a Role Model for the Behaviors You Expect
They say curiosity killed the cat and it's incongruency that kills leadership. Do you demand employees be on time to start their shifts or for meetings, yet you are constantly late for commitments? Do you expect employees to be proactive in decision making yet you procrastinate on dealing with challenging personnel issues? Do you wish your employees had a better attitude but could smile more yourself? Your employees will follow your lead. In every business employees learn how to show up by how they see their co-workers and the company exemplars show up.

3) Create the Profile of Your Ideal Employee
Job descriptions are a must but they usually don't go beyond the tasks and roles an employee will be fulfilling with the company. Employers must invest time in creating a profile for the ideal employee for each position it is seeking to fill. This Ideal Employee profile will include the values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors necessary to succeed at the company, in addition to the education and skill level. Remember it is easier train for education and skills than it is for attitudes, values, beliefs and habits. This profile must also include the performance and behavior standards this Ideal Employee will be expected to fulfill.

4) Hire the right people
This is a three-step process beginning with number three above. After identifying your Ideal Employee you are ready for Step two, recruiting. You recruit your Ideal Employee by finding more effective places from which to recruit than the local classified newspaper ads, e.g. providing incentives to present employees for referrals or asking other trusted business colleagues for referrals. Step three is spending time during the hiring process to unveil a prospective employee's values, beliefs and behaviors. You do this by asking pointed situational case-study type questions that will bring these to the fore. Few businesses interview effectively to obtain the right people for the right roles because they fail to interview properly by asking the right questions.

5) Provide Regular Feedback and Demand Accountability
I was speaking with a prospect the other day that lamented he is frustrated because despite accountability being a buzzword throughout his company he's not getting it from his people. His reality is quite different because follow through to actually making it happen is inconsistent. This is worse than not professing accountability as a company value at all (See #2 above for reasons). Both positive, constructive feedback and accountability to performance standards must be provided on an on-going basis, not just at 'performance appraisal time.

6) Compensate Employees 'as if' They Are Owners
Offer performance bonuses, profit sharing bonuses and a variety of non-cash bonuses (e.g. surprise time-off, dinner gift certificates, special events, etc.) Also let them in on the business finances. Allow them to understand the financial underpinnings of the business so their compensation isn't viewed as arbitrarily created or manipulated. Not applying this type of approach creates cynicism and animosity.

7) Encourage Autonomy and Decision Making
Strongly encourage, develop and coach team members to make their own decisions within their role by taking action with a focus on the best interests of the business. This will occur naturally when a safe atmosphere is created within which team members know they can fail and are encouraged to learn from mistakes. Provide positive and specific reinforcement when proactive decisions work and look for teachable moments when mistakes arise from these proactive decisions.

8) Treat Employees as Assets not Liabilities
Show you care about your employees as people and not just a means to your ends. Provide opportunities for personal and professional development. Allow them to help create the environment in which they work and they will surprise you on how creative, proactive and service oriented they can be.

9) Recognize & Utilize Individual Uniqueness
Understand that motivating people is not a one-size fits all approach and that what it will take for one individual to adopt an ownership mindset will be different from another.

As competition for quality employees gets stronger, companies with a high trust environment that fosters a partnership with their employees will be the companies that thrive and win that competition. If you are ready to step up and make the commitment and set your company apart from the competition to become a great place to work, these nine steps will help you get started.