Sense of Ownership
Sense of Ownership
A sense of ownership is not necessarily owning company stock, but a feeling of ownership in the work process. As employees develop this sense of ownership there is an increased sense of pride, motivation and self-esteem. The long-term impact is increased productivity.
Generating a sense of pride can be a difficult task, however, it can be cultivated by developing a sense of ownership. Employees become much more attached to their work if they feel like a part of the process.
Participative management is a practical approach to getting employees to feel like they are part of the team that you want to build. A participative approach will ensure that employees feel like a part of the team, they develop a sense of controlling their own destiny and it pays large dividends for the management team. Some management teams have a difficult time using participative management as they feel it takes away their control. However, implemented correctly what you get is an extension of your control, new ideas and most often reduced costs.
Several issues must be resolved before a company can develop a participative management approach and sense of ownership among workers. The first, and most important, is a commitment from all management levels. Too often, managers see work processes as belonging to them and are unwilling to delegate this feeling of ownership to the lower levels of the work force. Delegating this ownership is also much easier when management has confidence in the work force.
"Meaning matters," says Dave Ulrich, a professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business and co-founder of the consulting firm The RBL Group. His recent book The Why of Work, co-written with his wife, psychologist Wendy Ulrich, gives leaders specific tools for building meaning in the workplace from the executive suite on down.
"When employees find a sense of meaning in their work, they work harder at it," Ulrich says. "What would otherwise be a normal
A sense of ownership is not necessarily owning company stock, but a feeling of ownership in the work process. As employees develop this sense of ownership there is an increased sense of pride, motivation and self-esteem. The long-term impact is increased productivity.
Generating a sense of pride can be a difficult task, however, it can be cultivated by developing a sense of ownership. Employees become much more attached to their work if they feel like a part of the process.
Participative management is a practical approach to getting employees to feel like they are part of the team that you want to build. A participative approach will ensure that employees feel like a part of the team, they develop a sense of controlling their own destiny and it pays large dividends for the management team. Some management teams have a difficult time using participative management as they feel it takes away their control. However, implemented correctly what you get is an extension of your control, new ideas and most often reduced costs.
Several issues must be resolved before a company can develop a participative management approach and sense of ownership among workers. The first, and most important, is a commitment from all management levels. Too often, managers see work processes as belonging to them and are unwilling to delegate this feeling of ownership to the lower levels of the work force. Delegating this ownership is also much easier when management has confidence in the work force.
"Meaning matters," says Dave Ulrich, a professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business and co-founder of the consulting firm The RBL Group. His recent book The Why of Work, co-written with his wife, psychologist Wendy Ulrich, gives leaders specific tools for building meaning in the workplace from the executive suite on down.
"When employees find a sense of meaning in their work, they work harder at it," Ulrich says. "What would otherwise be a normal