How to Foster an Ownership Mentality in your Team

1. It starts with you

   
   You’ve got to allow your team to breathe and trust them to work on their own without feeling you need to hover over them every minute of the day. If you have a tendency to micromanage, step away and let them work.

2. Communicate your vision

   
   Start things off by talking about your vision for the company and for your team. Let your team know that they are a valuable part of the company and that they, and their ideas and opinions really matter.

3. Don’t hide the big picture from your team

   
   Let them know where you want the company to go and how you want to get there. Give them a timeline as far as you can, so they know what to expect and what they are working towards.

4. Ask for feedback

   
   Actively ask for feedback from your team and show them that you welcome their input. Encourage them to come up with ideas and voice their opinions so that they feel heard and a part of the decision making process.

5. Be transparent

   
   Be transparent about how you make decisions in your team and explain why things are happening. If people don’t feel left in the dark, they are less likely to feel aggrieved and left out.

6. Equip your staff with everything they need

   
   Make sure your staff have all the tools and training they need to manage their work and their projects, and then delegate fully by letting them choose how they complete their work. That will build ownership and trust, and develop their problem solving skills.

7. Be supportive, but not smothering

   
   Let your employees know you are there to support them and to answer questions if they need you, but encourage them to solve their own issues and let them know that you trust them to do that.

8. Reward

   
   Reward employees who go above and beyond because it recognizes their achievements and encourages others to follow their lead. You don’t have to offer financial rewards, even just an extra day’s holiday or the option of flexible time makes a difference.

9. Failure is OK

   
   Lastly, remove the blame game completely. Nobody ever built anything worthwhile without failing somewhere along the way, and constant scrutiny over what went wrong and whose fault it was will simply demoralize everyone. Instead, let your staff know that it’s OK to fail, and that the best way to look at it is to take what lessons can be learned from the experience and move forward.