Individual Ownership the Key to Interdependence? @drbret

Did you ever wish you could just wave a magic wand and improve how well you do your job?  Well, I don't have a magic wand for you but I do want to pass along 10 keys to real responsibility courtesy of Bret Simmons.  Bret discusses how to fully take responsibility for your job performance and suggests that when we demostrate this higher level of ownership, we can build stronger relationships (our true vehicle for getting things done).  Take a look at Bret's list and see what the keys can unlock for you. I love #8:

8. Be trustworthy as well as trusting of others.

I find that many people remain stuck on this one. And all the media stories about slime balls and scoundrels does not help. I was telling my husband that if aliens watched our new programs to determine what kind of a species we were, they would conclude that we were idiots! Which is not true, but the new often highlights the lowlights of humanity.

Even so, we cannot do our best work without mutually trusting relationships.

Comments

[Bret Simmons]

Very kind of you to discuss my post, Lisa! I don't think much about ownership, but I'm starting to chew on it in different ways recently. Seeing you use the concept is very helpful. Thanks! Bret

[lisa haneberg]

Bret - Ownership is a word that drives me a little crazy at times. When we are talking about ourselves - I like the notion of owning our intentions. This term gets a lot more cloudy, however, when we talk about creating ownership in OTHERS. I hear this a lot from managers. Ownership is not something we can manage into people. Ownership is a personal choice. Managers can 1)hold people accountable and they can 2) create work environments that support ownership. These are two different things.

Your post struck me as directed to each of us as individuals and performers and very much about the power of ownership.

[Customer Management Software]

I think that's a great list, but all (including #8) have a big flaw:

You have to want to be responsible before you can take any of these steps.

In thinking about employees and our children, none of these steps do anything to move them towards taking responsibility unless they first want responsibility.

For example, many kids and employees don't care to be trusting or trustworthy.

So how do we get them to want it??