Ownership – The Most Underrated Job Requirement

Think about a time when you feel like you are killing it in at work! Your manager has your back, your team trusts you and you have a sense of purpose and belonging. You know what you are doing and the impact is clear. Your ‘Annual review’ conversations are a no-stressor and you can easily envision having another annual review at this company. Feels like blue skies and butterflies? I have been there, done that.

Alternatively, think of a place where the management goal is always shifting, where there is a constant struggle between teams, the times where your manager is not sure when to step in or step back. It is not working out for you, you feel unsure everyday. Your every move is calculated as if you are being chased by a lion. You second guess every reach, every move at every moment. Time for ‘Annual reviews’ are heart wrenching, and your family is at the receiving end of ALL THIS STRESS!

So what’s the most fundamental change between these two scenarios? It has to be the management right? Or the current market and economy? Or Is it you? How is it that nothing is making sense but everyone else is getting it? Your manager truly actually hired you to do a certain job, believed in you and genuinely wanted you to succeed in both scenarios. So the intention of giving you a sense of purpose and belonging was always there. But you don’t feel trusted or feel like no one has actually got your back.

Usually in Lynne’s Inspired Product Leader (IPL) Leadership sessions (I highly recommend the program), we use the verb ‘SCARF-ed’ to describe the situations like this. (Read more about SCARF here). While there are various ways to overcome your SCARF or break the projection cycle, I had an epiphany and realized it all probably boils down to either 1) the lack of “Clarity of OWNERSHIP”, Or 2) The lack of “Level of OWNERSHIP” you have. This can make or break your sense of belonging and purpose and not leaders will want to have a conversation around it. But I know you can!

Let’s walk through an example. Let’s say you are a Product Owner who owns the Product Metrics. As a Product Owner, you can have the following levels of ownership on the roadmap

• Level 4 – What problems we need to solve? In this case, you own the decision of what metrics make sense for this product.
• Level 3 – What’s the solution? In this case, you are given the product metrics, but you own the method to calculate those metrics.
• Level 2 – Here’s the solution, what are the steps? In this case, you are given the right set of metrics and the calculation that needs to be used, but you own the steps to put the right data pieces together and calculate the metric
• Level 1 – Here are the steps – Can you execute? In this case, you are also given the right data pieces, you just have to fit the formula and produce a metrics report.

More often than not, when you feel like you are suffering at work, there’s simply a gap between what you think you own, the level of ownership and expectations from your leadership. A good leader will go above and beyond to identify and fix this — be it for their team or even themselves.

Digging one step deeper on that Product Owner example, you may be at Level 4 for the metrics but Level 1 for Product Strategy. Good leaders identify that potential and the gap and develop their team from level 1 to level 4 for various skills. So go be that leader to yourself and your team. Have open and candid conversations and remember to include phrases like ‘I believe in you’, ‘I’ve got you’, ‘I’m here for you’, ‘Allow yourself to make some mistakes’, etc. All valid phrases for yourself as well as your team!!

YOU GOT THIS! (As Lynne says)