How do I grow ownership?
I just heard this question asked for the n-th time in the last few weeks. I am putting this article together, in a hurry to avoid writing another stream of incoherent messages on Slack.
Yes, it sounds like a weak excuse and it is. I may find time to revisit this article and polish all the rough edges. Be gentle in the comments, please.
The question itself
The question, in its different forms, may look similar to the ones I listed below:
We have people who previously were told what to do by their manager and now are waiting for instructions. We want them to be more autonomous. How do we help them adapt to the changes?
…
There is a person in the team who is not continuously improving and does things the same way for years. Can we get rid of him?
The expectations
Most likely, someone, a while ago, told the people in question what is expected from them, they accepted it and adjusted their behavior accordingly. In a group setting, they may have been ‘trained’ to adopt certain behaviors by repeated micro negative feedbacks. They may have had good ideas but were ignored or talked over, or they took the initiative, but nobody followed. Time after time they learned, indirectly, what they tried to do is not the accepted behavior.
In short, they’re not aware the problem exists and may genuinely think they’re doing a great job.
Before you do anything else, you need to let them know what you’d rather see them do. Regardless of whether you are their manager or peer, they need to know that situation has changed. Avoiding the conversation trying to avoid eventual confrontation, or leaving clues by means of passive-aggressive comments is not a good way forward.
Curiosity and a non-judgemental approach
There are dozens of reasons why people behave the way they behave. If you want them to change, you need to understand why they act like that and how they think about it. You need to be curious about their reasons. This is also called “meeting people where they are” and it is important. Without it, if you act upon your assumptions, you’ll be solving non-existent problems and inflicting help.
You also need to understand they may not want to change at all. They may have liked it how it was, and that’s why they chose to work in this place of yours.
Yes, there are people (including managers) who would just tell them to change and expect obedience. If you are (or aspire to be) one of them, close this tab and go read something else. You’re most likely wasting your time here.
Now, if a promise of a conversation described above makes you feel uncomfortable, there are concepts out there such as Crucial Conversations or Radical Candor that can help you. (If not, skip to the next paragraph)
The simplest (not necessarily best) way to approach it is by:
- having good intentions
- starting with facts (observations without interpretation)
- comparing possible approaches
- avoiding associating a positive or negative value with any of the listed approaches (non-judgemental)
- asking for their point of view
Example of a chat:
- I want you to be successful in our team and that’s why I thought I’d ask you this question:
- Remember, when [situation description]? I observed you [behavior observed]. Do you remember what were you thinking back then?
<listen, ask clarifying question>
- I thought you could also consider [behavior expected]. What do you think about that?
The above is a good start to a longer conversation. It allows you to understand the obstacles, how persons think about the situation, and whether they consider changing at all.
Letting them drive the process
At this point I assume: others know about the problem (your expectations), know they’re part of the problem (their behavior not being aligned), and are accepting it as their problem (willing to change to meet your expectations).
Congratulations on getting that far. You had a productive conversation: the other person agreed to invest in your point of view and change.
Now, since you expect the others to exhibit ownership, it would be hypocritical and a step back, to tell them what to do to implement change, right?
Letting others drive the process and be in a driver's seat doesn't mean you cannot help. Quite the opposite:
- If you have seen how good looks like, you may help increase their motivation. How changing their behavior will create value for them? Are they missing a point of view you could share with them?
- You can lend them your ‘brainpower’ and share prior experiences relevant to the situation. Are they missing an option to consider? Have you seen particular steps work for someone else? If they’re missing first principles thinking and focusing on low gain ideas, what open questions can you ask to help them get back on track?
- They’re going to take the next steps. How can you help? What are you willing to commit to?
The ongoing support
Once the initial conversations are over, there’s time for making change happen. Would also be nice if change could stick, without too many relapses. Would you agree?
One thing to consider is that what you did so far was not a one-time activity. They may want to revisit the progress as the situation develops (or new obstacles arise) and use somebody else’s creativity, brainpower, or listening ear. Can you be that person, can you provide such support? Or, perhaps you can help arrange it in form of a community or introduction to the right person?
Another thing is the support you can provide in a moment. I bet your behavior and the behavior of others contributed to the situation. Ask yourself: how differently do you need to behave to support them? Do you need to stop acting in a particular way? What do you need to start doing? How can you interact with others to help people who’re going through the change process create new and unlearn old habits?
Last, but still important, is the system they operate within. Rules, ceremonies, interactions, and what people pay attention to or value — contribute to the system which shapes everyone’s behaviors. You may or may not have the power to change the rules, but you always can influence the system. How would a system look like, in which only desired behaviors would be supported? How can you contribute to getting there?
