I’ve always felt some degree of ownership of the work I do… after all, it’s a direct reflection of who I am and what I do.  Ownership to me is very similar to accountability.  Both ownership and accountability involve being invested in something and helping drive it forward.  They both involve having to understand as much as possible about that thing as you can, and they both involve being bound to the outcome.  Where they differ, however, is in where they originate.

Accountability, I find, is generally external.  We're told by our boss/teacher/partner that we're accountable for the project/assignment/chore.  Accountability is something that someone else puts on us to complete a task. This isn’t a bad thing, as it helps us find our target and drive the project forward.  It provides excellent external guidance on what we should be doing, which helps us shape our approach.

Being external, however, has its downside.  External drive is harder to sustain as it requires someone else to push us along.  Generally this can kickstart internal motivation, but sometimes it doesn’t, and suddenly it requires two people to do the task.  External forces can also push us in a direct we maybe don’t like.  Perhaps it’s a project or task we just don’t want to do.  This makes it harder to get motivated and follow through with completing the task.

Ownership, I find, is generally internal.  We tell ourselves we're responsible for that thing,  and it is up to us to beg/borrow/steal to make it happen.  Personally I find that once I understand what is needed I tend to assume ownership of projects and the like quite easily.  I take a look at what is being asked of me and I make myself responsible for the outcome.  If it doesn't happen it's not because of some external force (something being unavailable, someone missing etc, it's because I didn't get the resource I needed, or I didn't ask for help.

The plus side of ownership is the feeling of having a stake in the game.  I’m part of that thing, so I’ll do whatever I can to make it happen.  The downside of ownership is it can be hard to feel.  Sometimes I just don’t feel like I’m an owner.  Personally, I find it the most frustrating when others on my team have different levels of ownership; some are all in, some part way and others couldn’t be bothered.

I find the best way to help others invest in ownership is to speak to my own experience with it.  Letting my team know that I stay up late working on the project, or showing them how I go the extra mile(s) to get something done helps spark that feeling in them.  From there, it’s just a matter of encouraging them to continue to invest in their ownership.