Employees: Owning the Business without Owning it

It's an age old discussion.  You can't just grant/sell shares to anyone that asks, but yet...there is an attitude and altitude (of service & commitment) that comes with ownership.

Some brands have been able to do it, some try and fail, and others just don't try at all...believing that they (the owner) is 100% committed and they will get somewhere between 25% and 75% from their staff at any given time.

A pessimistic outlook...of course...but what else would you expect?  I believe that there are 3 keys to helping your employees "own" without owning.

1) Treat them fairly and with respect at all times - Pay them well, treat them like adults, give them the benefit of the doubt...all of these things are basic management 101...but many business owners lose control of their staff simply because they either stop caring or start focusing on the wrong things.  A happy & healthy staff is a productive & loyal one.

2) Leverage their knowledge & understanding of the business - One of the best resources you will ever find is not in a consulting report, but in the minds of your staff.  They know things about your business and customers that you have no clue about...so ask!  How can we improve? What are the 3 most common problems you hear from customers? These questions enable the conversation to move from the present to the future.  Good staff want to stay with you...so ask them what they want the company to look like in 10 years...because keeping them around that long is great for both of you!

3) Use words like "our" instead of "my" and "we" instead of "I" - This is the real way to ensure you get the most from employees on an active and continual basis.  By involving them and giving them ownership through verbal cues, you are in essence tasking them (as a part of their job) to own the portion of the business that they are responsible for.  For example, "Our clients need to be served in the most efficient way possible...how can we ensure that happens?"  By involving them in the process of development (internal & external) you provide them with a sense of belonging and the ability to look beyond the 9-5 job and see the bigger picture.