Own It!
10 04 2008I was teaching a class on how to have a brilliant year and took the participants through an exercise to eliminate their Brilliance Blockers – you know, things that prevent you from doing your best. One of the questions I asked this eager beaver group was, “What do you need to start doing and stop doing as it relates to beliefs and behaviors that sabotage your outcomes?” One lady raised her hand and said, “I tend to delegate away what I should do to focus on what I want to do. I need to stop that and own it.” The moment she said it, there was a shift in the energy in the room and everyone was dead silent. I knew immediately that we had hit a nerve. So I told her to write down in her notebook the words “I will own it!” When she did, she became wide eyed and it was as if a switch was flipped. This is the mark of a true professional…no excuses. Just own it. This is how people establish an internal brand in the organization. Just own it. No finger pointing, just own whatever is in front of you. People will know that you are the go-to person. If you intend to Release Your Brilliance, then own your work. It will speak volumes for you.
Just Own It! More powerful words were never spoken! I work with someone who believes in being a 3-D manager - Decide, Delegate and Disappear! The only problem is there is no way to hold someone accountable if they give away their responsibilities just as quickly as they are given them! Key issues go unresolved due to a lack of ownership. This breeds a lack of trust and confidence, which decays the effectivness of a member of the leadership team. Ownership is essential - owning the good, the bad and the ugly of our jobs, careers and lives makes us accountable and better all round people!