The Renter in the Cubicle: Six Ways to Inspire That Elusive Sense of Ownership
Leaders, consider the following profiles:
Fiona is the quintessential clock-watcher. She comes in at 9 a.m. (sharp) and leaves at 5 p.m. (sharper). She takes all of her sick days and if she does work overtime, she leaves early the next day to “make up for it.� Oh, she does her work, but it’s pretty, well, uninspired. “That’s not in my job description� seems to be her battle cry.
Lauren might as well not have a clock in her office. It’s not that she is a workaholic—far from it. She works hard and plays hard. But she enjoys her job so much that it almost seems like play. She’s always coming up with new concepts, new products, new ways of doing the same old thing. “How can we do this better?� is her motto.
Does your company have a lot of Fionas? We’ve all dealt with “Fionas,� employees who seem to be there only for the paycheck. Perhaps they’re marking time until they find a better job, or maybe they’re simply willing to settle for a ho-hum work life. Regardless, Joanne G. Sujansky, Ph.D., calls them “renters�—as in, this is not my house so I’m certainly not going to keep the lawn mowed or steam clean the rugs.
“A company full of renters will keep you from thriving,â€? says Sujansky, CEO and founder of KEY Group. “Employees must feel that they are part of the company in the truest sense. In other words, they must feel like owners. The good news is that you don’t have to fire everyone and start over. For the most part, it’s your culture that determines whether your employees are renters or owners. Transform that and your employees’ attitudes will be transformed, too.â€?
Sujansky’s term for companies that inspire that elusive sense of ownership in even the most apathetic cubicle-dweller is “Vibrant Entrepreneurial Organization,� or VEO for short. Her consulting firm has helped companies worldwide to create productive work-life cultures.
So how can you turn your renters into owners? Sujansky offers the following tips:
• Share your entrepreneurial vision. If you’re the type of leader who doles out information on a “need to know� basis, you’re in trouble. A VEO leader cannot be secretive. Team members want and need to know what your company stands for, where it’s going, and how that’s going to impact their future. After all, they need to be able to buy into your mission and vision, and they can’t do so if they don’t fully understand it. Communicate openly. When events or circumstances change, tell your employees right away. Let them know how it will impact them and the organization. If they don’t know the big picture, how can they own it?
• Give employees a real voice in planning your future. No matter how often you tell your employees “this is your company, too,� if they have no real say-so, it’s clearly just lip service. Collaborate with them. Solicit their ideas and contributions. More to the point, actually take their advice and run with it. “If you don’t trust your employees enough to help shape your company’s future, why did you hire them in the first place?� Sujansky queries. “Why are you doing everything yourself? Letting employees make decisions encourages them to solve problems and seize opportunities. I mean, when you make a decision, it really is yours. You really do ‘own it’ in the truest sense of the word.�
• Make sure their work is meaningful. No one likes busywork or routine, mind-numbing tasks. Give your employees challenging assignments that stimulate their minds and that have a real impact on your organization. Remember, you hired them for their talent. Bored employees are unmotivated employees. They get restless. They lose sight of how they fit into the company and start seeking greener—more vibrant—pastures. “If you sense that an employee is just going through the motions, take him to lunch and ask, ‘What would challenge you?’� suggests Sujansky. “Ask him to come up with a new product or service or process for your company and then let him be in charge of the project. It’s amazing how few leaders really do this—but it’s a tremendously empowering and inspiring gesture.�
• Encourage flexible schedules. Rememb…
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