Take Ownership

'Taking ownership' is a concept barely understood by employees, and an employee trait coveted by owners and managers. To put it simply "taking ownership" means treating the business as if it were your own, as if your money, your investment were riding on the success of the enterprise. I first learned of this principle when I was caught removing merchandise from the shelves of a small c-store, washing the shelves, and returning the merchandise. The owner walked in while I was doing this, and he was thrilled.

My impulse had come from a desire to impress the boss. What it resulted in was the concept of taking ownership. I was acting as if the place were mine. I was then able to shape the environment to fit my high expectations of cleanliness, and presentability. I acted as if the revenue that kept the business running were my responsibility, and pertinent to my survival. Conversely, it is.

The bathrooms were cleaned according to my high expectations. People showed up to work on time, or they did not show up again. The kitchen ran efficiently from 3:00 AM to 10:00 AM for breakfasts, and from 10:30 AM to 7:00 PM for lunch/dinner items, and breakfast prep. I ran controls for the cash registers by assigning one cashier to one drawer, rather than sharing drawers. When the deposit at the end of the night was perfectly square, and substantial, I was satisfied.

The only thing that would have made me happier would have been to be able to pay the invoices, pay the lease payment, and be intimate with the books, watching the great machine of business work efficiently with a healthy cash flow.

I found that I performed well when I was in charge. I performed amazingly when I took ownership. I looked forward to the hours I would be spending at work. I wondered what the day would both bring me, and teach me. When I take ownership I am the kind of employee I want to be, and ownership wants me to be.

At the TJ Motel, as you've read previously, I am in charge. This business reflects me, my efforts, and how much ownership I take. Sometimes I take so much ownership of the place that I get embarrassed when ownership actually arrives. They never fail to be pleased.

That is the object and the goal of taking ownership. Happy owners. If you are an employee reading this, let's try a little visualization. Put yourself in your owner's shoes. You have spent $1 million on your new business. If you are like me, $100 seems a substantial investment. Multiply that by 100,000 and you have some idea of the pressure your owner is under. Now understand that you aren't running things. You have trusted someone else to run things. How are your nerves? If they aren't frayed, then you aren't paying attention.

As an owner with big money on the line, you learn quickly (if you don't already know) that an employee who takes ownership of the business is more valuable than twenty employees that don't. You know that you can count on that employee to take excellent, personal care of your investment on every level. They will treat your customers as their own. They will treat your property as their own. They will eliminate redundant systems, cut expenses, lead with authority and confidence, keep the place clean, and care for the image of the business as if it were their own. Now your nerves have calmed, and you can focus your energy on other things. That is an assurance beyond price, and a skill that is invaluable to employers.

That is taking ownership, and it will develop you professionally like few other experiences. It will teach you what it is to have a vehicle for cash flow. It will teach you what it feels like to have property, tools, employees, and immense responsibilities. It will teach you a strong work ethic which is the envy of employers around the world. It will position you to get whatever job you desire, and get you past that first, uncomfortable phone interview in style. "Taking ownership" is only a great idea, and nothing less. Aspire!