25
Antipattern #25 · ownership · p. 205
Granting Artificial Ownership
Creating organization-wide conditions for trust and agency to solve problems ignites innovation.
The Tin Man Behavior
Giving responsibility to people without providing the conditions for them to execute on these effectively and safely.
The Results
- ·Cynicism and disengagement, a feeling of powerlessness that reduces the inclination to take initiative
- ·Slowed decision-making, reduced agility and innovation
- ·Resources wasted on oversight rather than value delivery
How Octopus Organizations Behave Instead
- ↳They recognize the signs of "fake ownership culture" and work to remove them.
- ↳They develop leaders to shift from commanding employees to coaching owners.
- ↳They experiment with ownership boundaries, pushing for more autonomy, providing principles to guide owners, and rewarding ownership.