Ownership and Action: Leadership Tool

One big leadership challenge is driving ownership and action, the “buy-in” to needed change. The tension is to gain focused ownership while also designing initial action steps. This tool allows us to do both.

To use this resource, all you need is a ready and willing mindset (yours and your team’s), a pad of large post-its to scatter throughout the room, some markers and and these four questions…

This tool is designed to create ownership and action from your staff or leadership team. It is a series of questions that, when moved through one at a time, result in the following:

• Assessment of current realities (both positive and challenging)
• Priorities of what needs to be focused on
• Action steps to moving forward together

Gather your leadership team together and ask four questions, ONE AT A TIME, writing down all answers on four separate large post-its, so that the entire process is visible to all. Careful NOT to disclose Question 2 before you finish working on Question 1, and so on. You don’t want the team to think or work ahead. Real-time focus is the most beneficial way to accomplish the clarity you seek, determine the priorities, and define actions.

Question #1

What is WORKING?

This question allows everyone to begin by celebrating and seeing the things that are strengths within the organization.

Question #2

What is NOT WORKING?

This question lets people see what is broken, dysfunctional, or in need of tweaking.

Question #3

What is MISSING?

This question allows people to think of what could bring growth, improvement and needed change to current realities. Often the answers either solve what is not working or move the organization into a new phase.

Question #4

What is CONFUSING?

This question creates clarity where there is chaos. Sometimes the things that are cloudy to us as point leaders are very confusing to those we lead.

Remember:

1. Work through the questions one at a time
2. Take note of the common themes that became apparent
3. Decide on the actions you will take, and name people as owners of those actions, with defined timelines

Make sure that the change you are asking people to take ownership and action on is clearly communicated and you have all the buy-in lined up. Then, use this tool to drive momentum forward!

Share some thoughts on how you derived priorities and actions before, and let me know how this leadership tool helps you and your team gain clarity and drive action.