The desire for employees to take responsibility for their actions is more significant than ever. Changes towards flat hierarchies, agile teams, or home offices only work with the ability and willingness of individuals to take responsibility for their actions and inactions. However, this willingness will only develop or grow in a suitable environment. Creating this environment is a task that cannot be delegated.
Learning from start-up cultures
In my start-up time, I have worked with many talents with high personal responsibility. On closer inspection, this is not surprising. In the nature of things, self-reliant personalities come together around a loose idea or, at best, a meaningful vision. And yet there are certain success factors that I have been able to observe both in my start-up teams, the 66 DAYS team, and successful self-determined teams in established companies, such as Spitex Limmattal:
- Trust in the system and in the people. Confidence is necessary for security and freedom to go one’s own way and make mistakes. If I have to fear that mistakes will be my undoing, I will avoid personal responsibility. This quickly becomes a cliché, and genuine trust appears in stressful situations.
- Self-worth and self-confidence. Strong personalities with consolidated values show their points of view and do not shy away from conflicts; they do not need to embarrass others or put themselves in a better position at the expense of others. Only through this is true co-creation possible.
- Clear direction (vision, purpose, goals, or metrics – you name it). It should be clear what contribution a team makes to the big picture. It should be possible to make this contribution visible (measure it or talk about it). Otherwise, the attempt ends in chaos. Self-determination is not laissez-fair.
- Empowerment rather than leadership. If senior leadership takes away too many decisions, the willingness to take ownership slackens. Promote shared understanding.
- Invest in staff development. Very few people today have the tools they need to work independently. How could they? They don’t learn that at school. Anyone who wants to work independently today should invest in further training, coaching, and exchange.
Away with excuses and here with initiatives
The corporate culture determines whether autonomous employees feel comfortable and thus attract new talent. With its decisions, management is the driving force in this development. Excuses like “We just can’t find employees who want to take responsibility” will not help the organization.
Let yourself be infected by our enthusiasm and get to know us – for the first time at www.66-days.ch.
We look forward to meeting you – sincerely yours,
Christoph Anrig
