I Worked More and Achieved Less. How To Get Your Team Engaged (Don't Make My Mistake)
Should you shoulder all the responsibilities yourself or create a collaborative environment from the start? Shared ownership and participation are important for long-term success
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You have an idea to make a meaningful change in your team.
You are the one taking the lead, as you had the idea.
But hereâs the big question: Should you carry all the weight yourself or build from the start with your team?
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My First Attempt at Creating a Design Review Group in a 40-Engineers Organization
I was part of a design review group in my previous organization. It was tough to get in. I had to go through 10 reviews onboarding to become a member.
When I switched organizations, I wanted to create something similar.
However, I couldnât enforce this onboarding process because. By definition, a group canât exist with just one person đ¤ˇ
Initially, I handled everything myself: setting up the group, pre-reading documents, running meetings, and taking notes.
I thought it was a good idea to make it easy for people to join as reviewers.
But the outcome wasnât what I expectedâmost reviewers didnât join the meetings regularly.
Why having skin in the game matters
Think about it: whoâs more likely to hit the gym: someone gifted a lifetime membership or someone paying for it monthly? The people paying the membership will go to justify their investment.
This same principle applies to work. Companies compensate employees with stocks for a reasonâit increases their sense of ownership and commitment.
I can keep providing examples, but you already got the point. You are committed to what costs you an effort.
Sense of belonging to the organization was also able to encourage voluntary employee behavior in supporting organizational success. This is possible because the sense of belonging to the target reflects oneâs self-identity, which needs to be protected and developed.
- Pierce, J. L., Kostova, T., & Dirks, K. T. (2001). Toward a theory of psychological ownership in organizations