Walking into your friend’s house and raiding their fridge can be considered rude and it’s definitely not where “Act like you own the place” really implies. If done the right, it is one of the surest ways speed up your ascend on the success ladder.
A common trait in the best employees is that they act like owners.
CEO of Renters Warehouse Brenton Hayden says that employees who act like owners are “Happy, fun, easy-going, energetic, positive attitude, ethical, creative, hard-work ethic, honest, open, dedicated, ready to adapt to change.”
Hayden continued to say that such a mentality of ownership “creates the possibility for the CEO to work “on” the business instead of “in” the business.”
There is a lot of professional advice out there to help you succeed in your career. If you really want to outperform and prosper in your career, look around for someone how has already done it: the owner.
Here is how you can accomplish that.
Do not be irrational.
Being an owner does not mean acting discreetly or arrogantly, but with courage and persuasion, with confidence in your abilities, contributions, and openness to learn new experiences. How can you do your job differently if you are an employer? How would you feel about your job if you will make decisions?
Take more responsibility
“Responsibility is not given, it is chosen. If a work is given to you then its your core character that you take it as a responsibility or just a job. And your choice will be clearly visible in end. Either it will be a result or an excuse.”
If you work as an owner, you should take greater responsibility. Believe me, the owner will appreciate the employee who not only performs his job effectively but also cares for the business as a whole. This will make you look better and change your view of your job.
Let’s take an example of Amazon employees who removed bulbs from their vending machines: they saved the company a whopping $ 20,000 on electricity costs. The one who appreciated this effort is Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon.
What areas should you work on? The owners have a lot to worry about on a daily basis. You can pick any of the following “issues” and work on ways to fix them. They will definitely appreciate your efforts.
• Costs
• Technology solutions
• Efficiency
• Office policies
• Competitors
• Business ethics, etc.
Be humble and generous
Nobody likes an arrogant person; boss or employee, whoever it might be. So be humble and offer to help where you can. Create a friendly environment for yourself and your coworkers. This will make you more productive and make work easier for everyone.
Think big
If you are encouraged to look at the business as an owner, do not just worry about the small frustrations that are happening in your area, but also about a variety of problems, from customer satisfaction to competition and employee morale. Revenue, benefits, and costs. From a broader perspective that spans the entire company, you can better understand how your role affects outcomes not only for you, but also for your colleagues, community, and even society in general.
Give your best
Know that your actions impact the business in which you work. If you would be an owner, and you know that if you let that faulty piece of equipment pass you might end up losing the client for the future, your business’s reputation would be at stake, would you pass it? No. So don’t just do an average job and make sure to give your best.
How does this mentality help you?
Commitment to ownership has positive benefits for you and the company you work for.
• It affects the way your organization sees you and opens the door to promotions for you that others who have been in that organization longer than you, might not be offered.
• It will inspire you to be more productive and achieve greater goals.
• This is noted by clients and enhances their confidence in business relationships with your company.
• It’s nice to work with the pride of your company and it makes you someone that people enjoy working with you.
• It might open the door for you to actually own a new business.
See, acting like you own the place can do you no harm. It’s a win-win situation for you and your company. So, what are you waiting for? Go get ‘em!
