Ownership
I am sure most of you think about an ownership flat,
what with the skyrocketing prices of residential spaces today. But I am
referring to an ownership that we should invest in every sphere of our life- be
it household, education, relationships or workplace. This attribute makes life
easier and smoother, though it requires grit and determination to imbibe the
quality in ourselves.
Incident 1: A typical scenario of a school kid - A
particular child simply doesn’t apply herself to studies, despite several
reminders of the approaching exam by her parents. She is grown up enough to
know and understand the meaning and importance of self-study. Well, the results
are out and as expected, her grades plummet. Now the most important question:
how do the parents as well as the child react to the low grades? If the parents
resort to false excuses, the child follows suit. However, this is the time for
the child to learn the real meaning of ownership. I didn’t study and that is
why my grades went down. Now I have learnt my lesson; I will be more sincere
next year. THIS IS OWNERSHIP. OF A MISTAKE, YOU MADE.
Incident 2: An
office scenario - All organisations have projects and all projects have
deadlines. Usually someone is given the charge of the project, though he might
not always be the boss or a senior member. That someone has to rigorously
follow up with the parties concerned, people involved in the job and gently
remind them of the deadlines. It is his job to see to it that the job is
approaching completeness around the deadline. This is where the blame-game may
creep in. The person in-charge is the owner of the task- the project deadline.
Therefore, he is ultimately answerable to the management. He cannot point a
finger to another colleague and blame him for falling short of the deadline. YOU
ARE THE OWNER OF THE TASK. IF THE DEADLINE CANNOT BE MET, YOU WILL FACE THE
MANAGEMENT. AT THE SAME TIME, IF YOU COMPLETE THE TASK, YOU WILL RECEIVE THE
ACCOLADES. THE ONUS IS ON YOU.
Surely these two incidents will remind you of
something similar you have observed or even done. It is so common, we fail to
see the message written bold therein.
And what do
you get out of this ownership, you ask? The answer is unfortunately clichéd but
true - wisdom. When you own up your mistake, you register it and consciously
avoid that mistake in the future; you grow wiser. If you don’t, your mind does
not consider it as a mistake and you are prone to repeat it in the future. Alternatively,
when you own up your success, you are encouraged to take up further
responsibilities; your confidence is boosted.
Do you now have a different perception of ownership? Do
you own up your jobs? Your success? Your failures? Would you think twice before
resorting to the blame game next time? Do you take up ownership of your life,
as you have it today? Or do you play the blame game there as well?
Finally, it is the time for some quick self-analysis.
No tick marking, no calculations, no grade scales. Just ask yourself how often
you utter or hear one or many of these expressions (in personal as well as
public life) and connect them to the ownership concept:
·
I deserve a better job/salary/partner.
è
Go ahead and grab that better one.
·
I don’t like this work. è Then don’t
do it!
·
I have sacrificed so much to get
this job. è
It was your choice, right?
·
I should have accepted that other
offer I had got. è
Why didn’t you, then?
·
I curse the moment I joined this
place/ met you. è
Well, it’s never too late!
·
I can leave this job any minute,
actually. è
Please go ahead.
·
My previous company is after me;
they are calling almost every day! è
Why don’t you go back to them?
·
I could have easily got an
admission to that foreign university. è
Why didn’t you take it then?
Hope you got the point, friends!
