Ownership

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!