Ownership

Each process, project, and important decision should have a single, designated owner. This person is not necessarily the one doing the work but is responsible for ensuring the work gets done, delegating it if needed, or alerting stakeholders if resources are lacking.

The benefits of ownership include:

• Faster decision-making: Relying on a single owner eliminates the delays caused by decision-making by committee.
• Streamlined course correction: In IT, mistakes are inevitable. With one person responsible, it's easier to change course since only one person needs to adjust a decision.
• Increased motivation: Ownership provides strong personal motivation, as the individual feels directly responsible for the success of the process, project, or decision.

Defining clear ownership early on fosters accountability, speeds up workflows, and ensures decisions are managed efficiently.

Ownership isn't just for senior team members—it’s also an excellent way to help junior staff develop their skills. By giving them ownership of smaller projects or tasks, they gain valuable experience in decision-making, responsibility, and delegation. This hands-on approach accelerates their learning, builds confidence, and prepares them for larger challenges in the future. Under the guidance of more experienced team members, juniors can grow while contributing meaningfully to the team's overall success.