“I don’t want to make hallway decisions!”
Why startup founders expect the team to take ownership?
When we asked about problems with ownership, they most often pin it on:
❌ a lack of expertise of the team, so the decision-making process returns to the founders
❌ the difficulties of end to end running the whole task
❌ the challenge of keeping each other to deliver the results
In practice, most employees do take ownership, but it can sometimes be hindered by a lack of communication. Most problems arise from:
1️⃣ not asking questions
2️⃣ asking too many questions (in the founder’s opinion)
3️⃣ not reporting (sufficiently) on the progress that is made
What can you do about it as a leader? For example, these three things:
✅ You should finally believe that there are no stupid questions
✅ You should be responsive, give people the answers and avoid making hallway decisions
✅ You have to communicate your expectations regarding the results and reporting process
So let’s kick off this week with a little more understanding of how to manage ownership!