Ownership Thinking: Creative Business Ideas for Employees

Everything seems more fun once you’re in charge, right? That’s the basic idea behind ownership thinking, a strategy some businesses employ with their staff. By thinking like an owner, employees tend to think bigger and are open to taking greater risks (possibly bringing greater rewards). Do your employees think like owners?

That and more, in today’s Lunchtime Links:

Own it: Sure, not everyone can be the boss—but what if they just thought like the boss? “At its core, ownership thinking is about education,” Aptify notes  (opens in a new tab)in a blog post. What does this translate to, exactly? Give your employees the know-how and tools that they would need to run the place, including budgets, proprietary information, and information about internal processes. The idea is that the more knowledge employees have, the more the organization will thrive. How transparent are you with your employees?

Emotions run high: Keeping members happy is similar to keeping customers happy. That’s why AchieveGlobal’s recent study on the matter  (opens in a new tab) is one that association executives should take note of. The rundown: Fulfill the emotional needs of customers first, and loyalty and happiness will follow. Incentives like reduced member dues and perks from local businesses are helpful, but customers, like members, need to feel like they have a real relationship before their loyalty follows.

Getting down to business: How can you jazz up a written proposal or a dull presentation? Ditch the jargon, for one. But for more tips, look to Harvard Business Review contributor Bryan A. Garner  (opens in a new tab), who has some great ideas for keeping your writing interesting: Write simple rather than long, drawn-out phrases, and avoid passive voice. Using contractions and all-inclusive pronouns like “we” or “us” promote a friendlier, more accessible tone. (If this sounds a little like English class, it is.) One last tip: Nix the obscure acronyms. Not everyone who reads your documents will have been involved from Day 1, and they may not know what “VBM” (value-based management) means. How do you make your writing shine?

What are you reading over lunch? Let us know in the comments.

(iStockphoto/Thinkstock)