How do you get an employee to go from task-doer to accomplished-completer? How are firms conveying the importance of ownership to their staff and showing them how to go about it? Leaders want team members to see a project through to the finish line without having to follow up on every last incomplete task.
In an informal poll about the most valuable nontechnical skills, we asked 25 CPA firm partners and managers, "If you could wave a magic wand and instill one trait or leadership skill in your new hires, what would it be?" The list was long, but ownership came up often.
Most seasoned accounting professionals know what ownership means in day-to-day work at their firms, but putting it into words can be difficult. Clarifying what ownership means is the first step in teaching it to employees who haven't yet fully developed it.
Definition of ownership
In the context of "taking ownership" at a CPA firm, here's how we define it: Ownership is the mindset and actions needed to successfully see an engagement, project or assignment through to completion.
A definition alone, though, is not enough to teach ownership. CPA firm professionals need to be able to articulate what ownership is and what it isn't. The following examples show what ownership looks like in practice.
What ownership looks like
End-to-end responsibility: Whether this is part of an engagement (e.g., for an associate) or a full client engagement (e.g., for a manager), an internal project or a strategic initiative, a team member skilled in ownership makes sure they understand their assignment and what needs to be done by them and others. They then shepherd the work through to a clear measure of completion, such as internal review, project implementation, engagement finalization and/or external client satisfaction, when appropriate.
Communicating with internal and external stakeholders: Key communications include asking for review, reminding that review is due to keep the work on track with internal deadlines, getting buy-in from stakeholders affected by a project, escalating issues and seeking advice on how to proceed when priorities compete.
Getting things done, even when it's hard: Ownership also means stepping in when other team members can't (e.g., doing a less experienced team member's work when an unexpected absence arises). Someone who takes ownership stays on top of the work when it extends beyond the initial project plan (as it often does) and new projects start filling up their calendar. They are relentless, but without losing sight of the budget and what is realistically possible.
What ownership doesn't look like
Someone else doing all their work exactly as you would do it: By its nature, ownership requires the person "taking ownership" to have some autonomy in when, where and how their assignment is done. This doesn't mean they get to miss deadlines or fail to meet professional standards, but they can, for example, communicate with a client by text instead of by phone call when appropriate.
Actual miracles: Team members adept at taking ownership may look like they produce miracles, especially when compared with team members still developing this skill. But miracles can't be produced when managers and partners aren't held accountable for completing their end of the deal (e.g., reviews and feedback) on time and with accuracy. Some leaders are always ready to get to their review work right after this next thing. And the next thing. And the next. Separate this kind of upstream leadership failure from a lack of ownership.
A team member with strong ownership skills communicates as many times as reasonably necessary to get the information, review or other input they need, even though their efforts might not produce a final product exactly on time. Not everything is within their control. Nonetheless, skilled "owners" regularly produce good to excellent results despite the challenges of herding client and team member cats.
The usual suspects: This is the laundry list of issues that typically comes to mind when people aren't taking ownership. For example: (1) repeated inability to get work completed, in a "manager/partner-ready" format, within a fair and clearly defined timeframe; (2) blaming others for a lack of progress in a way that shirks responsibility; and (3) ineffective follow-up, communication and influencing skills needed to move a project or task from start to finish.
How to teach ownership
1. Communicate your expectations. Most firms expect ownership but never define it or discuss it openly with team members. Start by sharing a working definition with your team (like the one mentioned earlier) and talk about what ownership looks like in practice at your firm, especially where you've noted "lack of ownership" trouble spots in the past, whether with particular individuals or types of projects or engagements. For those you work closely with, keep a running list of the items they "own."
2. Give responsibility with support. Assign a piece of work — a section of an engagement or a small internal project — and let the person run with it. Set clear expectations for deliverables and deadlines ("what they own"), then step back enough for them to know that they are in charge of getting it done. Set up periodic check-ins in which they report to you on the project's status and their next steps toward completion. "Periodic" may mean daily, weekly or less often if the specifics of the project warrant it.
3. Debrief the ownership process. After the engagement or project wraps up, ask: What did you do to keep things moving? Where did you get stuck? What would you do differently? This is how you reinforce ownership for the next project: by having your team articulate the steps they took (or didn't take) to shepherd the work through to completion. It also helps you distinguish between development opportunities and systemic issues outside their control (see "Actual miracles" above). You don't have to debrief every project every time, but try it on two or three occasions to build ownership awareness and skills.
4. Recognize it when you see it. Ownership often hides in the non-urgent, ordinary day-to-day tasks. It might be the follow-up email that got the client moving, the heads-up that a deadline was at risk, or the willingness to pitch in on someone else's work during crunch time. Watch for it and call it out when you see it. "The way you handled the PBC follow-up on that engagement — that's an excellent example of ownership" lands better than a generic "Great job." That specific praise is more likely to get you repeat results.
5. Model ownership yourself. Your team is watching how you handle your commitments — whether you follow through on promised reviews, respond to their questions within a reasonable timeframe, and own your mistakes when things go sideways. If partners and managers aren't modeling ownership, imparting those skills to staff is almost impossible.
Teaching ownership takes more than wishing more people exhibited it. Have conversations about it with your team and ask them to share examples. Reward and recognize the actions that demonstrate ownership at your firm. Maybe you need a Captain of Ownership to champion the initiative. There's a lot to gain and not much to lose by encouraging greater responsibility and follow-through within your team.
