Our leadership team members are great at managing their own departments, but when we review our company scorecard, nobody seems to feel collective ownership over our overall net profit and cash flow. How do we get the team to think like owners instead of department heads?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To build collective ownership, you must break the habit of departmental thinking. Your leaders must understand that they are members of the leadership team first, and heads of their departments second.

Start by changing how you run your weekly Level 10 Meeting™. When reviewing the company scorecard, do not just have individuals report their numbers. Ask the team how the overall scorecard trends affect our financial health and our progress toward our V/TO® goals.

Tie their quarterly Rocks directly to company wide financial health, not just departmental metrics. When everyone has skin in the game on the overall numbers, their perspective will shift.

You should also share your financials transparently. If they do not know the numbers, they cannot think like owners. Teach them how their daily operational decisions impact cash flow and profitability. Once they understand the connection between their actions and the bottom line, they will begin to collaborate across departments to solve financial issues together.