For success in Strategy Execution, true ownership is absolutely essential.

True ownership of the execution and the objectives to be achieved through it is the most important aspect of Strategy Execution. That determines whether we’re dealing with a brilliant genius surrounded by a thousand helpers, a situation that will lead nowhere, or a leader who knows that only genuine Ownership among all stakeholders will lead to success. A good check-in always rubs people the wrong way a little, because a professional who checks in also immediately has all kinds of opinions. I’ve learned to be very happy about that, but I’m honest enough to say that it also often “irks” me.

The tractor

It’s one of those tough balancing acts for leaders. You need to provide a clear framework and assignment. At the same time, you know that it will only succeed if a potential project or program manager—the “driver”—is intrinsically motivated. That depends entirely on whether or not they see the space and freedom to carry out the assignment. A leader who personally engages in a Psychological Check-In for a task will tackle it as if it were their own venture. That’s what you want. And that requires more effort than calling a potential leader from your car the day before a kick-off meeting and saying, “We’d like to ask you to lead an important project. It’s a bit short notice, but it’s important that you take it on. Can you be at the kick-off on Thursday, and would you be willing to do some preparation?” That won’t work. A professional said: “If you’re spending more time choosing your new Aston Martin, Mr. CEO, than on the role you’re asking me to fill, I’m definitely not going to do it.”

Stepchild

The psychological check-in is often the neglected aspect of any project. That is a major reason why many initiatives in Strategy Execution fail. McKinsey once found that when professionals truly feel a sense of Ownership and can take the initiative, the probability of success is 79%. This stands in stark contrast to the typical failure rate of at least 60%. Behavioral psychology also shows that when we choose to do something ourselves, we’re five times more committed than when we’re required to do it. In short, “wanting” is stronger than “having to.”

Ownership is a means

But how do you go about “Psychological Check-In”? To do so, it’s important to realize that Ownership is a means to achieve the objectives. Ownership is synonymous with responsibility, involvement, commitment, or engagement—whichever term you prefer. It’s important to distinguish between these concepts. Some schools of change management argue that people’s engagement with the organization is the goal in and of itself, and that results will follow naturally. This view is often articulated so skillfully that it’s almost impossible to disagree with it. A high level of engagement does indeed lead to significantly better results for all stakeholders. But that high level of engagement is most effectively realized when people work for organizations that take their vision, mission, and the strategic objectives derived from them seriously. In this chicken-and-egg debate, therefore, purpose comes before engagement.

For a psychological check-in, it is therefore of the utmost importance to clearly explain the initiative’s purpose and link it to the strategy. Once the strategy is clearly laid out on paper, the story behind the initiative will flow naturally from your pen. Write that story down or create a script so you can convey it in the form of a mission statement on a single A4 page or through a video message of no more than one minute. If there’s no compelling story to tell about the initiative, something isn’t right. If the initiative is important in relation to the strategy, there’s always a story to tell. An optimization initiative in the Tax and Customs Administration’s back office should have just as compelling a story as a so-called “sexy” post-merger integration project following a spectacular acquisition that dominates the front page of *Het Financieele Dagblad* for months on end.

Sanding

As mentioned, this check-in will always be a bit of a challenge, because truly engaged employees will always have something to say about the initiative and the story behind it. That’s a positive sign: people who don’t feel a sense of Ownership won’t even bother to form an opinion about the initiative and the story that goes with it. Be glad about this, because the more engagement there is, the greater the chance that the project will succeed.