How many of you have heard the phrase, “own it”? Maybe you have heard it in a few songs? Maybe you have heard your boss use the phrase before? Maybe you have even heard it in a few inspirational movies? It’s a phrase that is thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean to “own” something in your career?
Now I’m not talking about owning the nicest car in your office, or the nicest clothes. I’m not talking about any materialistic item that you could possibly have. I’m talking about pure passion and drive to get your job done when it needs to be done. I know the first thing that will most likely come to your mind is, “I already have that”, but I challenge you to ask yourself “Do I really”? Do you really have a burning passion for what you do every single day? It is more than the old saying, “Do what you love, love what you do”. To me, passion for my job is getting here at the crack of dawn at 6 am, and the next time I look at the clock, it’s time to go home. It’s staying past your time to leave and putting those extra hours into your work because you know that the rewards will always outweigh that extra time spent. It’s having your boss constantly say, “You can’t work from home, off the clock, just for fun!” Not yet anyway, no matter how bad I want to.
According to F. John Reh, “When you are passionate about what you do, you have more energy. You care more about what you do. When you care more about what you do, you do it better and you can take pride in what you have done.” Your pride in your work is your ownership. “When you own your job, you simply do whatever needs to be done…but you don’t shy away from responsibility for failure. It’s just yours.” according to Liz Alder with Bloomberg Business. Meaning you own your failures just as much as your success. You either own it, or you don’t. There is no in between. Liz goes on to explain that, “You can’t train this into a person, and you can’t pay a person who’s not ownership-oriented enough money to change. If you try, you may see incremental improvement. But taking true, gut-level responsibility for a job is a natural quality. It’s one that, more than any other, can make the difference between the success and failure of your team.”
When it comes down to it, the question you should be asking yourself isn’t, “What job pays the most?” or “What job can I get more out of?” The question you should be asking is, “What am I passionate about.” “What job can I, and will I, take ownership of?” You want the work you do to be something you take pride in. You should want to come in every single day with a smile on your face, ready to put your best effort forward. Remember that everything you do has YOUR signature on it. It is a representation of you!
So, do you own it?
About the Author: Morgan Jones is a sophomore accounting student at Western Governors University and plans to graduate in January of 2016. Following her education she wants to pursue a Master’s program in hopes of getting her CPA. She is gaining insight into the business world while learning the ropes of what it takes to be a part of a growing company with Results Staffing.