Tweetie Girl Tip #20: Taking Ownership of a Project
Guest Post: Kristen Nicole of Silicon ANGLEÂ & KristenNicole.com
Tweetie Girl Tip #20
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Taking ownership of a project is a phrase often taken for granted.  It’s one of those things you hear all the time and know you need to do, but don’t understand how to apply it until you’ve had a run in or two.  This past year I’ve had enough run-ins to begin understanding what it really means to take ownership of a project, because there’s an implicit passion behind this sometimes cliche saying.
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There’s no point in even attempting to take ownership of something unless there’s passion behind it, because you have to have to care about that project as if it were your own.  And if it is your own project, all the better.  You’ll have even more passion for what it is you’ve taken ownership of, and that’s what makes you successful.  You passion shows through with every decision you make in executing a given project, and what’s success but a series of well-made decisions?
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The most important thing to remember when taking ownership of a project is that you’re ultimately responsible for its outcome.  When it’s all said and done, you can’t make excuses or always rely on others, like your coworkers, to do their part.  There is always something you can do to work towards the outcome you desire.  Once you make this the founding principle in taking ownership, you’ll better align your time and resources with the projects that are worth your energy and passion.
As with relationships, you should start with a projectÂ
you like, and one that’s going tolike you back.  Ask yourself if this is a project that will show off your talents.  If it’s a project you’ve been assigned, find a way to apply your strongest skills.  What this does is drive up the incentive on your part to perform at the top of your game--if it’s yourself that stands to be the most disappointed in failure, you’ll be even more driven to do well.
Once you’ve established a way to bring your passion and project together, you’ve got to maintain that spirit throughout the entire life of that project.  It’s easy to pass off responsibility to others--say you need a logo design complete by week two of a project, but the firm you hired is behind.  Do you let the remainder of your project lag because of someone else’s incompetence?  No. Here’s some ways to think around the problem:
Hedge your bets for design work mishaps by having multiple firms submit logos
Schedule your project to allow for probable delays in design work (what aspects of your project can move forward without completed logos?)
Find another firm to do the job Â
If you want it done right, do it yourself.
The best way to ensure a project is done the way you want it, is to do it yourself.  But you can’t always go it alone.  If you have a team working alongside you, find ways to instill a sense of ownership in your team members as well.  Assign their portion of the project to suit their strongest skills, and use collaboration platforms like shared calendars and documents to prompt regular check-ins and reinforce deadlines.  If everyone understands their position, the play can be better executed.
In building out the News editorial at SiliconAngle, I’ve really worked towards striking a balance in my passion for publishing with the opportunity at hand.  It’s a job that was given to me, but I’m appreciative enough to take ownership of my job in order to create my desired outcome.  In chronicling the stories of entrepreneurs in the tech industry, I witness firsthand of the level of passion that goes into startups.  What I’ve learned is that those that go the furthest are the ones that have put the most of themselves into a project, leaving no option to fail.  And also similar to relationships, passion-filled entrepreneurs put themselves in a position of vulnerability.  But if you’re willing to put your heart on the line, you’ll do what it takes to adapt to whatever obstacles come your way in order to see that project through.
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About the author:The Tweetie Girl series is a collection of tips Kristen Nicole’s learned over the years, spanning various aspects of striving towards a balanced and effective work life.
Kristen Nicole is currently the News Desk Editor at SiliconANGLE, a digital publication discussing the intersection of computer science and social science. She is also a regular contributor at TIME Techland and Appolicious, a mobile-centric publication recently incorporated into Yahoo's news and content network. Kristen Nicole got her start with 606tech, a Chicago blog dedicated to the local social media space. She went on to become the first employee and Field Editor at Mashable, a publication now syndicated through CNN. Kristen Nicole has also contributed to several other publications, including VentureBeat and the The Industry Standard. Her work has been syndicated across a number of media outlets, including Yahoo! News, The New York Times, and MSNBC. Kristen Nicole’s latest accomplishment has been co-authoring The Twitter Survival Guide, and she’s currently completing her second book, Tweetie Girl.
