Ownership

I’ve been looking through some books and moving some on to new homes where they will be read and enjoyed. 

I noticed a quote I had highlighted in Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood:

…Do you know the quote by Michael Porter from Harvard Business School?” Bill and Jenny nodded no.  “He points out that in the entire history of the travel industry, nobody has ever washed a rental car.  If they don’t feel ownership, they won’t do any long-term maintenance.  That’s the way I feel about our projects.

Ownership is so important for all of us.  How much ownership are you sharing in your organization?  What business has made a campaign about their employees being owners?  What can you learn from them?