Taking ownership - our top five

Take ownership of your work by taking proactive measures. Try to anticipate problems and develop solutions. Ask for clarification of deadlines or tasks to make sure you understand what's needed. Work ahead to minimise stress or confusion at busy times.

Have the confidence to support your ideas with evidence. It's important to listen and acknowledge the ideas of others too. Support others to turn their ideas into actions.

Ask for feedback as part of your routine rather than waiting to receive it. Ask for constructive feedback from friends, teachers and managers. This gives you the opportunity to understand how you perform in your role. It also helps you identify what areas you can work on.

Active listening helps improve your communication skills. It includes non-verbal cues like nodding, smiling, making eye contact and taking notes. Positioning your body in certain ways can also help, as can asking questions. Active listening allows you to better understand your teammates. It also helps to improve your memory by focusing your attention on the speaker. 

Instead of going straight to your teacher, lecturer, or manager with a problem you found, take a few minutes to consider how you would solve the problem by yourself. When you talk to them, present the problem then describe a few potential solutions you have come up with. This shows great initiative on your part.