In my last post, I wrote about a question that often changes the direction of a discussion:

“What now?”

Once people move from explaining what’s wrong to thinking about the next step, the whole energy in a room usually shifts.

But there’s another small question that often matters even more for ownership in meetings:

“Who owns this?”

And interestingly, that question decides whether ideas actually turn into action.

The moment after the good discussion

IIf you’ve spent enough time in meetings, workshops or steering committees, you probably know the situation.

The conversation was productive.
Everyone agrees on the direction.
The next step seems clear.

Someone says something like:
“We should probably move this forward.”
“We should look into this.”
“We should align on that.”

Everyone nods.

And then the meeting ends.

Because while “we” sounds collaborative, it’s also wonderfully vague.

A small reminder from a recent project

I was reminded of this again recently in a project I’m currently involved in. We had just wrapped up a discussion about the next steps. The topic was clear, the direction made sense, and we were already moving toward the next agenda item.

Then one of the managers in the room asked a very simple question:

“Okay, but who owns this?”

No big speech.
No finger pointing.
Just a calm question.

Within seconds, the topic had a name attached to it and suddenly everything felt clearer.

It’s one of those small moments that stick with you.

And honestly, it’s also one of the reasons I enjoy working as a consultant so much.

People sometimes think consulting is about bringing all the answers into a room.

In reality it’s much more of a two-way game.

Of course I bring experience, perspectives and ideas to the table.

But I constantly learn from other leaders and experts as well.

Often through small moments like this that remind you how powerful simple leadership habits can be.

Why ownership changes the dynamic

Once ownership in meetings becomes clear, something interesting usually happens:

• Follow-ups become easier.
• Priorities become clearer.
• Decisions move faster.

Not because the owner suddenly does everything alone.

But because everyone knows where the topic lives.And that alone creates momentum.

The slightly uncomfortable part

But taking ownership is not always comfortable.

It creates visibility.
And visibility usually comes with expectations.

So it’s understandable why many topics stay in the safe territory of “we”.

But in my experience the opposite is often true.

Once ownership is clear, pressure actually decreases.
Because the uncertainty disappears.

One small habit I’ve started to appreciate

So, a simple question before leaving a meeting can make a big difference:

“Who takes this?”

Not as a control mechanism.

More as a service to the group.

Because once a topic has a name attached to it, the chances that it actually moves forward increase dramatically.

Closing the loop

In my last post I wrote about moving from

“No” → “What now?”

Maybe the next step is simply:

“What now?” → “Who owns it?”

Because momentum doesn’t just need ideas.
Sometimes it just needs a name.

If you’re curious how I support organizations in turning challenges into concrete next steps and building positive momentum along the way, you can find more about my work here: Linelia’s services

And as always, I’m happy to hear from you. If you’d like to exchange ideas or explore how we might work together, feel free to reach out via my contact page or connect with me directly on LinkedIn.

I’ve been thinking about something lately, mostly because I keep running into it again and again in my day-to-day work.

We’re actually very good at saying no…

Especially here in Germany, and honestly across Europe as well.

Put a few smart people in a room and it usually doesn’t take long until someone points out why something won’t work. Too risky. Too dependent. Too complex. Too early. Too late. You name it.

And to be fair: most of the time, those concerns are absolutely valid.

But what often happens next is the part I find more interesting.

The conversation slows down.
Everyone agrees that “this is difficult”.
And then… nothing really follows.

At that point, I often catch myself thinking:

Okay, agreed. But what now?

Seeing what’s wrong is only the first step

I don’t see problem awareness as a weakness. Quite the opposite.
It’s a strength. It keeps standards high and prevents naïve decisions.

But I’ve learned that identifying what doesn’t work is really only half the job.

The more useful part usually starts with the next question:

If we don’t want to do this, what’s the alternative?

Not the perfect one.
Not the final answer.
Just a better option than standing still.

I hear variations of this in many contexts:

• If we want to reduce dependencies, where do we start pragmatically?
• If certain platforms don’t align with our values, what do we actively build instead?
• If something feels wrong long-term, what’s the next reasonable step today?

Those conversations tend to feel very different. More constructive. More forward-looking.

And usually a bit more energizing as well.

That’s pretty much my daily reality

In my work, I’m constantly surrounded by challenges.

• Ambiguous situations.
• Conflicting priorities.
• Limited time.
• High expectations.

Honestly, there would be plenty of reasons to complain every single day. And sometimes, yes, that happens as well. 😉

But what I’ve seen over time is that progress rarely comes from listing everything that’s broken.

It usually comes from asking a simpler question:

What’s the next step that actually helps?

Not the big transformation.
Not the perfect target picture.
Just something that moves things forward.

Mini-Hack: A small habit that helps me here, when someone says “this won’t work”, I try to follow up with one simple question: “Okay, so what would you do instead?”

Not in an aggressive way. More out of curiosity.
It often shifts the conversation faster than any framework.

Why I care so much about momentum

I’ve become a big believer in momentum.

Not because it solves everything, but because it changes how people feel about a situation.

Once teams see that something is moving, discussions shift.

Energy comes back.
Ideas get bolder.
And suddenly, bigger change doesn’t feel quite as scary anymore.

That’s also why I’m a fan of quick solutions – and by “quick” I don’t mean careless.

I mean fast enough to show progress.
Concrete enough to reduce uncertainty.
Small enough to actually happen.

Those small steps often do more than perfectly crafted plans that never leave the slide deck.

Positivity is not naïve, it’s practical

Being solution-oriented doesn’t mean ignoring reality. It’s closely tied to how openly and honestly we communicate progress and challenges. Something I’ve written about before when reflecting on visibility without cringe.

For me, it’s more about deciding where to put attention.

I was lucky to learn early in my career how important it is to make progress visible.
Especially at L’Oréal, this was done extremely well.
Not as empty celebration, but as honest acknowledgment of what moved forward.

It sounds simple, but it changes a lot.

Teams feel seen.
Work feels meaningful.
And motivation doesn’t have to be forced.

The interesting part is that this doesn’t stop at team level.

I notice the same pattern on a broader scale as well. In organizations, in industries, and often in how we talk about change more generally.

Zooming out: a European angle I strongly believe in

When I zoom out, this mindset feels just as relevant beyond individual teams.

I see myself very much as European. Germany is a big part of that, of course, but I’m convinced that our real strength lies in what we can build together across Europe.

There are so many strong ideas, talented people, and solid capabilities here. We just don’t always talk about them that way.

And when you look at initiatives like the European Innovation Council, it becomes pretty clear how much potential already exists if we choose to build on it.

Especially in times like these, I think it helps to focus a bit more on what’s possible.

Less “why this won’t work”.

More “how could we make this work, together?”

That shift alone can already change the tone of many conversations.

And yes, sometimes you need to let off steam

Just to be clear: I don’t believe in forced positivity.

I also need valves.
Good talks.
Honest feedback.
Sometimes even a bit of ranting to get things out of the system.

I’ve written openly about struggles before, and I know that can sometimes sound negative. For me, it’s the opposite. Once things are said out loud, you can actually start working with them.

Transparency creates the foundation for change.
Momentum builds on top of that.

The mindset I try to bring into organizations

For me, it usually comes down to this:

See the issue.
Acknowledge it honestly.
Then ask: What now?

Not because everything is easy.
But because staying stuck rarely helps.

Momentum does.

If you’re curious how I support organizations in turning challenges into concrete next steps and positive momentum, you can find more about my work here: Linelia’s services

And as always, I’m happy to hear from you. If you’d like to exchange ideas or explore how we might work together, feel free to reach out via my contact page or directly connect via LinkedIn.