From HR Director to owner

A question I nearly didn't ask

I'd been HR Director for many years. I knew the business inside out. I knew the people, the culture, the problems, the potential. I was the one everyone came to when things got difficult. And quietly, in the back of my mind, I'd started to think:

I know this company so well - could I run it better?

But I didn't say anything. For a long time.

Because I didn't know where to start. I wasn't a founder. I hadn't built the business from nothing. I'd come in, worked hard, built something real - but ownership seemed way off.

So, I sat with it. For longer than I probably should have. And then one day after a quarterly meeting - I just asked.

Not in a grand meeting, presentation or business case. I just asked the question, almost in passing. It was funny because as soon as it left my mouth - I was like - wow you've had too much coffee!

But it was the best question I'd ever asked. And that was the moment everything changed.

My CEO responded with - you know what let's talk about this more in your next 1:1, bring some ideas and let's take it further.

So, the age-old quote - If you don't ask, you don't get - really did work for me that day.

It sounds simple. But when it's your career, your colleagues, your livelihood on the line - asking can feel enormous. There's a voice that tells you it's not your place. That you'll sound presumptuous. That you'll make things awkward.

But here's what I know now - the founder had been thinking about it too. They just needed someone to open the door.

From Director to owner

Today, I own part of that business. Along with two colleagues and all our employees through an Employee Ownership Trust. The whole team has a voice. And everyone has the opportunity to share on the success of the business.

I think about where I was before. Dialling into meetings, managing HR processes, doing good work, yes - but watching the business from the inside without any real stake in where it went.

Now I'm one of the people deciding where it goes. And more importantly, not alone - our employees are engaged, informed and we all make decisions together.

The stuff nobody talks about

People ask what employee ownership actually changes. The stuff that matters to me day to day?

My daughter goes to ballet classes now. Proper ones, at a proper studio, every week. That's not a small thing. That's something I could afford to say yes to now I have a genuine stake in what I'm building.

I plan for more. I think further ahead.

It's not just that I own a part of a business. It's that ownership changed how I see everything.

What this means for you

The worst that happens is it leads to a conversation. The best that happens - you end up owning it!

If you're sitting on that same thought right now - wondering if it's even worth raising - just ask. You might be surprised what's already being considered on the other side of the table.

Because the only thing that definitely doesn't happen is the thing you never ask about.

• You don't need to be the founder - Employee Ownership Trusts are open to senior leaders already inside the business

• You don't need personal capital - EOTs are specifically designed so employees take on no personal debt

• You don't need all the answers before asking the question - just the drive and the willingness to lead

• Employee-owned businesses are 8–12% more productive per employee than comparable conventional businesses (EOA / Ownership at Work, 2023)

• Eligible employees can receive up to £3,600 per year in tax-free profit-sharing bonuses under current HMRC rules

• The most important step is simply asking the question