Being proactive takes considerable time and energy, so it is important to recognize that some problems are not yours to solve. They just don’t know how, and they might not even know what questions to ask in order to begin to grasp what is required. Taking initiative is essentially assuming the risk of a possible failure. Excited about how this layout might promote collaboration among departments, he persuades his boss to remodel an entire floor of their building. Avoid change for change’s sake. But proactivity can go wrong. After starting her new job, she was mortified to learn that the company was still using manual data entry for employee records. Managers appreciate it when you are proactive, rather than reactive. How to Deal With Underperforming Employees, How to Evaluate Performance & Provide Positive Feedback, “Motivating Employees”; Anne Bruce, et al. Such proactive “surprises” can upset peers and leaders, and the resulting backlash often harms the initiator. It can take courage and a strong sense of self to show initiative, especially if … Initiative is a self-management skill, and self-management is one of five key life and work skills for Young Professionals. Help the employee deal with the problem. Had Max felt comfortable confiding in his manager beforehand, the initiative might have been successful. Meet with the employee to determine the underlying problem. But the initiative required her colleagues to allocate several hours of their workdays to data imputation on top of their already heavy workloads. Think about how you can implement your ideas effectively given the goals of your organization. Recognize that mistakes can be learning experiences, and alleviate any fears employees have by offering additional training and guidance if they repeatedly make the same mistakes. Proactively … Involve your team in earlier stages of planning, and recognize their achievements regularly. Interdependent work relationship – where you are waiting for someone to complete a task in order to complete your work. Max, a production engineer we spoke with, experienced this himself. They clock in at 9 a.m., go through the motions, and leave at 5 p.m. He also rarely accepts new ideas, too. An employee who lacks initiative will pass up valuable opportunities, reducing the productivity and effectiveness of your team. This dynamic has been labeled the “proactivity paradox”: Proactivity is desired, but only if it conforms exactly to the expectations of the person in charge. Not because they’re going to even be noticed … But, unfortunately, many staff find the new layout rife with problems, namely constant noise and distractions. Wise proactivity, therefore, captures what is at the very heart of wisdom, which is the managing of dialectics, or elements that are often in tension — in this case the balancing of different external and internal interests. Stay alert for ideas to simplify processes, and find new and better ways of doing things. ; 2010, How to Supervise an Employee With Low Self-Esteem, How to Express Yourself in a Positive Way Towards an Employee for a Job Evaluation. According to Experteer magazine, there are some reasons why employees do not take initiatives at work. Accountability in the workplace Being accountable is about being responsible for the result. Successful endeavors will build confidence and provide valuable learning experiences. Combating an employee’s lack of initiative depends on the nature of the problem, but generally, publicly rewarding risk-takers encourages employees to think outside the box and take chances. Demonstrating initiative means doing your current job right the first time. Showing that you can take the initiative and work on projects that may be outside of your daily responsibilities has many benefits. This is not wise, and is unlikely to lead to effective outcomes. Ivan, the head of new product development, attends a networking event and learns that open floor plans are trending. It gives energy to work on an ambitious challenge. Lack of team guidelines – a well-functioning team should be governed by rules and expectations as well as clarity in goals and leadership. “It was a good outcome for sure,” she told us, “but I’m not sure it was worth the toll it took on my health.”, Consider which initiatives are worth driving, and before taking one on, ask: Do I have enough personal interest and professional expertise to lead it? All rights reserved. But upon his return, Max’s manager felt undermined. The big question, though, is whether or not we introverts really lack initiative or whether it just seems like we do because of our preference to think first before acting. If you do decide to drive one, optimize your time management. In other words, thinking about an situation and foreseeing problems or ways to improve it is better than just reacting once the problem occurs. When it comes to creating positive change, these employees don’t need to be told to take initiative. Help Bring in and Nurture New Talent. If you must give negative feedback -- such as pointing out a serious error -- explain that you value the employee’s effort despite the mistake. Ability to perfectly implement the delegated tasks is, of course, an … Without the support of others, you will likely fail, no matter how proactive you are. Jane offered to lead a companywide initiative to make it happen, which was no easy feat because resistance was high, including from the general manager. Regular feedback lets the employee know you support her, instilling confidence. I get it—some people have had bad experiences. 3. Research confirms that, compared with their more passive counterparts, proactive people are better performers, contributors, and innovators. One crucial skill that can serve you well in both your … When initiating a new idea, ask yourself if change is needed in the situation and, if so, what type of change is appropriate for that context. In our recent research, we analyzed 95 studies investigating when employee proactivity leads to positive or negative outcomes, and interviewed 25 workers across industries to uncover how to be proactive in ways that maximize success. While it might seem that we work for our salary, studies like this one show we want to feel that our work matters. To possess and exercise initiative, one must be not only capable to performing a … Organizations can help by coaching their employees in how to practice the three elements of wise proactivity in a balanced way. Some of the very popular reasons are that employees feel comfortable with their workload, they feel not qualified enough to speak up, and they are afraid to fail with the new expectations. He trialed his idea while his production manager was on leave, and succeeded — achieving a record level of productivity. Since half the struggle is recognising initiative in yourself and others, here are some examples of showing initiative at work: You work in a shop and notice certain products sell best at particular times of year. Lack of initiative is not unique to our time or to the latest generation. Do More Than is Required Of You. To demonstrate, consider this hypothetical scenario (which is not uncommon in many of the workplaces we researched). For example, motivate an under-performing salesperson by offering bonuses for new clients she obtains. You create a display for seasonal items by the checkout and come up with a rota for what to display when. Set an exciting goal. If the employee lacks the skills necessary to perform job responsibilities, provide further training. One way to show initiative at work is to invest time and energy into performing current job tasks extremely well. He came up with an idea to improve productivity at his former company, a brick-making facility, by enabling the kilns to continue running for longer periods of time. Ability to perfectly implement the delegated tasks is, of course, … Rather, encourage forward-thinking and confident but responsible behavior. Lack of clear guidelines and structure can breed conflict and confusion. Aligning with organizational goals. We must take a close supervision on John if we wish to have him complete this work. She was working as a consultant at an IT consulting company and thought the organization would benefit from an ISO management system certification. Crucially, it is the balanced combination of the above three elements that makes proactivity truly wise. Considering others. Many apply to be relocated to a different floor. Take the case of Vanessa, an HR adviser we interviewed, who recently joined an oil and gas company. “Others” are not limited to peers, however. People who show initiative demonstrate they can think for themselves and take action when necessary. It’s bad for the employees who likely know they aren’t performing well. Either way, it's a lose-lose situation. Going the next step. She pushed through and worked long hours for 12 months to get everyone on board. They may not understand the directions they are given. Copyright © 2020 Harvard Business School Publishing. Using initiative at work can make you stand out from your co-workers for the right reasons. What we define as “wise proactivity,” or the right way to be proactive, thus includes the following three elements. A Game Changing Habit: Cultivating Initiative. In the end, she succeeded, but was so exhausted that she is now hesitant to be proactive in the future. One of our interviewees, Jane, offers an example. How to improve accountability in the workplace in 5 steps. When confronted with a task or situation entirely outside their experience or expertise, people lack the knowledge to do what is asked. Joel Garfinkle, March 6, 2012 If they don’t take the initiative by seeking out new projects and looking for opportunities to share their ideas … Performance Review Phrases for this core competency can be frustrating. Through their analysis, they identified three determining factors that strongly align with psychologist Robert Sternberg’s balance theory of wisdom. Lack of Capability. Emerging evidence suggests that, if proactivity is not channeled in the right way, it can backfire and have unintended negative consequences for organizations, leaders, team members, and individuals. Terry is very limited in his initiative at work. The “it’s not my job” attitude is more than just an employee career killer; it’s a symptom of a much larger organizational problem. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School. By facilitating wise proactivity, organizations can foster employees who make the right things happen in the right ways. “Unwise proactivity” can negatively impact the employee-manager relationship as well. For example, if the employee fears criticism from management for making a mistake, assuage her fears by offering continual support and encouragement. Motivate employees to take initiative by designing a reward system that aligns employee goals with those of your business. The best initiative comes from understanding how it can benefit the organization – and your career, too. Based on our analysis, we identified three ingredients that strongly align with psychologist Robert Sternberg’s balance theory of wisdom. If Ivan had paid more attention to the tasks his staff carry out day-to-day — work that requires high levels of concentration and focus — he could have more wisely concentrated his efforts on optimizing the original floor plan for productivity. The best ways to take initiative at work Have your career plan at hand. A person who takes initiative does the right thing, not because they’re going to get rewarded, thanked or praised for it. Having a personal stake in the outcome motivates an employee and teaches her how to take pride in her actions. While it’s easy to hire just anybody, finding and recruiting, the … Vanessa’s story is a perfect demonstration of why it’s so important to consider other people’s perspectives before acting on a new idea. Proactive workers are in high demand, and it’s easy to understand why. Why do Some People Lack Behind? He rarely thinks out of the box. If you are looking for a way to gain visibility and set yourself apart, working on a … Constructive feedback that identifies strengths and recognizes improvements helps the employee become a confident contributor. Lack of progress As it turns out, money for nothing doesn’t feel so great. The cost is significant. All this to say, there is a right and a wrong way to be proactive. It is known to everyone that they get rewarded for putting in extra effort at the work place. It means using your head, and having the drive to achieve. There are some things that are so important they must be done as soon as possible. Researchers analyzed 95 studies investigating when employee proactivity leads to positive or negative outcomes. Working towards a point on … The term ignorance of work can be interpreted in different ways viz the person is ignorant of job knowledge and experience required for the job he has been recruited. Though Max failed to consider how his actions would affect his supervisor, his supervisor’s control-oriented approach likely made Max hesitant to share his idea at the outset. But a lack of individual accountability is bad all around. Transparent leadership is the key to fostering a culture of trust between leaders and their employees. 4. Identifying why the employee refuses to take initiative allows you take steps to correct the root cause. Organizations that want to encourage innovation, therefore, need to create environments of trust, in which their employees feel encouraged to share their ideas. If managers subject all new ideas to a lengthy approval process involving too many signoffs, innovations will be stifled before they even begin. Few people were willing to do it, leading Vanessa to abandon the initiative before it was complete. Who do I need to onboard to make sure it succeeds? ; 1998, “Managing for Dummies”; Bob Nelson, et al. Empower the employee to make important decisions once she is adequately prepared. Seeking out challenges in your day-to-day activities is the key to defining your attitude at work, creating new opportunities for growth, and helping you develop into a more confident and capable professional. The “right way” to be proactive thus includes three elements: managing yourself, considering others, and aligning with organizational goals. Mack studied philosophy and economics at the University of Memphis. Managers in particular should be trained to model these behaviors and teach their staff to do the same. Do More Than Required of You. The lure of financial gain might spur the employee to step out of her comfort zone to pursue clients she otherwise might not. The key to success is going the next step. You can have a really good worker at whatever the job is, but the person lacks taking initiative. He attributed the success to luck and undid Max’s changes. Stan Mack is a business writer specializing in finance, business ethics and human resources. Stay involved. Respond to errors calmly. Proactive workers are in high demand, and it’s easy to understand why. Provide support and encouragement if low confidence is an issue. We’re Deep Processors, Not Slow. Yet many proactive employees don’t fully consider how their proactivity might impact others. Plan for how you will stay on track when setbacks arise, ensure you have support, and defend against project creep by being comfortable saying “no.”. We can all think of someone who takes proactive steps to benefit themselves but rarely considers the organizational context or the needs of others. Six Ways to Empower Employees to Take Initiative. Here are some personal tips on how to be proactive and … If an idea doesn’t align with your key strategy or the larger mission of your organization, it is likely to be a waste of time and resources. For instance, people may initiate the wrong type of change and end up costing their organizations money, or they may have the drive to negotiate a better workload for themselves, but as a result offload tasks onto others. Max’s case is unique because neither Max nor his manager was acting wisely. It requires resilience and determination. Do I have the time and resources to execute it? Many Pittsburgh managers have a frustration level regarding the lack of initiative in employees, and cited "going the next step" as an example. Ownership is about initiative, accountability is about follow-through. In response, she expressed interest in leading the charge on a new system. Introverts have a tendency to observe first before jumping into action, and our brains are wired to process information at a deep level. Once you’ve answered these questions, consider how you will communicate your idea to the most important stakeholders and what steps you need to take to prepare them. When it comes to creating positive change, these employees don’t need to be told to take initiative. Taking on too many or too large initiatives can easily lead to burnout. But you must achieve a balance -- don’t push employees to make foolhardy choices that jeopardize the success of your business. Yet, most of the people don’t show … Individuals who lack initiative aren't fulfilling their potential. The theory argues that wisdom comes from balancing one’s interests with the interests of others and those of broader society. The lack of motivation that can be caused by depression and other mental illnesses can be debilitating. Before you do, ask: Who will be affected by my initiative? But for those who battle depression, the lack of motivation can be an enemy that seems insurmountable at times ( Depression Can Drain You of Your Will to Live ). Allow some initiatives to be led by others. Managing yourself. She found it clunky, time-consuming, and irresponsible. Initiative means the person has a drive within themselves to do a better job, be a better employee and seeks opportunities to improve or learn more. Build Self-Confidence. Most of the time, the changes you make to your work methods implicate other teams. How to Take Initiative at Work Without Overstepping (Excerpt pages 126 and 127 of The Proactive Professional) When I tell people to take initiative in the workplace, they often express concern. The theory argues that wisdom comes from balancing one’s interests with the interests of others and those of broader society. Control-oriented approaches reduce the “risk” of proactivity, but they also reduce the proactivity itself. They might not care about their work, or they could be frustrated because they're not "allowed" to think for themselves. The lesson? When doing so, you put yourself out there and things don’t always go as planned. Why You Need To Show That You Take Initiative At Work: A person who takes initiative is an invaluable player in any workplace, on any team. This lack of trust is likely due to a lack of transparency in the workplace. Lack of awareness of the great benefits. It can also be due to a lack of involvement in decision making, or minimal recognition for their efforts. If employee laziness is the problem, staying involved makes it harder for the employee to goof off unnoticed. Recruiters and human resource professionals can help by considering job applicants’ ability to balance these three aspects of wisdom when considering candidates. Likewise, someone who carefully considers others, yet overdoes their proactivity to the point of exhaustion, is not going to be successful either. Moreover, the research shows that people who have long-term career plans are more willing to take initiative. They don’t want to step on toes or get in trouble for crossing some invisible line. If you are known to berate your employees, the resulting fear of reprisal might paralyze them and cause them to pass up opportunities to act. It is critically important to do the job well. The employee might lack initiative because of fear, inability, laziness or other causes. His work has appeared in the online editions of the "Houston Chronicle" and "USA Today," among other outlets. Sometimes managers will let employees avoid accountability at work because they dislike confrontation. An employee who lacks initiative will pass up valuable opportunities, reducing the productivity and effectiveness of your team. Behavioral interview questions should focus not merely on understanding if a job candidate is proactive, but also on how wise this person’s proactive actions are. If laziness is the cause, explain that an unwillingness to work can lead to dismissal. Workers who simply do their jobs and nothing more do not contribute to company growth.