Volume2, Issue 9 - September 2001

When I'm training in organizations I always speak to several people within the company to ensure that I'm delivering a consistent message to the one the attendees have been receiving in the past. To do this, I ask many questions. One of them is "What would you like your employees to be able to do that they are not currently doing?" I get a variety of answers, but one of the most common is "I'd like them to take more initiative in the office - and do things without being asked."

Have you ever received a comment like that on a performance evaluation? I have - and it frustrated me. I want to share the steps I deliver when I get this request.

First, let's start with the definition of Initiative. It is defined as "the action of taking the first step or move; the ability to think and act without being urged". Since somewhere in the early 1990's this has been referred to as "proactive". We need people to be proactive in our job (do things before they need to be done) instead of reactive (doing things after the need has been identified).

Think about why we hold back and are not proactive or don't take the initiative. Sometimes they are simple reasons like "I just don't have time to do anything extra" or realistic like "If I do it once - then it becomes my job" (think cleaning the fridge at work!). Other reasons that we use are: we fear that others may think we are overstepping our boundaries and are acting "too big for our shoes", afraid that it may look like we don't have enough work to do - and we are looking for more, the perfectionism that some of us carry - and that we don't want to do something new for fear of not doing it correctly, procrastination and even perhaps we have "learned" not to do anything extra as it doesn't get you anything (or does it???) hmmmmm

I teach people to stop looking at all the negative reasons why we don't take the initiative and start looking at the positive side of acting without being asked to (think your own kids here and how you convince them to do things before you ask them to!). Here are the three guidelines to "When to take the initiative to make decisions"…

When you know what needs to be done. If you know the answer - why are you waiting? I get soooo frustrated when I find a note on the counter that says, "We need milk." Don't you just want to scream? Or when your teenager or spouse tells you the car needs gas! If you know what needs to be done - (and it follows the other two guidelines below) JUST DO IT! You're right - no one will probably notice (at first), but over time your initiative will start to become apparent to the person you are helping out. It takes time - look at the payoffs.

When it is in your realm of authority. Now I have to be honest here - this is where I used to trip myself short. What is your realm of authority - that is the tricky part. If you have been in your position for a few years, your authority expands as you gain the trust and confidence of others that you work with. If you are new to your position, your realm of authority is pretty limited. If is mentioned in your job description - that is totally safe. If not, you have to use judgment. You "push" your realm of authority in little steps. If it is "just" beyond a decision that you recently made you are probably OK to make this decision as well. If you are wrong and it was not in your realm of authority - you will be told! (Learned that yet?). The tricky part is to expand your realm of authority in little steps. If you took a little step over the line (or past a recent decision) it won't cost you your job. If you take a flying leap over that line - you might be looking for a new job. You may know that you deserve a 25% raise - it probably isn't in your authority to give yourself one.

The final "when" is: When it is supporting the team. Are you saving the team extra work? Would it take more time and effort to pass it onto someone else? If another member of your team is swamped with work - and you are in a position to save them time by making a decision or doing something for them - do it!

I believe that what goes around comes around. Yes - it may seem like extra work for you to take initiative. People work well with people who are easy to work with.

If you have ever received "this employee needs to take more initiative" on your performance appraisal, be sure to take these steps to ensure it doesn't happen again.

Rhonda Scharf (Finniss) is President of ON THE RIGHT TRACK - Training & Consulting and is available for training and keynote speeches for your organization. Call today at 1-877-213-8608 or e-mail Rhonda@on-the-right-track.com. While you are visiting her site, sign up here for her complimentary quarterly newsletter.