In most organizations, employees are generally expected to react and adapt to continuous changes in the environment. They are supposed to prepare for not just the foreseeable threats but also the unforeseeable obstacles. There is a plethora of research out there to prove that proactive employees in taking initiatives are likely to make progress well in their respective careers. Therefore, proactivity is considered a crucial investment to stand out from the rest and make career progress.
Understanding Proactivity
To understand proactivity, we need to differentiate the difference between being reactive and being proactive. A reactive person is someone who follows the order or essentially responds to external stimuli. It can be a request from a client or an order from upper management. On the other hand, a proactive person thinks ahead of the situation and acts beforehand. It goes beyond simply preempting situations and adverse events. It involves having to plan and execute the request even before it is asked. In other words, proactivity is the ability to act and further take responsibility for the planning decision-making to achieve previously established goals.
Take up work that you think will help you in accelerating your career. Be proactive and not reactive. It means does not let unnecessary calls and emails dictate your day. Being reactive will eat out the majority of your time of the day. Do remember to set aside the time you dedicate to the work that requires your reaction or response, but never let it hinder the work you’re focused on the moment.
Characteristics of a proactive person
People often confuse proactivity with competitiveness. To get rid of this confusion, the following are some characteristics of a proactive person.
Proactive people know their “WHY”
It is the most crucial and challenging step to follow. You have to identify and understand the “why” behind doing what you are doing. It is important to know what is that one thing that is holding you back and preventing you from becoming a pro-active person. Upon identifying, you can mitigate the exact problem.
For example, there may be a particular time of the day when you do not feel like doing anything. Or there may be laziness when the work that you have is not challenging. At that point, you must remember why you started what you started in the first place. It is imperative to pay attention to things that are around you. Your environment, people, and the kind of job you are in.
Focus on what is important
We know people who have goals and various aspirations in life, but they never have time to seize them. Proactive people take time for themselves to reflect on what is important and plan accordingly. They plan how they would want to spend their time. People who begin their day with a plan have a significant advantage over others. If you have your priorities for the day mapped, you are less likely to fall into someone else.
To be proactive, it is essential to have your priorities clearly defined. This will help you stay clear in the head and focus on one thing at a time. There are simple methods that can help you focus on your priorities. One such method is the 2+8 prioritization system. You are expected to set 2 objectives that you have to accomplish no matter what and set eight other tasks related to these that you will try to complete. However, it is important to have a plan in place right from the beginning of the day, or the least important things will take over your day.
Take Initiatives
Proactive professionals don’t wait for opportunities; they create them. In most, the cast is at the forefront of projects because they enter the discussion and expose their view and add to the project at the slightest sign of a challenge.
Proactive people are different from the rest because they do not wait for opportunities to land in their lap. They create opportunities for themselves and stay in the forefront/ front line of almost everything. They are better at gauging the threats and challenges and are capable of adapting as per the situation. Proactive people are open and always on the toes to add to the projects they are involved in.
Have Sustained Motivation
Proactive people are motivated to pick up new tasks and projects round the clock. They happened to have both extrinsic as well intrinsic motivation. Even more importantly,e what matters the most is their self-discipline or what some call “self-motivation.” They can easily distinguish what they need to do and what is not worth their time and efforts. They can follow the things that need to be taken care of without falling out or being distracted by things or circumstances. Some proactive people are just fortunate enough to have it in their personality, and with some, it is the part of nurturing that they get from their parents. However, the majority of the people have to work on it.
Set their own deadlines
Proactive people are aware of the consequences of procrastination. They plan things in a way that they can finish whatever is on their plate. On the other hand, when we are given a project, we think of the latest possible time we can start the work. Instead, if you start imposing deadlines on your own self, you will be amazed to see the results.
If you abide by the deadline, you will note your progress with time and eventually be more productive. It also nudges you to complete work in time and not falling for the trap of thinking “it can be done later.”
How to be more Proactive?
Like other skills, proactivity is also something that can be developed. All that is required from your side is a dedication to bringing change within yourself. Below I have tried to list some ways that can help you become proactive.
Break your habits
Like laziness is a byproduct of bad habits, similarly, being pro-active is a by-product of some good habits. This is true if you feel lazy at a particular time or in particular circumstances. Try and work in a new environment, change your shifts or working hours, or for that matter change the kind of clothes you wear. This will help break the existing monotony and give you enough mileage to break the old habits that prevent you from being pro-active.
Make the best use of the “First Hour”
What you do with your first hour at work determines how your day is going to look like. Before you start with your day, take some time to think of things you can do to boost your productivity daily. Also, mull over what needs to be completed at the end of the day. Identify all the time thieves, look for critical tasks out of trivial many.
Eat the frog first
You don’t have to find a frog and then eat it literally. All you need to do is pick up the most challenging task you have for the day and get that out of the way. In the first few hours, you are likely to be fresher in the head. If you keep that work for later in the day, it will take a share of your head (croak) and not let you entirely focus on other things unless done (hence, the frog). Once you have done the lion’s share of your work as the first thing, you will be much more likely to be on your toes to take up and get done with the rest of the stuff.
Set better Goals
Many times people set highly unreasonable goals for themselves, which are too intimidating. Let’s say you decided to go for a 10 mile run in the afternoon of a hot summer day. This is something that can scare even professional runners. Therefore, it is natural to feel the need to procrastinate or pass. When we have smaller digestible goals in front of us, we are more likely to take a proactive leave because we know we can do what we have in our minds. But, if you set goals irrationally, you will think of ways to pass on the opportunity to someone else.
Increase your overall focus
To be proactive, you need to focus on things that matter. There are multiple techniques out there that are immensely helpful in cultivating sustained focus. One such technique is the Pomodoro Technique. The technique typically uses a timer to keep track of time and break the time into several intervals (traditionally 25 minutes in length). Each of the intervals, separated by brief breaks (of typically 3-5 minutes).
It improves productivity by ruling out the scope of distractions and helping the practitioners focus better. Most of the users break down the total time into intervals, followed by a break. These sessions rotate regularly, and after some time, the user can take a more extended break (usually 30 minutes).
Get an accountability partner
It is much better to have someone by your side that can push you to do better, stay motivated. They won’t just prevent you from being lazy by reminding you of your goals and being a much-needed source of positive energy. In case you fail to find an accountability partner to stick along with, you may call your friends or family to through the challenges you face. Many times just the positive words from someone you care about are enough to lift you from laziness and motivate you.
Ask for help
Seeking outside help makes it easier for you to work and take a leap pro-actively. It is the best way to make these daily tasks much more enjoyable. Doing things we dislike is definitely more fun if we have a friend or a family member. I personally never liked going out grocery shopping. I used to get in the departmental store, pick up the stuff I need, and make an exit in almost no time. Now, I have made a couple of friends with whom I go for weekly shopping. The same can be done for other household tasks, and you can have your spouse or roommate give you a hand while washing dishes or doing laundry.
Set a reward for your self
Rewards definitely help if you know they exist at the end of your goal. The mere thought of a reward can fuel the engine through the daunting track. Next time you do not feel like proactively working on something, set a reward. It is a method of positive reinforcement. The reward could be a piece of dark chocolate, a piece of dessert, or relaxing five minutes on the couch. This way, you just do not have a long-run payoff and a short-term reward for gaining immediately after you are done.
Remember the “Two Minute Rule”
Only if I could stress on it more, never put off a piece of work that can be dealt with in just two minutes or less. Write and send that email, make that call, update your colleagues but do not let these things pile up. If you have a pile of work on your desk, pick up the work that takes meager time. If you complete it right away, you save a great deal of time returning at it later. Or you will have to schedule the combination of those tasks for another time.
Learn to say “NO”
Most people make mistakes when they overestimate their potential. They take up voluntary projects and tasks without giving heed that they already have their hands full. They often indulge in activities that are not important and lose on things that actually matter. Some people confuse pro-activity with saying “Yes” to almost everything. This can sometimes fall back on the person. When you overcommit, there is a higher probability that the output will be subpar, which will eventually disappoint people. Therefore, you must learn to say no to people and focus better on things that actually matter.