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Take the initiative to improve your job and you
By John Carroll
Contributing Writer
“She doesn’t have to be asked; she just takes care of things.”
“He’s the first guy to offer to clean up the job site.”
“I can always count on them to get things done, even when I’m in a meeting.”
These are the comments overheard from supervisors and managers who value the quality of initiative.
Taking the initiative means that you start, on your own, to act and add value to the work you and your team are doing. This makes requests from a superintendent, manager or supervisor unnecessary, since you are already doing top priority work and getting things done.
If you are the type who naturally takes the initiative, you probably wonder why others don’t do the same.
Sometimes it is a matter of your upbringing; you were expected to take care of things around the house without having to be asked.
It can also be a matter of your own personality style; you are more comfortable making a decision and acting on it rather than waiting for permission or commands.
Mostly, it is a level of confidence that one gains by learning his or her job, looking around to see what needs to be done next and taking care of it.
If taking the initiative seems foreign or risky to you, there can be contributing factors.
You may have been raised in a home where you were expected to ask permission to do virtually everything and it was taken as a sign of respect that you ask before you act.
You may also have a behavioral style that lends itself to being more cautious and checking things out before you take action.
Sometimes it is as simple as handling a new job or a lack of familiarity with the needs of the job you are doing at the time.
Some things you should know about taking the initiative at work:
• Before you take any action, you should ask yourself if what you are about to do is safe for you and all others concerned.
• When you regularly take the initiative, people will see you as a hard worker, even if you are not working any harder than those who wait for requests.
• Taking initiative is one of the best and fastest ways to get noticed by others in the company and often a leading factor in being considered for career advancement within the company.
• When you take the initiative, you may get it wrong. People will often forgive you for acting, even if it is not perfect.
You will likely get a suggestion or two to prevent the problem from happening again and a “Thank you” or other signs of appreciation.
In a growing company, new challenges and new opportunities arise regularly. By taking the initiative and helping the company address these challenges, you will find that you get more opportunities to learn and grow with your company.
John Carroll is a business consultant, speaker, author and president of Unlimited Performance inc. in Mount Pleasant. E-mail him at jcarroll@uperform.com.
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