The ability to adapt to change easily affects one’s capacity to be proactive. Begin by understanding what the request is, what is needed and by when. Auto-responders that you can use to increase your efficiency include out of office email notifications and voice mail greetings and notifications. How do you keep your calendar under control? Think of what information and suggestions you can share to help others improve their behavior and succeed at work. When it comes to thinking, the difference between being reactive and proactive is all about timing. On the other hand, a proactive one can anticipate the challenges your business might face at a specific moment in time. These have potential of causing problems down the road. Work your commitments into your daily routine. Reactive vs Proactive Thinking. When you receive an email you can quickly determine if the email is just for your attention and no action is needed, or if it is for your attention and action is needed either immediately or later. It helps to keep you on track and reduces the risk of forgetting to do something that you were supposed to work on. Therefore, don’t beat yourself up if your proactivity rate isn’t 100 percent. Then assess how to handle the request and what resources, if any, are needed to comply with the request. However, you need to be careful how you go about it. Handling requests and complaints in a timely manner is vital for good customer satisfaction. People can count on you for your reliability plus bosses & customers appreciate proactive employees. If you don’t keep an eye on it, your calendar could get out of control leaving you running around in circles. 2. links to websites. Avoid jargons. Proactive people focus their efforts on their Circle of Influence. It pays off to know at what point you need to simply pick up the phone and discuss further. Sharpen your technology and other skills through avenues such as watching “how to” videos, free online courses, paid courses, research, following trendsetters in your industry on social media, learning from peers and investing in continuing education. Fight procrastination by forcing yourself to do those tasks you have been avoiding or postponing. It could be a flurry of emails, telephone calls, colleagues chatting with you or an emergency deadline or project. Stay on top of deadlines by writing down the deadlines, breaking projects into small tasks, setting-up reminders, staying focused, eliminating distractions, monitoring progress and wherever possible completing tasks ahead of the deadline. Or do easy tasks first to build momentum then do the hard tasks. Primarily, there are two ways this question can be perceived. Demonstrate a willingness to learn and desire to be corrected when you are wrong. Being proactive is a way of thinking and acting. Utilize your calendar as a deliberate scheduling tool. If they need a more comprehensive response you could request them to either send you an email or you can have a meeting later on. On a regular basis iterate, improve, refine, reduce, modify, redesign and recalibrate your work processes. A proactive employee thinks ahead, acts ahead and gets ahead. Plug your commitments into your calendar and monitor your progress as you work towards meeting the pledges. How to Set Goals More Effectively and Reduce Indecision, 6 Online Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses You Should Consider, Top 7 Grounds for Firing an Employee Legally, 5 Smart Tips on How to Write a Business Proposal That Persuades, Job Interview Checklist: Make Sure You’re Ready. What areas and skills should you improve on? Outsourcing labor intensive activities e.g. This article discusses 25 tips on how to be proactive at work. At the same time it is important to nurture work relationships with colleagues and not brush them off when they want to talk to you. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. A proactive employee thinks ahead, acts ahead and gets ahead. All the reacting has to happen ahead of time. Be a student of innovation, not all strategies will work out but keep innovating and improving. You can also follow-up when sending reminders ahead of important deadlines, events or meetings. Even with our best intentions to work as best as we can and be highly proactive, inevitably mistakes do happen. We would like to hear from you. Proactive development means solving many of the problems you already have or that arise over time before they become a major problem. The second question does not make much sense to me. The ideal time to write a to-do list is at the end of a workday when you review what you have done versus what you had planned to do. Acknowledging receipt enables the recipient to know that you received their email and when they can expect feedback. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines proactive as “acting in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes.” It is further defined as “controlling a situation by making things happen or by preparing for possible future problems.”. Be proactive by using auto-responders appropriately. Remember to thank those who take time to give you feedback. What did you like about the article/career resource? If you have the luxury, you can start off by booking work blocks when you intend to fully focus on projects. Proactive leaders, on the other hand, take responsibility for their management roles by engaging a… Treat everyone with respect regardless of their rank or titles. 1. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines commitment as “an agreement or pledge to do something in the future.”. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Strive for relevant and brief responses to emails and proofread your emails. Respond to email requests, telephone calls, colleagues, meetings etc. Do not ignore replying. They give you the freedom to make your own, conscientious choices instead of having to respond to a particular situation out of necessity. Being proactive builds your personal brand and reputation at work. If you have kept someone on hold while you verify something or do quick research, reassure them from time to time that you are still on the line and working on their request. Some tips to keep in mind when handling complaints include: handle everyone with respect at all times, being firm but friendly when rules cannot be broken, not over promising, being sincere and polite, being patient and controlled, listening well, being perceptive or understanding, having a positive outlook and don’t take it personally. There are constant changes in the world of business. In fact, it can refer to a number of things, as you are about to see in this article. Master the operations of the phone system and use its various functions seamlessly. Focus more energy and be vigilant on these areas. Develop the capacity to work efficiently under pressure. who benefits from what they do and how they benefit. Solve those as they come along, even if they mean sleepless nights, but not before. Options for when you fall behind in your work: working remotely, working earlier, staying late, asking for help, renegotiating deadlines, putting up a do not disturb sign, seeking cooperation of colleagues, working weekends, temporarily saying no to new tasks and compressing time by forcing yourself to work faster. 17 Tips on How to Take Initiative at Work, Leave Your Review About ThriveYard here … Thank you so much, 8 Ways to Become the Most Proactive Person You Know, 10 Ways Employees Can Be More Proactive At Work, 5 ways to help employees be more proactive at work, 7 Habits to Work Proactively, Not Reactively, 6 Tips to Shift from Reactive to Proactive Customer Service, 22 Exciting Ways to be Successful at Your Job, 25 Practical Tips on How to Get Promoted at Work. Remember to deactivate this once you return to the office. Taking initiative is the next logical step after being proactive. Being proactive is a way of thinking and acting. Know how the moving pieces are connected. Nothing is isolated. Then develop a draft to-do list for the following day. Maintaining an organized work space, desk, email, computer folders and hard copy files to enable easy document retrieval. The impact could be negative or positive depending on the situation. Being over committed affects one’s ability to be proactive. At a minimum respond to emails within one day, for urgent emails respond sooner.