7 tips to develop proactivity and stand out at work

Proactivity is nothing more than the ability to take action that generates a good result without needing to be asked.

What is proactivity?

Proactivity is the ability to anticipate a situation and propose solutions, creating or managing resources, whether human or material, that aim to change the situation.

But it is important to remember that this initiative needs to be your own, that is, do not wait for orders to take an initiative.

Therefore, we can think of something simple, like a box out of place.

The proactive person will simply put the box back in place instead of looking for the person to blame for leaving the box there.

However, this is just a small example compared to making important decisions in a company.

What does proactivity at work mean?

A company's leadership expects its team to work autonomously, that is, not just wait to follow orders.

Since this makes work dull and stagnant, since you are there ready to perform a task and know what to do, why wait for an order?

This wait can harm your work and often the progress of a project that involves an entire team.

That's why building a proactive and productive team is important, so that work can be carried out and there is no overload.

Therefore, having a proactive attitude means presenting projects that can contribute to the company's development and also always being up to date on anything related to your area.

These are very important characteristics that make a difference when hiring, as the job market has become increasingly competitive.

What does it mean to be a proactive professional?

So now that you understand the meaning of proactivity, let's clarify what are the main characteristics that companies look for in a proactive professional.

Anticipation – you need to be able to assess the context of the situation, understand what problems may arise and have resolution strategies in mind in case they do occur.
Autonomy – a very important characteristic of a proactive person is the fact that they do not wait for a leader’s order to solve a problem.

In other words, you must be able to see your place in solving the problem and resolve it within what is under your responsibility.

Planning and priorities – planning is important in any area, so for those who are proactive this is a very important characteristic.

When it comes to putting an action into practice, the ideal is to have a plan organized by priorities so that execution can take place.

Avoid procrastination – proactivity and procrastination These are two characteristics that cannot exist in the same professional.

This is because when you procrastinate you know exactly what needs to be done and leave it for another time, whereas a proactive person is focused on their objective and does not allow work to pile up.

How to develop proactivity?

So now that you are well aware of what proactivity is and the characteristics of proactivity, how about taking advantage of our tips to develop your proactivity?

Check it out below:

1- Be participative

Show interest, always be up to date with the company's plans and objectives.

This will help your team's performance and give you a clear view of everything that needs to be done in the event of a crisis.

2- Have priorities

There's no point in being proactive if you don't know how to prioritize your tasks, so always start by planning your day.

This way you won't have any wasted time.

Today there are even applications that can help you with your planning.

3- Seek improvement

Being up to date with the latest developments in your field of work is one of the main differentiators of proactive people.

Since when you study your area of expertise, you will have more chances of bringing new solutions and points of view to the company.

There are companies that already offer training and improvement courses, so never miss out on these opportunities.

4- Develop projects

Once you seek improvement, the consequence is the development of projects that help the company achieve its goals.

Therefore, be sure to present your ideas to the company's management or board of directors, this will make you stand out among other professionals.

5- Invest in Networking proactive

Proactivity is not something that develops alone, so always seek to value partnerships and act in a connected manner with leadership and the team.

6- Separate people and problems

Always look for the solution to the problem, not the person responsible for it. Wasting energy looking for someone to solve a problem that you could solve yourself makes you less proactive.

7- Practice self-knowledge

If you are really looking for proactivity, the ideal is that you seek to recognize yourself as such.

There is a big difference between being proactive and reactive, as the latter waits for something to happen before taking action.

And the difference with proactiveness is the focus on preventing the problem from happening.

Therefore, try to understand exactly what kind of professional you have been so that you do not confuse reactivity with proactivity.

Conclusion

The job market is increasingly looking for proactivity from its employees and this is not just another requirement.

But rather characteristics that leaders and management positions need to have.

And if you are looking for that place, you will really need to be proactive to stand out in your field of work and achieve greater goals.

Given that April 23, 2023

Career