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Proactivity & Initiative

Take ownership of work and professional growth by anticipating needs, acting independently, and pursuing opportunities to learn, improve, and add value — demonstrating curiosity, follow-through, and resilience in the face of uncertainty.

 

Proactivity & Initiative includes:

  • Setting goals and acting independently to move work forward without waiting for step-by-step direction
  • Recognizing work that needs doing and initiating tasks or improvements proactively
  • Identifying gaps, inefficiencies, or unmet needs—and proposing thoughtful, actionable solutions
  • Demonstrating curiosity by asking questions, exploring new ideas, and seeking out learning opportunities
  • Taking initiative to pursue new projects, collaborations, or responsibilities aligned with goals and interests
  • Taking thoughtful risks: experimenting, trying new approaches, and learning from setbacks or failure
  • Following through on ideas and commitments—seeing initiatives through from concept to execution
  • Seeking feedback from others with relevant experience and integrating it into future work
  • Demonstrating resilience and adaptability when efforts don’t go as planned (“fail forward” mindset)

  • Showing resourcefulness in navigating constraints, ambiguity, or limited guidance

     

Resources:

How to be a Proactive Worker in 6 Steps

This article examines the characteristics of a proactive worker and shares tips for how to become one.

9 Ways to Take Initiative at Work

This article discusses what it means to take initiative at work and offers tips you can use to take initiative in your current and future roles.