How To Be More Proactive

Name: How To Be More Proactive
Author: Janet Levy

Learn the value of taking initiative and why being proactive is a hallmark of effective leadership

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Course: On-Demand

Chapter Two: Self-Assessment How proactive are you? Let's do a little self-assessment. What would you do in this scenario? You are part of a team working on an important project that will launch a new product line and increase sales for your organization. However, you are constantly missing your deadlines due to other team members not taking them too seriously. What would you say is your normal response? Let's start with a passive response. A passive person would avoid confrontation, so they may just give up and stop working on the project. What is your response? Next, let's look at the response of someone who is reactive. A reactive response would be to get frustrated and angry, maybe even start yelling at the other team members. Do you see yourself doing something similar? Now, a proactive response might look something like this. You might be angry, but you calm yourself down. Take a deep breath. You might ask for help from a supervisor to keep the team on track, or you may talk to your team respectfully to remind them of the deadlines and the consequences for the team and the organization. Is this how you would respond? Do you find yourself reacting to situations in your life, or do you take the initiative to actively participate in the situations, either by preparing beforehand for it or by participating in controlling the situation? Do you anticipate outcomes and prepare for them? Proactive people cause things to happen rather than respond to things after they happen. If your response to our scenario showed that you are either passive or reactive, don't worry. Here are some techniques to help you become more proactive. In her book The Proactive Professional, Chrissy Scivicque outlines five key behaviors, the five P's of being more proactive, which are: one, learning to predict outcomes. I know what you are thinking; but no special powers are needed, just a little foresight. The key to being able to predict outcomes is to understand how things work. You start to see patterns in everyday routines, and you start to build possible outcomes. When you have your possible outcomes, or scenarios of the way things can unfold, you can better mitigate any possible problems. Two, the next key behavior is prevent. Once you have your predicted outcomes, you begin to outline how you will mitigate each scenario to control either the situation if it arises or the outcome, so that you are not being passive or reactionary to the situation. Three, plan is the next key behavioral step to becoming more proactive. Have you ever made plans for your future? Or even a vacation? The same steps you use for planning any aspect of your life, you will use to plan for different scenarios that you have predicted. To properly plan, you need to know where you started, the status of the current situation, and what you want the outcome to be. The fourth P is participate. This is where taking initiative comes into play. You cannot instigate change if you are not an active participant. You need to recognize your role in any situation and actively choose to be a part of the solution. The final key to being more proactive is perform. Perform is the essence of the word "do." You can't just think about the scenarios and come up with the solutions; you need to take action. That is being proactive. So, use these techniques to start being more proactive. Take action. Take the initiative.

Beginner Provider : Janet Levy 4 Lessons · 11m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

Are you the kind of person who takes action, or the kind who waits for others to take action first? Leaders are those who tend to be proactive: they get things done and motivate others to follow their lead. If you want to be a better leader, being proactive is a skill you’ll need to succeed. This course will teach you how to assess your tendencies toward taking initiative and how you can become more proactive. You’ll discover the five P's of proactive behavior, including predict, prevent, plan, participate, and perform. You’ll learn how to write a plan for your career development and have the opportunity to check your understanding of proactivity. Finally, you’ll gain knowledge of ways you can be more proactive in the workplace.

What You'll Learn

Assess your personal level of initiative with a self-assessment
Identify what proactive people are like and the five P's of being proactive (predict, prevent, plan, participate, and perform)
Distinguish between passive, reactive, and proactive personalities
Develop and write a personal career development plan
Apply steps to discover opportunities and act with more initiative in the workplace

Key Takeaways

Leaders tend to be proactive, getting things done and motivating others to follow their lead.
Being proactive is a skill needed to become a better leader.
Proactive behavior is built on the five P's: predict, prevent, plan, participate, and perform.
Assessing your own tendencies toward taking initiative is a starting point for becoming more proactive.
Writing a career development plan is part of becoming more proactive in your career.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this course for?

It is for people who want to become better leaders by being more proactive and taking more initiative, including those who tend to wait for others to act first.

What does this course cover?

It covers assessing your tendencies toward taking initiative, the five P's of proactive behavior (predict, prevent, plan, participate, and perform), writing a career development plan, and ways to be more proactive in the workplace.

What are the five P's of being proactive?

The five P's of proactive behavior are predict, prevent, plan, participate, and perform.

What skills will I gain from this course?

The course develops skills including being action oriented, influencing skills, proactivity, agile leadership, motivational leadership, and proactive maintenance.

What lessons are included?

The lessons are Becoming More Proactive, Developing a Career Plan, Passive, Reactive, and Proactive Personalities, and Discovering Opportunities.