Overview
More than ever before, we are faced with change: in our private lives, at work and globally. To accept change and to even actively push for it, often feels like a burden. At the same time, a reactive way of working withdraws the very energies we need for a fulfilling life. And finally, there is a striking contradiction between the management’s constant calls for new solutions and a resistance to a creative mindset in companies.
Let’s take a few minutes to look critically at your actions in the workplace.
- Do you react to the events happening around you or do you take initiative to prepare for, participate in and/or control the events?
- Do you take an active or passive role? Do you think in terms of the present or do you look to the future, anticipating outcomes and preparing for the consequences?
- Do you make a decision only when you have to, when you’re backed into a corner or when you’ve put it off for as long as you can? Or do you make conscious decisions as part of a larger, long-term plan?
Research has shown that the most valuable employees are the ones who are proactive. By definition, this means they control situations by causing things to happen rather than waiting to respond after things happen. People who are proactive don’t sit around waiting for answers to appear; they stand up, put one foot in front of the other, and find the answers. They don’t wait for someone to hand them an instruction manual and a box of tools; they’re resourceful.
Proactive people are constantly moving forward, looking to the future, and making things happen. They’re actively engaged, not passively observing. Being proactive is a way of thinking and acting.
Now, this concept can be a little abstract for some. Here’s an example:
Reactive is, ‘I’ve got massive chest pain and pins and needles down my arm. Maybe I’ll go to the doctor.’
Proactive is, ‘Even though I have no symptoms, I want to live a long, healthy life so I have embraced the life-long habits of healthy eating and regular exercise.’
So, are you being proactive or reactive in the workplace?
The following is an Overview of the “5Ps” of Developing a Proactive Thinking:
- Predict: In order to be proactive, you must first develop foresight.
- Prevent: Proactive people foresee potential obstacles and exert their power to find ways to overcome them before those obstacles turn into concrete roadblocks.
- Plan: Proactive people plan for the future.
- Participate: Proactive people are not idle observers, they are active participants.
- Perform: Being proactive means taking timely, effective action.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the lunch and learn session, participants will be able to:
- Fosters proactive thinking as a repertoire of cognitive readiness
- Strengthens their individual abilities and self-confidence
- Able to come up with new ideas and push them through
- Understand the underlying causes that prevent them from handling change
- Learn how to sustainably deal with inertia and tunnel vision at the workplace.
