How to Take Initiative at Work? Essential Tips, Examples, and Best Practices

Taking initiative at work means being more proactive in a job without anyone else asking for it. An employee full of initiative is not satisfied with simply performing a regular basis job; they desire to take on additional responsibilities and contribute more. If the company faces a problem, they are eager to be part of the solution.

Research confirms that employees with initiative are better performers, make great contributors, and have tons of amazing ideas for their workplace. This type of person will be valued by their boss for a long time. And to your surprise, an initiative person also brings significant benefits to the company. 

How so? Well, it’s a win-win situation. Having such individuals increases the productivity within the company, and they also bring forth an unlimited source of innovations for their development.  Meanwhile, the employee also has an opportunity to make a positive impression on their bosses. 

Building initiative at work may be more challenging than you think. You want to demonstrate your skills, but at the same time, you don't want to be bossy or to sound like a know-it-all. Let us guide you to strategize showing your initiative in the right time and situations.

You may have heard that taking initiative can be draining on your energy, mind, and sometimes your attention. Some individuals have experienced exhaustion from dedicating more time to their initiative than their regular tasks. As a result, they stop after one trial. And it’s normal. An important mindset to have before striving to do more than is required is understanding that you can't do everything. It's good to set your limits.

When you’re ready to go beyond after learning about your capacity, here are the 7 steps you need to know about how to show initiative at work:

Knowing where and when to offer your help and ideas requires an awareness of your surroundings. It requires you to observe and stay curious about what’s happening in your workplace without seeming too obvious.

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. These five points help you to stay focused on your career goals. With this principle, you can determine the worth of your initiatives and the rewards you can expect.

Some employees set vague goals when it comes to a career. They want to be the best at work. But, what does ‘being the best’ mean? Taking initiative at work will be in vain if you use it solely to appear superior to other employees, rather than aiming for a specific promotion or position.

Your SMART will guide your actions, give you powerful motivation to move forward, clear irrelevant and unrealistic goals that will hold you back, and lastly provide clarity in your decision-making. 

Proactive means becoming more engaged in a project given by the company. Employees not only finish their regular tasks but also take part in the aftermath. A proactive person measures every possibility, is more vocal regarding the project’s result, and tries to take control of the situation.

As mentioned above, not all employees will welcome your initiative with open arms. According to McKinsey and Company, at least 70 percent of new programs fail to achieve their goals due to employee resistance and lack of support from management.

Facing resistance can be exhausting. But if you are committed to seeing it through here are some ways to confront and overcome resistance:

Showing initiative at work is a big step. So you have to learn to accept that sometimes failure is inevitable in any decision. We often hear that defeat, setbacks, and missteps are part of the road to success. 

The crucial aspect of such a situation is how you handle it properly. Of course, facing the consequences can be overwhelming. First, take the time to examine the entire situation. Then, manage yourself by taking responsibility for your failure instead of blaming others.

Don't forget to always keep the lines of communication open with your managers or other people who can provide feedback. You can also ask for training or courses to show that you are willing to learn from past mistakes.

How can we take a big leap at work if we're ill-informed? Showing your determination is not enough when it comes to taking initiative in the workplace. As an employee, initiative needs knowledge and a lot of sources of information.

When ambition for the realization of the challenges and ideas can’t be done on your own, initiating a cross-departmental collaboration can be the answer. Interdepartmental collaboration is a vital component of building a successful business and company. It’s also a chance for a larger project to be handled by various people with various skill sets.

But before inviting other teams to collaborate, there are a few steps that must be taken:

Hopefully, these tips and examples of taking initiative at work will help you in your career future. But keep in mind, don’t take on more initiative than you can handle. Overwork will lead to burnout and mental health problems.

Taking initiative at work involves proactively generating ideas, devising plans, or undertaking tasks that extend beyond one's regular job responsibilities, often as a means to advance professionally. Before presenting these initiatives to managers, thorough research and risk analysis are essential to enhance their persuasiveness and viability. Following a structured approach, such as identifying opportunities, setting SMART goals, being proactive in projects, addressing resistance, acknowledging setbacks, staying informed about industry trends, and fostering interdepartmental collaborations, facilitates effective initiative-taking. It's crucial to balance this proactive behavior with self-awareness of one's capacity to prevent burnout and safeguard both work and personal well-being.

-- Originally Written by Erika Rizqi Rachmani ---