How To Take Initiative At Work: Your Guide To Stand Out

Our experts explain when and how to take initiative at work to reap the fruit faster

Job-seekers who take initiative are often desirable candidates for open jobs. For employers, taking initiative means that you are proactive, responsible, and eager to look for solutions instead of focusing on problems. In an environment where many people simply follow their job description, the initiative of employees drives the company's success.

Moreover, workplace initiative contributes to your personal and professional growth. By solving a company's problems, you boost your skills and increase your chances of promotion.

In this guide, we will explain how to take initiative at work in the right way and earn a reputation as a proactive employee. Plus, we will cover the advantages of initiative for your career and when it's best to restrain from taking it.

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What is initiative at the workplace?

Workplace initiative is your ability to identify problems, find new opportunities, and get a job done without being micromanaged. In other words, initiative employees don't wait for instructions and are willing to act on their own to achieve the organization's goals. Initiative is often associated with problem-solving skills, proactive approach, and strong self-management skills.

85% of employees are willing to show initiative when they receive feedback at work. As they see their contribution to the company's bottom line, it leads to a higher job satisfaction.

If we dig deeper, we'll find out that this sort of behavior requires a specific mindset. To take initiative efficiently, you need research skills, communication abilities, self-confidence and business acumen. While the others tend to react to the boss's instructions or other activities, you need to keep a specific goal in mind, know how to present it to management and eventually achieve it.

What professionals say about taking workplace initiative

Before we have a closer look at how to show initiative, let's look at what professionals in various industries think about it.

Marie Chen, manager: Initiative should be grounded on research

"As a manager in a mid-sized tech firm, I believe that the initiative needs to be strategically grounded. It is not about throwing ideas at the wall and assuming that someone else will turn them into reality. It's about identifying a genuine need or opportunity, developing a step-by-step plan, and then taking charge of implementing it.

When an employee suggests a new marketing campaign, I expect to see data, an analysis of target demographics, and a clear strategy for implementation. We encourage our teams to suggest creative solutions, but that exploration must be rooted in a solid understanding of our market and the potential impact on our goals".

Corey Ramirez, graphic designer: Initiative drives innovation

"My work thrives when I constantly push boundaries and try new concepts. I always seek inspiration, whether it's from industry trends, art exhibits, or unexpected sources. Our creative team often organizes brainstorming sessions to find new sources of inspiration and new ways of implementing creative concepts. Not all of them work, and that's okay. Yet, by letting everyone take initiative and come up with innovative ideas, we've developed multiple creative ads that helped our agency to get ahead".

Amy Carter, financial analyst: Initiative is not always rewarded

"While I understand the value of initiative in theory, in my experience, it often leads to more complications than rewards. As a corporate financial analyst, I've seen colleagues who put in the extra effort to implement their initiative and increase customer satisfaction, but their hard work was never rewarded. They didn't receive extra pay as well. For me, focusing on the clear task from my job description is often a safer and more effective approach".

Now, let's explore specific pros and cons of taking initiative in the workplace.

The benefits of taking initiative at work

If displayed appropriately and at the right time, initiative is equally beneficial for you and for the organization you work for:

• You grow faster as a professional. When your work duties are basically the same, you'll find it hard to secure professional growth. As you take initiative for a new task or project, learn something new, and seek feedback, you go out of your comfort zone. You learn new skills and get rid of self-doubt, which can lead to a pay raise or promotion.
• You get recognition. As you step up and take initiative, you have a higher chance of being noticed by management. You can build strong work relationships with your superiors and stand out. You show genuine interest in fulfilling the company needs and meeting business goals, which can reflect positively on your career.
• You get additional responsibilities. Getting more responsibilities allows you to be considered for a promotion. If you are successful performing assigned tasks and are willing to do more, it means that you are ready for a management role and you can prove it on the practice.
• You boost your resume. Phrases like "Coordinated the transition to a new CMS which reduced publication time by 15%" or "Initiated a new customer service process" look excellently on your resume. They show that you are proactive, responsible, and care for the business's bottom line, which makes you a desired candidate for every employer. Not sure how to make your resume shine? Our in-house resume writers can create a modern resume for you, adjusting your application for the specific job opening.

When taking initiative is not the best idea

Despite its evident benefits, initiative isn't always good and welcomed. Here are the situation when getting proactive and taking your initiative is not the best idea:

• Your performance doesn't meet expectations. Before you approach the management with new ideas, make sure that you meet performance standards. The company hired you to handle a specific set of responsibilities. If you don't meet the standards, your suggestions for improvement might not evoke trust.
• You aren't ready to take risks. Implementing the initiative can be time-consuming and risky, especially if the company has to invest a lot of money in it. Say, if you want to launch an extravagant offline marketing campaign, you should realize that a lot is at stake. If the campaign fails and the company loses money, your career with this organization might be jeopardized. If you're not ready for such an outcome, play safe and start with smaller initiatives.
• The company is going through a change. Mergers, acquisitions, and organizational changes aren't the best time to suggest creative initiatives. There is no stability during such periods of time, so coming up with initiatives or asking about development opportunities would be pointless. It is always best to have a good professional resume at hand just in case if you lose your job.
• You don't have a clear plan. To take initiative smartly, don't just approach your manager with a raw idea. Research it at home, think about the results and possible consequences if things don't go as expected. Calculate how much time and money it will take to implement the initiative and whether you'll need someone's help. Remember that a good initiative should improve the bottom line for business. If you come to your boss with a well-written plan plus a presentation, you'll maximize the chance they will approve your project.
• Your workplace relationships are tense. To make things happen at work, you need more than your ambitions and critical thinking skills. Chances are, you'll need support and contribution from your coworkers. If your relationships with each team member are tense, taking initiative will be harder. Try to handle any conflicts or misunderstandings before taking steps to get ahead at work. To maintain good relationships with coworkers, avoid certain subjects of discussion: https://resumeperk.com/blog/top-taboo-topics-you-should-never-discuss-with-colleagues.
• Is the initiative within your limits of authority? Even if you're an expert in your area, taking major initiatives require permission of your boss or upper management. Avoid promoting changes in a grey area as it can be inappropriate and reflect in your work negatively. If you're an accountant, you shouldn't teach your CFO to create strategic plans.

Showing initiative at work: Your step-by-step guide

Have your career plan at hand.

The best initiative comes from understanding how it can benefit the organization – and your career, too. Moreover, the research shows that people who have long-term career plans are more willing to take initiative. If you know your professional goals, you are aware of which skills you need to learn and which projects to complete to work your way up. You learn to tie your career needs to the company goals, and come up with really helpful ideas rather than present something which has just crossed your mind. If you don't have a career plan yet, learn the pros and cons of creating it.

Boost your confidence.

In fact, it's impossible to imagine a good initiative coming from a shy, hesitant person. When you present some brand new solution to management, you need to be confident in your words and your ideas. If you lack self-esteem, there's a plenty of quick ways to increase it. First, create a list of your past professional accomplishments. Taking a look at how much you have achieved so far will motivate you for even bigger accomplishments. Second, set measurable goals and achieve them so you could see the progress and start perceiving yourself as a ‘go-getter'. And third, visualize yourself as a person that exudes confidence and positive vibes.

Have an eye on opportunities.

The ability to see opportunities literally everywhere is a skill, and you can master it. If you can see and use the potential for improvement and growth, you won't get unnoticed with any organization. There's a number of ways you can teach yourself to keep an eye on opportunity:

• Be curious. People who can see opportunities which are in the air share one common trait – they're curious. They're always looking to know how the entire company works, and go above and beyond their direct responsibilities. When you learn how every department of your organization works, what makes your product or service a success and what other employees complain about most, you have a clear picture in your mind and can see what can be improved and how.
• Ask questions. To learn to see potential for improvement, you need to ask yourself the right questions. Use them to access the current situation in the company or your department, identify problems at an early stage or understand the needs of your clients. When you adopt the habit of seeking opportunities everywhere, you'll become an asset for any employer. Here are the samples of the questions you can ask yourself:
  • Which small problems can lead to bigger ones if we don't resolve them now?
  • Are there any other ways our core competencies can be used on the market?
  • How we can improve our client service to ensure client retention?
  • What do people on our team dislike most about the job?

Moreover, the ability to ask the right questions will help you go a long way on the job interviews. If you're job hunting, check the list of best questions to ask your interviewer.

• Monitor the competitors. One of the proven ways to understand the pitfalls of your business is to compare it versus the top players on the market. So, if you lack the ideas of what should be improved in your company, then do a research to understand how other companies work. Use all available information to access in which areas competitors are stronger than you and learn their methods of achieving success.

Think like the business owner.

If you want to set yourself up for the initiative, watching things from the business owner perspective will help you work your way up. Most of employees tend to do exactly what is required from them and what they get money for (unless they're ambitious and want to reach the top of the corporate ladder). However, to be truly beneficial for the business, you need to develop the mindset of the business owner. It assumes seeing your ordinary tasks and the tasks set for your department as the part of a complicated business process which eventually brings money to the business.

As you focus on the overall company success, you get more responsible and thoughtful when displaying the initiative, and your suggestions get more helpful.

Come up with well-prepared ideas.

Speaking up the good yet raw ideas is the surefire way to have them stolen by a prompt colleague who might develop them and get all the credit. It isn't the reward you wanted when you learnt to take initiative, is it? Moreover, as we've mentioned above, raw ideas aren't much helpful for your boss as they need further work to bring in ROI.

Whenever you feel you've got a great initiative to come up with, do proper homework. Develop your ideas further, think of the amount of work and costs it might involve and the risks it may encounter. For instance, if you'd like to suggest that a sales team could get training to learn the modern selling practices, calculate whether the expected turnover will cover training expenses. When you enter your boss's office with a draft of a business case, you'll be taken more seriously.

If you feel uninterested in your job right now and don't have fresh ideas, check the ways to find inspiration at work.

Promote yourself.

Not only do you need to suggest and develop your idea, but also to do your best for its approval and realization. This is impossible without a bunch of self-promotional efforts and making yourself more visible at work. Start with participation in meetings and discussions to show off as a proactive personality and a loyal employee. When it comes to discussing your own initiatives, don't give up easily and don't accept every criticism you receive. To have your initiative implemented and get long-term benefits for it (i.e. pay raise or a promotion), you need to be persistent at what you do – provided that you've followed the advice above and your initiative lies on thorough research and analysis.

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More professional tips to take initiative at work successfully

There isn't a recipe of perfect initiative as possible solutions are unique for every situation. However, there are plenty of ways to gain a better reputation as an initiative person.

Be ready to go the extra mile

To earn a reputation of someone who is taking initiative and is ready for more responsibility, go beyond the job description. Anticipate your boss's needs (and meet them), set the higher standard for yourself, stay late if there's work to do. However, keep in mind that your goal is working smarter, not harder. Only put the extra effort when you're sure it can generate fast and visible result for your department or the entire company.

Stay positive

Not every fresh initiative brings bright results for business, and this is okay. Some new ideas are just not viable. Be ready to accept constructive criticism and stay calm even if the initiative fails. Maintaining a positive attitude will help you keep going and remain persistent to seek opportunities for initiatives in the future. Moreover, if you turn out to be the only person who can take the lead in the crisis situation, the sole fact that you've taken the initiative will be noticed and appreciated even faster. Moreover, when you work as a part of team, your uplifted mood inspires your coworkers as well.

Consider your job title

How often you are expected to be taking initiative is also determined by your job title. If you're a sales rep or a bank teller, your employer doesn't probably expect you to innovate and improve processes. Your task is to perform your job fast and without errors. On the other hand, as a copywriter, brand strategist, or engineer, you are expected to be creative, show your initiative, and suggest new solutions to problems.

Find the right time and the right person to suggest your initiative

Imagine that you're an office manager who wants to switch to a new task and project management tool that can save time for all employees. The idea sounds great, but if you present it to the wrong person, it might never be implemented. Ask about who makes these decisions in the company (it might be a CTO or IT manager) and reach out to that person directly.

It's equally important to find the right time to do it. If the company recently invested into different software, your initiative might be passed over. So, it's best to wait for a month or two until there's a budget for it.

Prepare a presentation

Even the great idea might not get enough attention if you don't present it well. In addition to a plan, prepare a detailed verbal or PowerPoint presentation, especially if you need approval from senior management. Add numbers, graphs, relevant information, and possible outcomes of your initiative. With evidence and facts, you'll have a higher chance of being heard.

Seek feedback

When you take initiative often, it's important to follow through and track the success of your suggestions. For example, you may discuss your initiative during performance reviews and ask about how they benefited the company in the long run. It is helpful to collect feedback from superiors and coworkers.

With feedback, you will know if others see you as a leader and if they are comfortable working with you. Moreover, you'll evaluate the results of your efforts, which is invaluable as you can add these projects to your resume.

Help others

When you're looking for growth with a company, it's important to be a team player. If your coworker is overwhelmed with tasks or seeks help with implementing their initiative, offer your help. Thus, you'll strengthen your relationships with coworkers, and when you need help, they will be more willing to assist.

Moreover, you can take the initiative in helping others, for example, onboarding new employees or explaining new complex software to senior coworkers. It will help you strengthen your reputation as a subject matter expert's and serve as a change agent, both of which will look excellently on your resume.

Participate in brainstorming sessions

Getting involved in workplace activities is necessary to get noticed. If brainstorming sessions are held, don't be afraid to speak up and share your ideas. Maybe, some of your ideas will be supported and realized. Brainstorming sessions are typically used to find a creative solution for existing problems, but even if you don't invent that solution, being an active participant of likewise activities will help you build a reputation of a person your boss can solely count on.

How to answer questions about showing initiative during job interviews?

Being initiative is one of the key traits employers seek in candidates. Therefore, you can expect to hear the question ‘Give me example of a time when you showed initiative' during the interview. How to respond to it better?

Using the STAR (situation – task – action – result) method is quite effective in this case. You briefly outline the challenge, the action you had to take, the resources you have involved and how you managed to meet the goal set. In addition to showing the initiative, this approach allows you to highlight your self-motivation, organization abilities and communication skills. If you didn't take the major initiative in the past, use any situation in which you were in charge for resolving problem or improving something.

The most efficient ways of taking initiative in a work environment: Key takeaways

Know when it's the right time to take initiative at work

As a rule, bosses foster positive change and therefore welcome reasonable workplace initiative. Yet, if the company has tough times, it's probably not the right time to implement a team member training program, streamline decision-making process or develop a proactive clients retention strategy. When the company faces profit loss, merger or acquisition or another coronavirus outburst, wait for more suitable time.

Offer practical suggestions for improvement rather than generic ideas

When you have an idea or two about how to make things work better, don't hurry up to your supervisor just yet. First, analyze if your ideas will be helping coworkers or solve problems in real life. Research ahead and plan resources. Consider brainstorming ideas to understand how exactly your idea will help if implemented. Your supervisor or a co-worker will only pay attention if your initiative is well-developed and passes a reality check.

Work on your persuasion and presentation skills 

For taking initiative successfully, you need more than noticing areas for growth. It takes persuasion skills to prove that your initiative is worth the implementation and will benefit the company. If you lack confidence or persuasion, you'll struggle to prove it.

How do you improve your persuasion skills? Rehearse your presentation at home. Talk to a family member or a friend and ask about their opinion. Prepare a detailed plan and slides - if your idea is backed up with evidence and facts, you'll feel more confident in it. As you suggest more ideas at work, you'll gain confidence and you'll do it much easier.

Maintain a work-life balance 

The more initiative you take, the more work you'll need to do. Quite often, it means staying late at work and sacrificing your weekends. Sometimes it's the price you pay for success, but don't ditch your personal life whatsoever. If you neglect a good night's sleep, quality time with your loved ones, and your hobbies, you'll risk getting a burnout.

Schedule time for family dinners and meeting with friends. Make sure that you have enough time to relax and recharge at weekends. By taking care of your well-being, you'll stay productive and motivated to work on your initiatives.

The bottom line

Taking initiative in the right time is an inevitable ingredient of your career success. Willingness to go the extra mile, assist your boss with tackling the upcoming problems and develop creating ideas which can make the company more effective is always valued. Using the above advice, you can build your initiative muscles and allow your initiative work for your career advantage.

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Do you typically take initiative at work? Are you rewarded if your initiative is a success?