You may find yourself reacting to situations at work more than being proactive, noting that you don’t have the time to get in front of issues. Being proactive may not eliminate all issues, but it can help you resolve issues more effectively and efficiently and, in turn, better manage the company’s reputation. Reputation is money, so carve out time to think proactively. Be intentional. Here are five ways you can be proactive:
- Be curious
Proactive people crave knowledge. They enjoy learning. They are open to new information. Being proactive requires you to look beyond the current situation. Being proactive is a mindset; you have to want to seek more.
- Get to know people in other functions within your organisation
When you develop a curious mindset, you will want to reach out to people and colleagues of different backgrounds and expertise. Proactive lawyers will reach out to operations professionals to understand real life processes and better identify risks. Engineers will seek to connect with public relations professionals to recognise the impact that their algorithms will have on society and build more responsible technology products. When you work for a company, everyone is on the same team, regardless of your function. Your job is to maintain the reputation of the company. Reputation involves the smooth running of the company, which requires cross-functional relationships.
- Ask questions
Successful, proactive people are intentional about gathering information. They ask questions. They learn what others’ concerns are, what has happened in the past and what people’s suggestions are for improvement. You want to identify the issues in areas that are not in your daily purview, and this requires asking other people questions.
- Connect the dots
Once you obtain the information, you have to figure out how the information works together. Proactive people connect the dots to uncover what could happen in the future. How does knowing about a potential government regulation impact your course of action for product development? How might the outlook for financial markets impact your budget? How is long-term virtual work not only going to impact your people, but also your users and future product development? The world does not work in silos. The success and sustainability of a company cannot rely on one function. Successful companies have their internal functions working together, and employees who think proactively to anticipate issues.
- Make a conjecture, and then test it
Once you gather information to help you think toward the future, you might arrive at a theory about what may occur. Consider testing your idea. For example, you learn via your information gathering that there is a high likelihood that there will be a big product competitor entering the market. You have identified the most unique elements of your product and start to consider them in your company’s marketing campaigns. Do you see an increase in sales? Is one demographic becoming more engaged than in the past? This might help you to navigate upcoming competition in the marketplace.
You could also test your conjectures with market research test groups or algorithms in simulated situations, for instance. Proactive professionals don’t wait to see what happens. They simulate what happens to strategically respond to change. Successful professionals develop the skills to think ahead. Appreciate knowledge, engage with people of different backgrounds, ask questions, make connections and test out your ideas.
