CEO Chronicles # 21 : How To Be A Proactive Employee February 4th, 2020
The Proactive Employee
In the previous #ceochronicles article, we asked, ‘What qualities make up a perfect employee?’
We listed out the four main qualities of a PERRfect employee are –
- Proactivity
- Emotionally Intelligence
- Reliability, and
- Resilience
After reading the article, you asked me –
- How do you define a Proactive Employee?
- How can I be (and be seen as) a Proactive Employee?”
Both good questions. Let’s start with understanding…
What does ‘being proactive’ mean?
Proactive employees look ahead. They anticipate needs, problems and possible outcomes.
Proactive employees plan ahead.
Proactive employees take responsibility and ownership. They focus on solutions.
To understand the concept better, let’s meet Gerry and Evan, two young professionals.
Gerry and Evan were nominated by their company to attend a three day conference in Kuala Lumpur in the following month. Both of them were thrilled and excited.
Evan told his family the news, and then sent out a WhatsApp message to his friends and groups. He then filled in the travel and hotel requisition forms and handed them over to Admin. Evan had never been to KL before, so he spent some time looking at a few websites to see what KL had to offer. He was sure he was going to have fun and eagerly anticipated the trip.
Gerry did more.
Gerry, too, told his family, and sent out a WhatsApp message. He, too, arranged to book his air tickets and hotel room, and then arranged the car for the airport to the hotel. He then checked if there were any travel restrictions, and any visa requirements (there were none). Gerry then went through the agenda and program for the event. He looked for, but couldn’t find the list of delegates, so he wrote to the conference organizers who sent him the list. He went through the list to see if he knew any of the delegates. While doing so, he found that he had met two of them before and was connected through LinkedIn to 6 more. He wrote to each of them expressing his happiness that he was going to meet them in person, and arranging to have a cup of coffee with each.
Going above and beyond…
Gerry then ran through the various events, and chose the specific presentations and break-out sessions that he thought would be of most value. He then wrote messages to three of the speakers, requesting them for some of their time to meet, during the conference breaks. Then, he called the organizers again, and asked them to clarify the dress codes. Following the call, he made a note to pack a suit for the gala dinner and a pair of sneakers and shorts for the ‘fun-filled team building activity’.
Gerry then ensured that he would have at least 200 business cards, as the conference would host about 100 delegates. He purchased a digital recorder so that he could record the sessions that he was most interested in.
A week before the conference, Gerry purchased a ‘data pack’ for his phone under a promo so that we did not have to depend on the venue wifi. He purchased about 200 ringgit in case he needed to tip or purchase sundry items for cash. He spoke to HR and confirmed that the company insurance covered Malaysia and noted down the contact details for the KL branch office.
Finally, Gerry asked his family what he could bring them from KL, and noted down their requests.
It’s not an accident that people like Gerry always seem to be on top of things. They have a spare USB drive to loan, a digital copy of the manual that no one else can find, or a pain killer when someone’s in distress.
These are the people we naturally turn to when we are in need. These are also the people who are most often selected as managers, team leaders and project directors.
How can we be proactive employees, you asked?
To be consistently proactive, you need to embrace…
The Six Habits
What is the proactive employee’s secret? How are they able to be prepared for almost any situation? Here are six habits that you can practice to become and be a proactive employee.
Think Ahead & Stay Ahead
Try and think ahead – at least 4-6 weeks into the future. Many of us think about today and perhaps tomorrow. By thinking ahead, you will have enough time to plan and prepare for various events and situations. By reaching out to his connections well ahead of the conference, Gerry was able to meet one-to-one with almost a dozen people, enhancing his network, learning about new opportunities, building the foundation for robust relationships.
Do today what most people set aside for tomorrow. Take care of your regular tasks, even if they are not enjoyable, now. This will allow you to reduce, if not prevent, molehills from becoming mountains.
Finally, learn to prioritize. All of us have myriad tasks on hand. This can seem overwhelming at times. Focus on what is most important, complete it, and move on to the next. You will get a sense of satisfaction from each accomplishment, which will spur you on to the next.
Set Goals & Own Them
Set goals for yourself. Proactive employees hold planning sessions with themselves, and set realistic goals for the future. They allot deadline dates and they schedule time to work on them. By doing this, you can make your own future.
Own your goals. You are the only one who can drive and accomplish your objectives. Yes, people will support and help, but you are in the driver’s seat. Take charge and take responsibility.
Finally, focus on what you can actually achieve. You will know the fantastic Serenity Prayer – “Please grant me the courage to change the things I can, the serenity to accept the things I cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Too often, we stress ourselves about what we cannot control or influence, thus impacting our ability to achieve what we actually can.
Participate & Engage
Get involved. Proactive people are never idle observers, they are active participants. They engage and influence. Once engaged, they contribute. They don’t stand by or react.
Listen carefully. Be situationally aware – know what is going on around you. Recognize that you are a piece of the whole and that you can influence the environment positively.
The more you engage, the more you can learn, the more you can exert your influence and more you can contribute positively.
Use Checklists
Make a checklist. Proactive employees use checklists for all events or activities, such as meetings, travel, conferences, sales calls, workshops and interviews. Checklists save time and money and prevent errors.
Read what Dr. Atul Gawande writes in his international bestseller, “The Checklist Manifesto” – simple checklists are essential for anyone working to get things right. Checklists convert goals and plans into simple action plans, which are visible, doable and trackable.
Review Results
Review the outcomes of your planning and doing. Proactive employees don’t just carry out planned tasks and events, they make sure the results are worth the time and effort expended. They ensure that they are indeed completing the 20% of the tasks that yield 80% of the results.
Reflect on whether you are making the best possible use of your time. If you aren’t reaching your goals, review the steps you are taking. Can you eliminate some steps? Shorten some? Should you do something differently?
Learn from your setbacks. If we go through a failure, we must learn from the experience. What things could we have done differently? What different things could we have done? By converting every shortfall into a lesson, we will only become even better at being proactive.
Focus on Solutions
Develop the right attitude. Proactive employees use many tools and techniques, but a big part of being proactive is their state of mind.
Start with a positive outlook. Many of us find it easy to see life as a series of problems and hurdles. Proactive employees tend to see life as a series of achievements and successes – they need only find the route to these.
Look for the best possible outcome of every situation or problem. Then, work towards this outcome. Think of yourself as a problem-solver, not a problem-identifier.
A Way Of Life…
Being proactive is a way of life.
The more times you think ahead, the more goals you set and achieve, the more comfortable you will become with planning. As you see your days running smoother, with fewer crises and problems, the more you will be encouraged to become proactive in everything you do.
Proactive means “acting beforehand”. Taking action in the present will influence things in the future – even the future itself.
Develop and nurture these six habits –
- Think Ahead & Stay Ahead
- Set Goals & Own Them
- Participate & Engage
- Make Checklists
- Review Results
- Focus on Solutions
And you will be an outstanding, productive and proactive employee…
Hallo! What about Gerry and Evan? What happened with them?
Oh, I almost forgot. Evan had a nice time at the conference; he came back with a bag full of goodies and handouts, and knowledge about 3 new topics that were presented.
Gerry came back with much more. He came back with more than 20 new professional connections, two offers to meet and discuss possible career opportunities; appointments from two prospective customers that Gerry’s company were hoping to acquire; and a very nice testimonial from the conference organizer to his boss, praising him for his attitude and engagement. Finally, he enjoyed his wife’s delight when he presented her with a lovely Selangor jewelry case…
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Cheers | Shesh | Singapore | 04 February 2020.
Post Script :
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