Foundation
Proactive behavior is a determining factor in competing and surviving in an environment as changing and competitive as it is today. Companies are looking for flexible people who adapt to the unexpected and who know how to manage uncertainty.
To be successful in today's labor market, you must become an active agent of change, have initiative and know how to face uncertainty.
The proactive person does not wait for others to make decisions for him; Act with determination in anticipation of problems, go down to operational terrain and constantly create new opportunities. Without a doubt, proactive behavior brings multiple benefits to those who exercise it, making them lead a more satisfying life, with more emotion and less anguish. For this reason, it would be logical to think that all organizations want to have proactive professionals on their teams.
Development
The concept of proactivity has become increasingly fashionable in the field of business management, since for the success of its objectives the modern employer needs people committed to the company, with special attitudes and skills.
The proactivity is the attitude that the person assumes full control of their life conduct active mode, which involves taking the initiative in developing creative actions and bold steps to better generate, making prevail freedom of choice on the circumstances of the life. It involves taking responsibility for making things happen.
“Proactivity gives us the freedom to choose our response to environmental stimuli. It empowers us to respond (responsibility) in accordance with our principles and values. In essence, it is what makes us human and allows us to affirm that we are the architects of our own destiny. Stephen Covey.
For Bateman and Crant, proactivity means creating change, not just anticipating it. According to these authors, being proactive is not only about having flexibility and adaptability towards an uncertain future, but you must take the initiative to improve a business.
This term refers to the worker with his daily skills and characteristics, such as being optimistic, creative, open to new ideas and challenges, able to anticipate problems, make good decisions and have the criteria to carry them out.
There are some conditions that can be generated to promote proactivity within work teams, including:
- Engage professionals in the goals of the company. Encourage them to impose challenges. Be receptive to differences, seeing them as opportunities to find various solutions and points of view. Open spaces for creativity and assertive communication. Encourage decision-making, driving away the fear of making mistakes.Facing problems optimistically, without fatalism.
It is necessary to clarify that work behavior is not only what we do, but also what we say, both being external manifestations of what we think and feel. Therefore, proactive communication and language are key elements to achieve proactive work teams.
Having proactive work teams generates a strategic advantage for the company, especially when facing the competitive labor market, making it more flexible for the company in the face of crises, more dynamic in the face of changing demands, more innovative for respond to the new needs of the market and more pleasant in your work environment.
Characteristics of proactive people, who are highly demanded by companies:
- They are clear about their strengths and weaknesses They positively take charge of their emotions and their attitude They express their opinions assertively They are confident They like to take on challenges They act decisively to achieve their goals They positively face changes and uncertainties They transform problems into opportunities They are persistent, they do not give up on the first change They generate new ideas and strategies to solve difficulties, they defy the conventional and foresee future scenarios
To be a proactive leader we must have the following elements:
- Empathy. To be a proactive leader, you have to know how to listen, and optimize everyone's skills. It is about making yourself understood, not making yourself fear. Motivation. Motivation is also essential to incentivize company members, and thus achieve the objectives. Share. A proactive leader should not provide all the solutions. It is much better to discuss them with the people who have found them, before you can make the decision. Communication. You should be aware of the mishaps that collaborators may have in your personal life, and show them that you are by their side. Education. You have to know how to say "please" and "thank you", and not forget a "compliment" when someone deserves it.A united organization. It is important to pay the utmost attention and consideration to each collaborator, regardless of their degree and position in the company. Firmness. A good leader is demanding, but does not raise his voice. Lead by example. You have to invest in training provided during working hours, and commit yourself before compelling them.
Proactivity also carries risks; it can be limited, coerced or slowed down by the general management, which, in some cases, may not share the objectives. Sometimes simply the lack of prominence of a CEO can also stop this proactive attitude.
Proactive behavior in the workplace
Taking as reference the results obtained in interviews conducted with different managers in different entities, they consider that proactive people are characterized by the following:
- They are continually looking for new opportunities.
2. Effective change-oriented objectives are set.
3. They anticipate and prevent problems.
4. They do different things, or act differently.
5. They take action and venture despite the uncertainty.
6. They persevere and persist in their efforts.
7. They achieve tangible results, since they are results-oriented.
These characteristics of proactive behavior at work can be extended to other areas of life.
The importance of proactive behavior
Proactive behavior is a determining factor in competing and surviving in an environment as changing and competitive as it is today. Companies are looking for flexible people who adapt to the unexpected and who know how to manage uncertainty. Managers are more likely to successfully manage their businesses if they are proactive. People who are not satisfied with their work or with their current work environment have the responsibility to generate new actions to change their situation and achieve the results they want.
To be successful in today's labor market, you must become an active agent of change, have initiative and know how to face uncertainty. The proactive person does not wait for others to make decisions for them, acts with determination in anticipation of problems, goes down to operational terrain and constantly creates new opportunities.
Keep in mind that proactive behavior is results-oriented. Being proactive is not only about proposing ideas or making cognitive restructuring to perceive reality differently. Thinking about change is fine, but it is not enough; you have to be able to transform ideas into actions to get results.
Developing proactive behavior helps to face problems, anticipate consequences and focus on innovation, so that each person can improve their personal and professional competence.
Proactive capacity implies competencies such as information search, teamwork, initiative, continuous learning.
conclusion
Today proactive behavior is a determining factor for competing and surviving in such a changing and competitive environment. We are responsible for managing our own careers; We must become active agents of change, have personal initiative and know how to face uncertainty.
We must act with determination and responsibility, anticipating problems and landing them on operational grounds to constantly create new opportunities in our work environment. Specifically, they are the executives, managers and / or supervisors, the first ones responsible for generating such proactive behavior in their collaborators and workers, requiring to be a living and daily example of such behavior.
Bibliography
- Ares Parra, Antonio. Proactive behavior as strategic behavior as opposed to passive behavior. Reading consulted at http://www.antonioares.es/lecturas.html.Gutiérrez H. Total Quality and Productivity. (Second Edition). Editorial Mc Graw 2005.Sánchez J Quality and Productivity in University Teaching. Unpublished degree work, Universidad Pedagógica Experimental Libertador. 2006 Schlosser, Silvio J. Corporate social responsibility requires proactive behavior from organizations. Bibliot. (2008).
