Ways to Stimulate Proactive Attitude

As part of the proactive management process, you need to stimulate proactive attitude in your work force.

Stephen R.Covey says- 'Look at the word “response-ability”—the ability to choose your response. Highly proactive people recognize that responsibility.'

How do you bring in proactive attitude?

Proactive behaviour is the First Result of Self Improvement.

Accountability

Accountability stimulates proactivity. If the accountability is low, one tends to blame other factors to protect his image and avoids being proactive. In a high accountability environment, since there is no chance to blame external factors, one does not face additional risk of being proactive.

There were two channels of promotion in our company- one was the time bound promotion (TBP) and the other, performance based.
In TBP, you get upgraded to the next level or grade automatically once you complete four years in the previous grade, irrespective of your performance, unless of course you are utterly hopeless.
But in performance based scheme, if your performance is above certain level for two consecutive years (as assessed by your boss and his boss), you are eligible for promotion if you completed at least two years in the present grade. You had to face personal interview to get selected.

The schemes were running fine. Many were genuinely proactive and worked hard to get faster promotions. But, some managed it by being selfishly proactive and manipulating the bosses. Because of these unethical activities, some unrest was created and the second scheme of faster promotions was removed. The net result was, we rarely came across proactive people since horses were treated in line with donkeys.

Don’t remove a good scheme because some one misused it.
Instead, prevent or minimize misuse.

Materialistic stimulators also bring in proactivity.
If you evaluate proactive workers more favourably and give awards, promotions or higher salaries, it encourages others also to be proactive. The behaviour is not based on their core values, but it helps in building those core values, which promote proactivity.

Proactive employees are considered as charismatic leaders and people look up to them for motivation and guidance. This positive response from others makes people more proactive.

People need motivation, intelligence, expertise and creativity to anticipate a situation and grab it as an opportunity.
Motivate people. Be a good example of proactive behaviour.
Narrow the gap between what you preach and what you practise.
Provide opportunities that improve expertise and creativity of your team members.

In proactivity- you tend to make mistakes and what you anticipated may not turn out to be 100% correct. But that is the risk you have to take since you don't get anywhere in life without taking risks. You move forward only when you 'stick your neck out'.
Encourage risk taking.
Don’t view mistakes too seriously. If you do, it will discourage them. But, make sure people learn from mistakes and don’t repeat them.

Success and proactivity go together. Impress upon your team that ‘proactivity is not the characteristic only a few fortunate individuals are blessed with. It is a way of anticipating situations and acting appropriately, taking responsibility for one’s own growth and for making things happen. It can be developed and strengthened. It is a part of one’s self improvement process.’

Even though proactive attitude is inbuilt, in the process of proactive management, you can stimulate development of core values into the individual and help him to be proactive.

What are the benefits of Proactive behaviour?

Proactivity examples

How you can be Proactive at Workplace?

Return from Proactive Attitude to Proactivity

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