The ability to be "ProActive" at work is considered by recruiters to be one of the most desirable traits. As many as 87% of companies look among applicants for someone who possesses this specific quality.
The latest research shows that we should be careful what we wish for, or at least we should phrase that wish more precisely. A "ProActive" attitude is important, but in the workplace, the ability to recognize the right moment to initiate our action is far more valuable. There is, after all, a huge difference between employees who intelligently direct the work of a team and those who, while trying to take control, become too pushy and encounter passive resistance.
Psychologists from the University of Bonn and the University of Florida asked supervisors how employees use the opportunity to demonstrate their own initiative and under what circumstances their efforts produce positive results. Research published in the Journal of Management showed that only those employees achieved success who, thanks to social intuition, made use of the circumstances that presented themselves.
Professor Gerhard Blickle from the Institute of Psychology at the University of Bonn advises that anyone who undertakes to show their own initiative should first make sure that their conduct is desirable at that particular moment. Employees should be cautious when taking actions that are not part of their duties and should communicate their intentions precisely. Otherwise, they may be seen as overly zealous, and their commitment will bring the opposite of the intended effect. Consequently, this means that the proper identification of favorable factors and the ability to read a situation are the basic conditions that must be met in order to act skillfully and effectively in teamwork – says Blickle.
The ability to take one's own initiative is crucial in the case of entrepreneurs and self-employed people, but in the case of teamwork the situation is somewhat more complicated. Nevertheless, the extra effort often pays off, because its consistent and effective results can ultimately lead to a raise and a promotion.
