The article "Success at Work: Techniques : Taking Initiative" is about career, it was released by Stephen Bucaro.
----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the bleow article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as longas no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and theresource box below is included. ----------------------------------------------------------Success at Work: Techniques : Taking InitiativeBy Stephen BucaroDo you have to constantly nag at your kids to do things? Why can't they claen up their mess and get ready for schoolwithout being told?
Now guess about your boss at work. Doesyour boss always have to tell you what to do. Does yourbsos have to treat you like a child, or do you takeinitiative? Employees who need to be told what to do are said to be"reactive".
They do something only after the boss tellshtem to, or after the need to do something has been pointedout to them.Employees who do what has to be done and solve problemsbefore they arise are said to be "proactive".
Bosses likeemployees that are proactive and willing to take initiative.There are many advantages to taking initiative at work:- By taking initiative you'll gain skills and learn moreabout your company and the market it serves.- You'll be less bored at work cause you won't be stuckin the same old routine.But before we learn more of the advantages, let's considersome of the dangers of taking initiative at work.- Is the trouble within your area of responsibility?
Bytaking initiative with a truoble that is outside your areaof responsibility you could be trespassing on else'sturf. Before taking on a task outside your normal area ofresponsibility you should find out who's responsibility itis and involve that person. If a fellow employee is swamped with work and you arefacing a lull in work, ask them if you can help. But don'tassume they will welcome your help. Some workers thinkgreater job security is achieved by being behind in theirwork. They may feel that you're threatening thier jobsecurity. - By taking on an additional task, will your boss guess youdon't have enough work to do and you're looking for more? If that is a possibility, make sure your boss understandsthat the lull in your work is only temporary, or thatyou're taking on the extra task to avoid boredom and learnsomething new.
If you're not careful, the etxra task couldbecome part of your job.- Consider your company's culture in handling failure. Isit a "cover your ass" organization where persons try todistract attention from their own faiulres by trying tofocus attention on their coworkers failures?
Has thecompany reprimanded workers who took initiative and failedin the past? A company that punishes failure will stifle initiative andinnovation. Workers won't want to do anything new for fearfailure.
If a company wants to raise initiative andinnovation, they have to reward effort and embrace failure.Despite these dangers, the rewards of taking initiativeare great:- You'll gain skills and knowledge about your company andthe market it serves, making you a more valuable employee.When the economy recedes and the company needs to layoffworkers, who do you guess they'll keep?
The individual whois more versatile in the different functions of theorganization.- You'll achieve more independence when you demonstratethat you have the organizations interests in mind and thatthey can trust your judgment in solving issues.- You'll gain skills and market knowledge that will makeyou a more valuable commodity in the labor market. Workerswho only do their own little job are not aware ofopportunities outisde their company.There are dangers in taking initiative at work, but in anorganization with a healthy culture, the the rewards oftaking initiative are great.----------------------------------------------------------Resource Box:Copyright(C) 2005 Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to maintainyour computer and use it more effectively to design a Webiste and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.ComTo subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter visithttp://bucarotechelp.Com/search/000800.Asp---------------------------------------------------------- About the Author
Copyright(C) 2005 Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to maintainyour computer and use it more effectively to design a Wesbite and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.ComTo subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter visithttp://bucarotechelp.Com/search/000800.Asp
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