Challenges of the Remote-Age: Proactivity

Proactivity Vs. Reactivity:

Proactivity is the forward-thinking, initiative-taking skill which often allows an individual to foresee a problem, circumstance or opportunity before it has even become one. A proactive individual is typically one that is reflective (they think about what’s happened before and what could happen again) and they appear on top of everything (...and very often are - by thinking ahead, they put the necessary steps in place long before they need to).

The opposite of proactivity is reactivity. Contrary to the above, the reactive person is just about keeping their head above water, and they often appear to be putting out fires on a day-to-day basis. In adopting this trait and style of working, it often leaves them with little time to focus on wider projects or professional development.

Why Be Proactive?

As with all of the articles in the ‘Challenges of the Remote-Age’ series, I encourage you to increase your understanding of what is within your locus of control, and use that to your advantage to be your best self.

I see proactivity as very much within reach. By being proactive and taking initiative, you can make good things happen, rather than waiting for an opportunity to land in your lap. By proactively thinking about a business problem in the organisation in which you work, identifying a much-needed gap in the market, or by reflecting on a personal area for development and acting on that, the scope of control will appear to widen, in what I call an ‘upward spiral’.

For lots of people, however, being proactive in a remote world is challenging, as we don’t have the visibility we used to have in the office. We don’t make spontaneous relationships whilst making a coffee, we don’t overhear interesting conversations about a business problem, we don’t catch a glimpse of a project meeting taking place. In consequence, a lot of these exciting opportunities for progression and development can pass us by if we remain passive or reactive on a day-to-day basis.

In this article, I will outline strategies, tips and an overall mindset to approach each working (and non-working) day, to maximise opportunity and output, and to get the most out of all aspects of your life.

Building a Personal Culture of Responsibility

Taking ownership of your circumstances is important - if there’s something you don’t like in your life, make an effort to change it if it sits within your locus of control.

Take hating January for example...I am honestly puzzled when someone tells me they hate a whole month. Why not take the bull by the horns and make a conscious decision to choose to enjoy it. You might not have any trips planned, you might have spent up over Christmas, whilst indulging in food and making a couple too many glasses of wine a day second nature...in which case, why not use January as a time to focus on your health, proactively contribute to your savings or pick up a simple hobby or sport that you look forward to on an evening.

The same goes for hating weekdays - if you don’t like them, that’s on you...think specifically about what it is that you don’t like, and do something about it.

January accounts for one twelfth of the year, every year, whilst weekdays account for almost three-quarters of the week. These are just a couple of examples, but you get where I’m going with this. Over a lifetime, it’s quite a large quantity of days to dislike because you were reactive to the time of the week, time of the year. Instead, why not take ownership of that time, and proactively make a plan that you’re looking forward to.

Proactivity Quick Tips for the Workplace:

Taking ownership and accountability of your journey is an important approach to life generally. When it comes to maximising output and opportunity in the workplace, apply the above mindset, paired with the below strategies for a win-win proactive approach.

🔥 Know Yourself.

• Be aware of your superpower and strengths at work - that way, you will know where you can add value to a project or piece of work.

• Proactively put yourself forward for projects that you are interested in and passionate about. Use the knowledge of your superpower and strengths to be specific in what you will bring to the project and how you plan to have impact.

🔥 Network.

• Get to know people outside of your department on a personal level by putting remote coffee meetings in the diary.

• Build on those relationships to find out more about different projects that are going on.

• If you’re interested in a part of the business, meet up with people in that team, put yourself forward to support them with projects, express your interest in their work and the impact they have on the business. That way, when an opportunity comes up, you’re the first person they think of.

🔥 Go Above and Beyond.

• Develop your skills in time management, prioritisation and efficiency to make you more effective in your role. By working smarter, you free up time during the week to support other projects and develop yourself professionally.

• Don’t just accept that everything is perfect at work. Critically analyse current processes, systems and ways-of-working from a solutions-focused perspective. When addressing the business problem, explain how you plan to solve it and how you will build this into your day-to-day role and responsibilities.

• When faced with a challenge or opportunity that pushes you outside of your comfort zone, say YES! No rapid development happens without challenge, and the best learning often comes when you are outside of your comfort zone.

Conclusions

Life is what you make it, as is your career, so think about what is important to you, and prioritise these things. Once you enter the space of proactivity, your approach and habits become second nature, and you begin reaping the results through increased visibility, productivity, a growing network and, from my experience, a better quality of life and state of mind.