Showing Initiative

An initiative is the first in a series of actions. Initiative can also mean a personal quality that shows a willingness to get things done and take responsibility.

Taking initiative means thinking proactively about tasks— not just to check them off a list, but to get them done well. It's about going the extra mile on the basic tasks assigned, thinking through complications, and taking on work before someone asks you to. Taking initiative means noticing

Makes you stand out from the rest of the competition

Builds confidence in your professional life and personal life Helps with problem-solving Boosts happiness and job satisfaction for you and your workplace Creates better critical thinking and problem-solving skills Improves your chances for promotions and career growth Strengthens your relationship with your team members

Speak up during team meetings

Request constructive criticism and feedback on your work Tackle problems without being asked

Step in when someone needs help, and ask about team progress

Internal: It's all about building confidence and experience and finding your voice. You have helpful skills and perspectives to offer in your workplace. Asking questions when you're confused doesn’t make you look bad or lazy. It shows that you’re engaged and willing to be a team player and overcome your challenges.

External: Use your confidence to speak up and be willing to lead. If a team member or supervisor seems to be throwing up obstacles or putting you down, you need to address it.

Step 1: Prepare a story and divide it in several fragments.

Step 2: All the participants receive the story already split in several pieces. Their objective is to find the correct sequence and to do it they have to start to collaborate between them, making assumptions.

Step 3: Debriefing, discuss about the way they found the solutions and the approach they used between them.

The aim of the game is to pass small to medium-sized balls from one participant to another in the shortest possible time. Once a good time has been achieved, the second challenge is to halve the previous time, which means that each participant must think of a different, faster way to pass the balls.

The objective of this exercise is to show the initiative of the singular person thanks to a constant challenge and to encourage them to share their intuitions to solve the game in perfect cooperation.