If you're listening to this podcast, I know you already DO have initiative, but this episode is not about the everyday run-of-the-mill initiative. You only get so much energy every day, so I want you to use it well. This episode will focus on the best way for you to use that initiative so that you get noticed in a positive light and so your senior leadership begins to see you as a high potential for executive positions.

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If you’re listening to this podcast, I know you already DO have initiative – but this episode is not about the everyday run-of-the-mill initiative. You only get so much energy every day, so I want you to use well. This episode will focus on the best way for you to use that initiative so that you get noticed in a positive light and so your senior leadership begins to see you as a high-potential for executive positions.

To be successful in any workplace, one of the most important attributes you need to have is initiative. This quality will set you apart from the others and show senior leadership that you are willing to go above and beyond. But what is initiative exactly? And how can you display it so that both your direct supervisor and the most senior level or your organization notices you? I don’t know if you have thought about this, so I want to point it out: it is possible to take the initiative in ways that no one around you needs or even notices. It’s possible to spend hours or days working on something that no one needs or even really cares about. This is one of the possible reasons if you have been hustling behind the scenes and feel like you’re killing it – without anyone noticing – you might be in this situation. In this episode today, this is exactly what we will zoom in on.

Initiative is the ability to see what needs to be done and then take action to do it. It is about being proactive and not waiting for someone else to tell you what to do. Initiative is a critical quality that all employers look for in their employees. It makes sense why initiative would be so crucial in the workplace. Initiative, executed in a focused way, often leads to positive outcomes for you and the company. It’s taking charge of a situation and not waiting for someone else to do it.

I believe some of the challenge is realizing where the best opportunities are to start to use your energy on the efforts that will make a big impact for the customers you love and so that your leadership notices. How do you find the things that need to be done, the things no one else is already doing, and the things that make a difference to the executive team?

For those of you who get my weekly newsletter, I recommended a book in it a few weeks ago, titled, “Impact Players” by Liz Wiseman, this book is the perfect complement to this episode. In it she talks about just this problem – how to find these chances to lean in and take the initiative.

So, picture this, you heard about some strategic changes that are coming to your organization. You start to assume they are going to downsize your division and take your star performers to lead other strategic priorities in the command.

Try this instead:

In her book, Liz Wiseman says you should “Reframe Threats as Opportunities. You can use cognitive reframing to help you see opportunity in otherwise threatening situations. (Cognitive reframing is a psychological technique to identify, challenge, and change the way a situation is viewed.) Changing deeply engrained beliefs, especially when fear is involved, may require deep work and the help of a coach or therapist. However, with practice, reframing situations can become as simple as changing the filters on a photo taken on a smart phone; for example, swapping the noir filter with a vivid option.

Use these four steps to help you reframe threats as opportunities:

1. Recognize ambiguity. Watch for the situations fraught with uncertainty and difficulty in which Impact Players tend to think and respond radically differently from others. These five situations (messy problems, unclear roles, unforeseen obstacles, moving targets, and unrelenting burdens) can serve as signals to pause and check which lens you are using.

2. Check your lens. Pay attention to your thoughts and reactions. Check for signs that you are looking at the situation through a threat lens, by using either the chart here titled “The Threat Lens” or the following questions. Am I concerned primarily with the downside risks rather than the upside possibilities? Am I pulling inward rather than looking outward? Do I believe that I lack ability, power, or resources rather than see sufficient levels of capability and resources in myself?

3. Reframe the situation. Consider what the situation would look like through an opportunity lens. Identify the situation that currently feels threatening to you and ask: How would an Impact Player see this as an opportunity to add value? How can this have a positive impact on my own goals? What capabilities and resources can I tap into to navigate the inherent ambiguity?

4. Replace with an opportunity lens. Now consider what you would do differently if you saw this situation as an opportunity. You can use the chart titled “The Opportunity Lens” to identify the Impact Player beliefs and practices to employ or simply ask: As I look through the opportunity lens, what beliefs and behaviors naturally follow?

Reframing uncertainty as opportunity will help you act boldly, yet simply reframing a situation may not be enough. These situations often involve legitimate peril (at least professionally), so you’ll want to take the risk out of otherwise risky situations.

Changing our response to situations beyond our control begins with reframing how we view and interpret stressful situations. Changing our perspective and our lens allows us to see clearly and take the right path.

Following are five of the best ways to demonstrate initiative at work:

1. Look for ways to improve your job or department: initiative is about being proactive and looking for opportunities to improve the company or department that you work in. It shows that you are motivated and desire to make things better. One way to do this is to look for ways to streamline processes or create efficiencies within your department. If you can find ways to make your department run more smoothly, senior leadership will notice it.

2. Another way to show initiative is to develop new ideas that could benefit the company as a whole. If you have an idea for a new product or service, speak up! Senior leaders want to hear from their employees, and they are more likely to take action on an idea that comes from within the company.

3. Be a problem solver: initiative is also about being a problem solver. If you see a problem in your department or company, come up with a solution! This shows that you are resourceful and can think on your feet. It also shows that you care about the company and want to see it succeed.

4. Be a team player: initiative is not just about working independently. It is also about being a team player and collaborating with others. If you can show that you are a team player willing to work with others to achieve common goals, you will stand out from the crowd.

5. Take initiative on projects: another way to demonstrate initiative at work is to take on additional projects or responsibilities. If you see that a project needs to be done, volunteer to do it! This shows that you are willing to go above and beyond your regular job duties. It also shows that you are eager to learn new things and take on challenges.

All of these are great ways to demonstrate initiative at work. So start thinking about ways to take the initiative in your job and start making a difference today!

One more nugget from the Impact Player Book – Liz Wiseman had some tips for elevating your contribution, once you do take the initiative.

These Tips are one way to help others see the impact of your contribution:

• Provide an FYI. Let other people know what you’ve done to make their work easier. Don’t overdo the details; just let them know what they don’t need to worry about because you’re on the job.

• Add a surprise. Do more than is expected of you; people will take notice. Innovate and share. Improve a process, then share the innovation with your colleagues or group. Your work will be recognized, and your colleagues will benefit too.

• Share evidence of success. Periodically share the compliments and kudos you receive (or have your customers and collaborators share it directly), or simply let people know what you’ve done—not with self-promotion but just the plain facts.

• Build champions. Build mutually supportive relationships with your peers and stakeholders. Champion one another’s successes and talk each other up to your shared stakeholders.

• Promote the work, not yourself. Separating your sense of self from your work makes it more comfortable to share (and hear) news of success.

In the Harvard Business Review, I read an article titled: “When to Take Initiative at Work, and When Not To” by Sharon K. Parker and Ying (Lena) Wang. In this article they discussed the importance of your idea aligning with organizational goals. They said:

If an idea doesn’t align with your key strategy or the larger mission of your organization, it is likely to be a waste of time and resources.

To demonstrate, this, they wrote about a hypothetical scenario (one which is not uncommon in many of the workplaces we researched). Ivan, the head of new product development, attends a networking event and learns that open floor plans are trending. Excited about how this layout might promote collaboration among departments, he persuades his boss to remodel an entire floor of their building. The cost is significant. But, unfortunately, many staff find the new layout rife with problems, namely constant noise and distractions. Many apply to be relocated to a different floor. If Ivan had paid more attention to the tasks his staff carry out day-to-day — work that requires high levels of concentration and focus — he could have more wisely concentrated his efforts on optimizing the original floor plan for productivity.

CONCLUSION

Now that you know some of the best ways to show initiative at work, in a way that will really matter - it’s time to put your knowledge into practice. Remember, always aim to stand out from the rest by taking action and being proactive. I’d love to hear your secret to showing initiative in a way that gets positive attention? I’d love to hear from you!