How to Take Initiative at Work: Seeing the Big Picture
The biggest mistake in life is to think that you work for someone else. True, you may have a boss and you may collect a paycheck from a company but, ultimately,you are master of your own destiny1. You decide what potential you reach in your career and what you will eventually accomplish2 in your life.
Regardless of your circumstances, you can make a difference. This is particularly true at your current workplace. Every day you have the chance to excel3, to stand out4, and to be exceptional.You can make a suggestion to improve a product or service or to better serve your customers. You can identify an opportunity to save money or pursue a new idea or innovation5. You can help a coworker do his or her job better or learn a new skill that you can use for the rest of your life.
It all comes down to initiative6, that is, taking action to get some thing done at work without waiting for your boss to tell you what to do or when and how to do it.
SEEING THE BIG PICTURE
To be able to take initiative in your job you first need to see how you and your position relate to the
larger scheme7 of things at work. In most jobs this role is not explicitly8 explained, so you need to investigate how you fit into your organization's overall operation. Ask yourself:
Why was my job created? Most jobs are created to help with some pressing need of the organization: better or faster service, lower costs, fewer problems, improved opportunities. If you can understand the initial needs for your position, you will be better able to consistently address these needs and go beyond them.
How does my job relate to others in the organization?Whom do you interact9 with everyday? Whom do you support, and who are the people who support you? How can you make your manager's job easier? Questions like these help you to see the contribution you make in your position and how you can expand it.
What opportunities to contribute to the organization exist in my job? Every job provides unique opportunities for the employee who looks for them.Consider the problems in your department. What part do you play in the process? What areas of operation do you get to observe? Knowing how you contribute to your organization can give you the leverage10 to do even more to help.
How is my job linked to the organization's objectives?By defining your position in terms of the goals and objectives of the organizations, you can increase your worth to it. How does your position impact the mission of the organization? How does the customer benefit from the job you do? How does the organization make or save money based on your performance? Once you see your role in the big picture, you are better able to take the initiative to do those things that can best help
The biggest mistake in life is to think that you work for someone else. True, you may have a boss and you may collect a paycheck from a company but, ultimately,you are master of your own destiny1. You decide what potential you reach in your career and what you will eventually accomplish2 in your life.
Regardless of your circumstances, you can make a difference. This is particularly true at your current workplace. Every day you have the chance to excel3, to stand out4, and to be exceptional.You can make a suggestion to improve a product or service or to better serve your customers. You can identify an opportunity to save money or pursue a new idea or innovation5. You can help a coworker do his or her job better or learn a new skill that you can use for the rest of your life.
It all comes down to initiative6, that is, taking action to get some thing done at work without waiting for your boss to tell you what to do or when and how to do it.
SEEING THE BIG PICTURE
To be able to take initiative in your job you first need to see how you and your position relate to the
larger scheme7 of things at work. In most jobs this role is not explicitly8 explained, so you need to investigate how you fit into your organization's overall operation. Ask yourself:
Why was my job created? Most jobs are created to help with some pressing need of the organization: better or faster service, lower costs, fewer problems, improved opportunities. If you can understand the initial needs for your position, you will be better able to consistently address these needs and go beyond them.
How does my job relate to others in the organization?Whom do you interact9 with everyday? Whom do you support, and who are the people who support you? How can you make your manager's job easier? Questions like these help you to see the contribution you make in your position and how you can expand it.
What opportunities to contribute to the organization exist in my job? Every job provides unique opportunities for the employee who looks for them.Consider the problems in your department. What part do you play in the process? What areas of operation do you get to observe? Knowing how you contribute to your organization can give you the leverage10 to do even more to help.
How is my job linked to the organization's objectives?By defining your position in terms of the goals and objectives of the organizations, you can increase your worth to it. How does your position impact the mission of the organization? How does the customer benefit from the job you do? How does the organization make or save money based on your performance? Once you see your role in the big picture, you are better able to take the initiative to do those things that can best help
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