Author: Mike Urgo
Someone recently asked me, “How do you teach teams and individuals to be proactive?”
The way I see it, proactivity is not just a personal skill. It is also a cultural outcome. People are more likely to think ahead when the environment gives them clarity, protection, and room to plan.
My first instinct was to dive into the individual and start looking for areas where they could improve. But then I stopped. This is bigger than just “teaching” someone to be proactive. Before I look at the individual, the first thing I should do as a leader is look at the environment and culture. Then I need to ask myself what I am doing as a leader to contribute to, or support, that culture and environment.
I have worked in many cultures, especially over the past 10 to 15 years, where the phrase “Do more with less” hits like nails on a chalkboard. When that is the environment someone is working in, it is difficult to expect them to operate proactively. In those cultures, people are usually managing multiple workstreams with stretched bandwidth. They are focused on whatever is on fire, or whatever is going to keep them out of the crosshairs of leadership.
As leaders in those environments, especially when we do not have control over resourcing strategy or budget, I think it is important to do two things. The first is the most difficult: create a priority matrix and/or scoring process to help your team prioritize work. Sometimes the loudest stakeholder is advocating for something that is not actually the biggest priority, and that can pull your team away from the highest-value initiatives. You can help drive proactive thinking by creating a recurring prioritization process that not only involves your team, but is also transparent to stakeholders. This helps set expectations around what is being worked on and why. It also helps your team plan for the week, prepare for what is coming, and understand what work needs to be done.
The second thing is to commit to blocking and tackling. When I hear that phrase, I think of football. For the football fans out there, you understand that a quarterback who has time in the pocket has a far better chance of completing a pass than a quarterback who is constantly under pressure or getting sacked. That is when mistakes happen. The same is true for your employees. It is important to head off overzealous stakeholders where you can, but it is just as important to build trust and a process with your employees so they know you will have their back when they are pressed on a deliverable that was already deemed a lower priority.
So, what about the individual?
Let’s say there is someone on the team who always feels underwater, or who is constantly reacting to things as they come across their desk, regardless of the processes or environment they are working in.
This is tough. It is tough because people who work proactively usually have a certain level of social critical thinking that helps them weigh what needs to be done now and anticipate what may be coming next. They are able to connect patterns based on experiences they have had with different customers, internal processes, and similar situations. It also requires self-awareness. I have found success teaching proactivity by asking questions that help the individual start to recognize the tendencies that may be getting in the way.
Here’s a hypothetical scenario based on some past experiences to illustrate what I mean. When I first started my career, I worked in accounts receivable. At a high level, the job was the perfect introduction to corporate culture. The premise was simple: people bought our services, and it was our job to send the invoices, make sure they were paid, and make sure those payments were applied correctly. Our weeks were extremely structured. Calls on delinquent accounts came first, then we addressed misapplied funds, and finally, we sent out new invoices at the end of the week.
That did not mean anomalies did not pop up throughout the week. Customers would call because an invoice was wrong and needed to be adjusted. Account managers would call because something changed at a site. The employees who struggled in the role addressed things in the order they came into their email. By the end of the week, they would be behind on their calls and maintenance, and they often made mistakes while rushing to send out invoices on Friday.
Those of us who were successful would acknowledge the special requests, but we still got all our calls out on Monday and Tuesday. That proactive rhythm freed up Wednesday and Thursday to focus on the fires that were burning or the requests that needed extra attention. By Friday, that usually meant invoices were sent by lunch, and we were able to help team members or send memes to each other until it was quitting time.
Oftentimes, our peers would ask what we were doing differently. After we explained the process, one of two things would happen. One, they would apply the practice, and eventually they would experience the same benefits of that rhythm. Or two, they would come up with a reason why it did not work for them, or why it was too hard to get all their calls done in two days.
I give this example because one of the hardest things we deal with as leaders is that sometimes people operate within patterns they have built over time. They have an operating rhythm, they have habits, and they have an outlook on the work that may take real effort to change. Many times, they also see themselves as a victim of their circumstances, and there will always be a reason why something cannot be done. As a leader, I do not believe in giving up on someone, but I do believe in matching their effort and enthusiasm for change. As a college hockey coach, I would tell my players that I would coach them as hard as they wanted to be coached. If they did not want the coaching, or were not responding to it, I would dial it back.
But that did not mean they got more playing time or earned a spot on the power play unit. It is the same for the employees I have had the privilege of leading. I will help them through whatever means necessary to improve and get to the level or destination they are trying to reach, so long as they are willing to put in the effort as well.
Being proactive as a person and as an employee takes effort. It takes critical thinking, and it takes self-awareness. It is easier to be reactive, and it is easier to always be “too busy.” It is much harder to stand up to stakeholders and have the discipline to focus your time in the places that add the most value. Ultimately, it is on the individual to decide whether they are going to buy in and put in that effort.
This is where coaching can be incredibly valuable. Sometimes the goal is not to magically turn someone into a different person. It is to help them see their patterns, understand where those patterns are helping or hurting them, and decide what they are willing to do differently.
If this resonated with you, or if you are trying to build more proactive habits in yourself or your team, send me a message. I would be happy to talk through what that could look like.
Send me a message, and let’s talk about what that could look like.
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