When to Be Proactive at Work and When Not to Be

by Viki Adams Freelance Writer

After weeks or maybe even months of applying and interviewing, you've made it to your first day at your brand-new job. Now that you've made it in the door your first thought might be to stand out and try to get ahead. While being proactive has its benefits, it can also backfire, big time. Even though most employers encourage proactive behavior, they can also be turned off by that very same behavior. Let's look further at the pros and cons of being proactive versus reactive at work.

Being Prepared Leads to Success
If you've ever played sports than you've heard the saying 'success is where preparation and opportunity meet'. Not only in the world of sports does that hold true. In the workforce, knowing due dates can help you prepare a game plan towards finishing a project ahead of schedule. Finishing early gives time for feedback and any last-minute changes that need to be made.

Know Yourself
Remember that question during the interview, "What is your biggest weakness?" Hopefully, you gave an honest answer, if you didn't, now would be the time to seriously ponder that question. Knowing who you are helps you see how you stand up against the company’s expectations. This further allows you to make the adjustments needed to be more useful to your employer and therefore more successful.

The Power of Calm
Not preparing for the day can negatively affect your productivity. Odds are that if you haven't prepared for the day, you probably also never did any self-reflection. Toss in other work place factors, issues outside of the job and sometimes just having a "bad luck" kind of day, all these things can compound and now you're stressing out. Although some will swear to thrive in these situations, minimizing stress wherever you can is always a better option.

While following these tips can lead you to years of success with your current or future job, it’s not just enough to follow these tips. There are instances where being proactive can back fire and put you in the hot seat. Let's discuss some of the cons of being proactive.

Delayed Gratification
As discussed earlier, proactive workers are usually operating ahead of schedule, therefore providing them time to assist their co-workers. Not a bad thing, but what happens when that help is unwanted or even ignored entirely? Now take that and multiply it by weeks or months. Your help not being appreciated or even acknowledged can have an effect on your overall productivity over time.

Bad Timing
While most jobs do encourage their employees to speak up and bring concerns and ideas to management, they rarely discuss the procedure to which you should speak up. Not knowing when to broach a subject can turn the tables on your progression and have you on the outs in the hot seat. Just because a green light has been given to speak up, not every opportunity is an automatic green light. It's imperative that a proactive person understands the proper channels, people, and windows of opportunity to broach matters of the job.

Less Reliable Co-Workers
When you're the "man" or the "woman" at your job, you tend to be the go-to person for everything. You're reliable and everyone knows it. While this may help your standing with higher ups, your co-workers could become less and less productive. In the face of adversity everyone will be looking to YOU to deliver a miracle and not trusting in their own skills. That potentially means more work and more stress on your shoulders.

As with most things, there is an upside and a downside. Finding the right balance can help you increase your standing with the higher ups and endear you to your co-workers. Whatever the job is, take your time to get a gist of the entire problem. Using the help of facility management services and their expertise can lead to more productive and well-run facility that see more results than ever before. If the time is right to speak on issues related or non-related, make the proper assessments as to when you should speak.