Career Club Newsletter

I love when people show initiative. Recently I received an email from a staff member who not only identified a gap in a process, but provided a suggestion of how it could be fixed and volunteered to make it happen. I thought “WOW, this is great!” Taking initiative gets noticed, especially when done in a collaborative way. How can you show initiative at work?

Contribute: Are you social? Join the social committee, or create one if it does not exist. Participating in events or committees demonstrates interest and commitment in your workplace. 

Bring forward a new idea or suggestion for improvement: No one likes to listen to problems; however, bringing forward a problem with a suggested solution is constructive. Provide your boss ideas for projects or improvements or volunteer to bring a group together to solve a problem.

Put your hand up: Be the first to say ‘I’ll do it’ when help is needed. Take initiative to do even the smallest things such as taking notes at a meeting. Putting yourself forward will open up more situations for you and you never know what will expose you to new people or important clients.

Ask questions: Sometimes we feel awkward asking questions, but it is better to be clear about what we need to do. Asking questions gives you an opportunity to learn. Having a sense of curiosity and humility will help you learn from your boss, colleagues and clients.

Do some research: Knowledge really is power. Take the initiative to learn about your industry or sector. Find the important associations or professional groups that are connected to your work or your clients and learn more about what is going on in the external environment.

What will you do this month to demonstrate your initiative?

I am very pleased to be speaking at  a Women of Influence event on Wednesday February 23, 2011 from 6-8 pm in downtown Toronto. We are going to talk about moving up and career path success. I will also be speaking at a StaffWorks corporate event in March on the topic of “Conflict, Interrupted”.

I’d love your feedback or ideas on topics for this newsletter. Drop me a line at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .