Values › Productivity › Proactivity
Core value · Productivity family
Proactivity
Acting before you’re asked
What does proactivity mean as a core value?
Proactivity as a core value means spotting what’s coming and acting on it early, before anyone asks, so issues get handled while they’re still small.
Waiting to be told doesn’t come naturally. If you can see trouble coming, you’d rather deal with it now than explain later why nobody did. You scan ahead: the renewal date, the unhappy client, the family birthday next month. You fill gaps without being asked, and you can get quietly frustrated in cultures where people wait for permission, or where raising something early is treated as making a fuss.
What does proactivity look like in practice?
- You book the dentist, the MOT and the flights before anyone reminds you.
- You draft a solution before raising the issue with your manager.
- You call a quiet customer before they have a chance to complain.
- You notice a new team member looks lost and offer help before they ask.
- You prepare for the question you expect in the meeting, as well as the agenda.
When is proactivity overplayed?
Moving first can mean moving on things that weren’t yours. You might solve challenges others wanted to solve, act on assumptions without checking, or leave colleagues feeling overtaken. It can also make you the one who always picks up the slack, until everyone expects it. At its best, this value sees the issue early and then asks whose it is. Before you jump in next time, you could pause for one quick question: is this mine, or would someone else grow by owning it?
Often confused with
Proactivity vs Responsibility
Responsibility is owning what’s yours. Proactivity reaches beyond what’s been assigned and acts on what nobody has picked up yet.
Proactivity vs Decisiveness
Decisiveness is making a clear choice once a decision is needed. Proactivity is spotting that a decision will be needed before anyone else asks.
Proactivity vs Drive
Drive is the inner push towards a goal. Proactivity is about timing: moving first, before anyone prompts you.
Questions to sit with
- What have you picked up recently that was really someone else’s to handle?
- When has waiting turned out to be the wiser choice?
- What can you see coming right now that you haven’t done anything about yet?
More values in Productivity
Getting things done and keeping momentum.
About the author
Matt Rutherford is a Career and Leadership Coach. The Values Finder is the same exercise he uses with his coaching clients. He also writes Stuff that MattRs, a weekly newsletter with practical ideas to help you think clearer and work better.
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