Next time you wanna yell “Grow up!” to anyone around…

… just take a deep breath and yell “Grow your initiative!” to yourself.

Have you ever assigned a task to someone, who keeps coming back to you for guidance at every single step of the way- no matter how small or simple it is? Have you ever spent a full hour explaining a vision, or strategy, doing your very best to paint the majestic, big picture- only to find a colleague obsessing about having a detailed, exact set of instructions at their disposal? Have you ever felt tired of your phone ringing about matters that can be solved just by applying plain logic?

On the other side of the river, have you ever felt overwhelmed, desperately trying to find out what it is that you’re supposed to do to efficiently deliver? Do you struggle every time you are left “unattended”, without the constant confirmation of a superior, hoping that your laptop could provide constant feedback- or that fairy godmother would appear to offer advice?

And on whichever side of the river you are, who is to blame? Well, we have what is always both bad and good news: it’s you. You, and your lack of initiative.

Who wants to take the initiative and explain what initiative is?

According to the Cambridge dictionary, initiative refers to “the ability to use our judgment to make decisions and do things without needing to be told what to do”. Initiative is a soft skill that provides the proper basis to help us grow in every aspect of our life.

Being able to take initiative when needed and therefore assess the situations is not always an easy task. It sure takes time and effort, but it can indeed be practiced and achieved. Even better- if enhanced and developed at a young age, initiative can become a constant part of your whereabouts- no matter what any current challenge you’re dealing with is about.

What are the benefits of being an initiative person? Numerous. Initiative is a self-management skill, which is a key skill for young professionals (Rawlings, 2016). In the work field, being initiative most of the time automatically can make us desirable candidates for any job position, because it shows that a) we can think for ourselves, b) constantly grow. This way, we can identify opportunities and make the best out of them, a process that promotes personal growth (Rawlings, 2016).

But of course, we should always remember that although being initiative is a strong asset, as everything, if we overdo it, it can lead to mistakes that could have been avoided. Having self- awareness and prior knowledge while being initiative enough to try something new, is the perfect combination to success.