Proactive Thinking in the Workplace

Are you a proactive or reactive thinker? Do you react to events that occur around you, or do you take the initiative to prepare for, participate in, and/or control those events?

A proactive approach can be helpful in many areas of life, including the workplace. Anticipating change and taking the necessary steps to deal with it can help avert a crisis. A reactive approach, on the other hand, involves reacting to change or crisis after it happens.

Chrissy Scivicque, author of How Nourishing is Your Career?, has outlined five key behaviors involved in being proactive:

· Predict – develop foresight and anticipate future outcomes
· Prevent – take control of potential obstacles to overcome them (before they turn into roadblocks)
· Plan – look ahead and anticipate long-term consequences (avoid “here and now” thinking)
· Participate – get involved: be an active participant, not an idle observer
· Perform – take timely, effective action: don’t procrastinate!

While it is important, as Ms. Scivicque states, to use your imagination to anticipate possible future outcomes, it is equally important to avoid overthinking. If you find yourself spending too much time ruminating over the what-ifs and worrying about possible future events, resolve to take action. Knowing when to think and when to act, and finding a balance between the two, will ultimately be very beneficial.

As always, we love to hear from our readers. Do you engage in proactive or reactive thinking in the workplace? Has overthinking been a problem for you? Any strategies for balancing thinking and acting? We would love to hear your suggestions.