Being Proactive vs. Reactive in the Workplace

Make the choice to be invaluable. The key differences between an employee who exceeds expectations and the one who meets them.

You are likely to encounter two types of employees in your organization’s workforce, the ones who are content simply meeting expectations and those determined to exceed them. While both possess the ability to accomplish an assigned task, their true value is measured by how much they have to offer their team, colleagues and managers alike. When employees feel comfortable expressing themselves and are satisfied in their work environments, they are more likely to adopt a growth mindset. They start to envision what they would like to accomplish throughout their career and actively think about the steps they’ll need to take to achieve both short-term and long-term goals. These employees are referred to as proactive because they aren’t afraid to take initiative within their roles, leading to a greater payoff. Those with a fixed mindset operate reactively, as they perceive their abilities to be limited with minimal room for development. They fly under the radar, as long as they continue to fulfill their objectives.

An employee’s mindset and attitude towards a role directly correlates to performance. When students are hired into internship roles, they often don’t recognize just how much value they can bring to an organization. Interns are eager to take on projects during their limited time with a company, introduce a fresh perspective, question the status quo, and offer an extra set of hands. However, subconsciously, they feel indebted to the organization for taking a chance on them and can be nervous to bring themselves to the table in the ways they did in their interviews, which got them hired in the first place.

Interns have the most to gain from choosing to overcome their fixed mindset and becoming a proactive team member. Teams in larger firms may hire multiple interns at once or opt to rotate new interns seasonally, so the best way to receive a full-time offer is to make a lasting impression on managers and coworkers.

Don’t be afraid to raise your hand, ask for more work when you finish your task list, offer support to colleagues, have authentic conversations, anticipate team needs, and BE YOURSELF. If you are working remotely, this may seem more challenging, but it can still be done. Take the time to build relationships with team members that you would like to get to know better and learn from, schedule recurring check-ins with your manager, and participate in social events outside of business hours. If you don’t feel like just another number, there is a very high chance that you won’t be treated as one.