How to improve your proactivity and motivation at work

Do you know what it is to be proactive? It is one of the most valued qualities in companies and, whenever we go to a job interview, how do they try to identify it in us. When we talk about a proactive professional, we are talking about creativity, motivation to achieve business objectives and for one’s own growth within the organization and, ultimately, having their own initiative to boost productivity by adopting measures that come from the worker himself.

Is proactivity born or made?

If you have ever wondered how to be more proactive or how it is that some of your colleagues are always seen with a good predisposition and energy in their position, surely several factors are influencing them. Some are innate and others, not so much.

In general, proactive people share qualities like these:

• They are autonomous.
• They have a strong sense of responsibility.
• They are empathetic, which makes them good at teamwork.
• They have initiative and focus on action.
• They are outgoing and confident.
• They don’t have such a hard time making decisions quickly or pivoting.
• They tend to have a positive attitude in moments of crisis or better visualize opportunities.
• They are creative, which helps them come up with alternative solutions when something is not achieved in the conventional way.
• They know how to organize their time.

Surely you also have many of these qualities, but if there is one in which you are not so strong, the good news is that you can work on it in your day to day.

On the other hand, if you decide to set a goal to improve your proactivity at work, you should know that the key to this is motivation since when a person is highly motivated by their own interests, they move towards their goals on their own. This can be intrinsic or extrinsic, let’s see what each one consists of.  

Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, would you know how to differentiate them?

Intrinsic motivation refers to the internal and personal drive that arises from the satisfaction and pleasure we get from doing an activity itself. In other words, we are motivated by enjoyment, curiosity, or an inherent interest in the activity. The reward comes from within ourselves.

On the other hand, extrinsic motivation stems from external factors and is not directly related to the activity itself. Instead of seeking internal satisfaction, we are motivated by external rewards or consequences, such as prizes, recognition, money, or avoiding punishment.

As you can see, the ideal way to maintain or increase your productivity at work is to activate your intrinsic motivation, since, in this way, you will not depend on external factors to feel good in your position.

What can you do to improve your proactivity at work?

Although motivation is the key to being proactive, and this is achieved, fundamentally, with a job that you like, with which you feel fulfilled, in which there is a good atmosphere among colleagues and with which you feel satisfied with the conditions; you too can do your part to feel more proactive.

Do this for 21 days and create the habit of proactivity:

• Set clear goals: Define specific goals and objectives that you would like to achieve in your work. This will help you have a sense of direction and motivate you to take action to achieve them.
• Anticipate and plan – Identify potential obstacles or problems that may arise in your work and plan how to address them in advance. This will allow you to be prepared and act quickly when they arise.
• Take the initiative – don’t wait to be told what to do. Identify areas for improvement, propose ideas and solutions, and take the initiative to implement positive changes in your work.
• Prioritize Tasks – Learn how to prioritize your tasks and allocate the right time and resources to them. This will help you focus on the most important activities and prevent urgent tasks from distracting you from your long-term goals.
• Organize your time – Use time management techniques, such as the Pomodoro Technique, to work more productively and efficiently. Divide your time into blocks and spend focused periods on specific tasks, avoiding distractions.
• Learn to say “no”: Learn to set limits and say “no” when necessary. If your workload is too high or if a task isn’t aligned with your goals, it’s important to be able to decline or delegate appropriately.
• Encourage proactive communication – Communicate proactively with your team and superiors. Share your ideas, concerns and suggestions for improvement in an open and constructive way. This will help drive change and create a collaborative environment.
• Learn from mistakes: Instead of seeing mistakes as failures, see them as a learning opportunity. Analyze your mistakes, identify how to improve and apply that knowledge in future situations.
• Keep a Positive Attitude – Cultivate a positive attitude towards your work and the tasks you do. Stay focused on solutions and don’t be discouraged by obstacles. A positive attitude will help you maintain motivation and proactivity.

And speaking of motivation… We hope that this post has helped you to continue growing and fighting for your goals with enthusiasm and proactivity. We are waiting for you in the next entry of Educa.Pro!