Taking Initiative discusses the importance of initiative in the workplace. It defines initiative as taking the first step and acting without being told. It provides quotes emphasizing that initiative is key to success and what separates successful companies. Examples are given of people who took initiative at work and achieved career advancement. Common excuses for not taking initiative, such as fear and frustration, are addressed. The document provides tips on how to develop initiative by thinking creatively, preparing well, taking action, and persevering despite challenges. It warns against becoming pushy or obnoxious and stresses the importance of initiative for organizations to function effectively.

1. Taking Initiative
Prepared by: Nezar Gharbia

2. Definition
the action of taking the first step; the ability to think
and act without being urged or told.
Doing what needs to be done and not waiting to be
told what to do.

3. Quotes
 Some people say “needs are mother of all inventions”. In reality
Initiative is the mother of all inventions”. Millions of people had the
need for a light bulb, only Thomas Addison took the initiative to do
something about it.
 "initiative is the principal ingredient for success in the work place."
 compare your company to competition
 you have similar products.
 Similar services.
 Similar technologies
 Similar channels of distribution
 Similar marketing strategies
 So, what makes one company a success while another struggles to
survive. It’s the people and their daily initiatives, energy and
commitment.

4. More Quotes
 Thinking of yourself as a self-employed is an attitude that says, “I
am a business partner; I have integrity and responsibility for
working with the organization and the customer and for attending to
my own personal and professional development”
 “The biggest mistake you can make in life is to think you work for
someone else. “
 We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a
habit.
Aristotle
 Our basic nature is to act, and not be acted upon. enabling us to
choose our response to particular circumstances, this empowers us
to create circumstances. So make a choice Act or be Acted Upon.

5. Examples
While still an admin assistance at Xerox Joanne Griffin
senses opportunity in a project no one wants, directs a
team to implement it and is today a corporate VP of
Enterprise Rent-a-car.
Frustrated by bookmarks that keeps falling out of place,
3M engineer Art Fry created the post-It notes. Today, It
is a $300 million product. 3M, you will recall, is the
company that took a somewhat significant mistake by
one of its inventors--a failed effort to make a super-
strong adhesive--and turned the result, an adhesive that
could be easily applied and then removed, into the sticky-
note industry.

6. Why people do not do it. Common
Excuses
Fear
Frustrations
Failures

7. Fear
 If I do it once - then it becomes my job
 fear that others may think we are overstepping our boundaries
 I might make a mistake
 What needs to be done is not easy
 I am afraid to be fired

8. Frustrations
 I don’t have the authority
 I do not have the support
 I don’t have the skill
 I do not have the time

9. Failure
 I took initiative once and made a mistake
 Someone keeps blocking my efforts
 I constantly Fail when I try to take initiative.

10. Why do it
Your work will become more exciting.
You will see the impact of your actions.
You will learn, grow and develop yourself.
Develop reputation of someone who can get things
done.
Respect of peers and management alike.
Financial rewards.
And ultimately you get to realize your potential and limits.

11. How do you know that you need to take
Initiative
When you know the answer
When it is within the realm of your authority
When it is supporting the team

12. How to do it
Think
Prepare
Act
Persevere

13. Think
Make you job more difficult.
 Expand you responsibilities
 volunteer
Think of how things can be done better. (think outside
the box)
Question authority and the status quote.
Shoot holes in your own plan.
Ask silly questions.
Turn needs into opportunities.
Trust your intuition
Do not be a complainer.

14. Prepare
Learn what you don’t know first
Collect your own data.
Develop options and a plan of actions
Shoot holes in your own plan
Realize no one cares about your ideas, but you.
Caution, Don’t play games at work.

15. Act
Speak up to have influence
Volunteer for difficult assignment
Greet challenges with creativity
Look for the positive in problems
Be a person who makes things happens
Take responsibilities for your actions

16. Persevere
Regroup when your idea meets resistance
Don’t trust your manager, especially his open door
policy.
Persist when obstacles arise
Do the same thing differently
Learn to enjoy Those things that others hate to do.
Avoid the blame game

17. Common mistakes
Becoming pushy.
Becoming obnoxious.
Becoming over aggressive.
Becoming selfish, and not caring.
Becoming a complainer.

18. So what would happen if no one does
it
This is a little story about four people named
Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and
Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that because it was
Everybody's job.
Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but
Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when
Nobody did what Anybody could have done