From the course: Mistakes You Should Avoid at Work
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Lacking initiative or showing too much
From the course: Mistakes You Should Avoid at Work
Lacking initiative or showing too much
- As I've worked on teams inside of many companies, one common mistake I've seen individuals make is lacking initiative or showing too much. Initiative is one of those rare qualities that manages to be seen as both a positive and a negative trait in the workplace, depending on the situation. Researcher Donald Campbell referred to this as the initiative paradox, as he puts it, "Employees are expected to use independent judgment and initiative and simultaneously expected to think and act like their bosses." So how are you supposed to know when to show initiative and when to just keep your head down? Unfortunately, the answer to that is of course it depends, but the most important thing is to respect the company culture. Is this an environment where initiative is encouraged or were you given a large set of rules and processes that you were expected to follow to the letter? Understanding your environment can help prevent…
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