Taking Initiative in the Workplace

I have been working at my internship for a few weeks now. I have been assigned to a team that is working on a long-term project that interests me, and I looked forward to collaborating with them. However, since I’ve been here, I’ve only been asked to make copies of research reports and read the local newspapers each day to look for possible connections to the project. I want to contribute more effectively and fully to make the project a success, but I don’t know how to ask for what I want. How can I become more involved in the project?

It is true that a company or team may not immediately trust you with larger tasks in the projects they’re working on—they only just met you, and you may lack direct experience in their field.

But you can still advocate for your own professional development in the workplace to add both value to their work and valuable experience to your own professional path.

You can take initiative.

Taking initiative means that you are proactive rather than only reactive. For instance, when asked to make copies, there isn’t much room for you to say, “No, I’d actually rather work on research with the team because I think I’d be a valuable asset.” You really only have room to be reactive, say yes, and make the copies.

However, if you take a proactive approach to your challenge, you can cause positive change to occur in your workplace. But, you may ask, how do I know how and when to act? You can ask yourself, have I taken the time to understand what the core challenge is? If you don’t see a need properly, you cannot fill the need properly.

So, observe! Part of your experience is guided, purposeful curiosity. Get curious. Ask questions. Watch and learn from what you have seen. Think ahead, identify areas of shared purpose. Once you have a sense of what the core challenge is, you can then bring a solution to the table.

For example, if you notice that the team seems to be struggling to compile all of their research into a cohesive written report for their long-term project, you have observed a problem the team is facing. But what is the core challenge at play here? It could be that they lack a member of the team who has the resources, including time, to help the team communicate effectively.

You may then reflect on your experience during your undergraduate work compiling lots of information into a ten-page, compact paper. You’ve observed, identified a core challenge, and now you have a possible solution to propose.

You can then approach your priority relationship at an appropriate moment and say, “I’ve noticed that there is a need to communicate the project’s results effectively by creating a cohesive written report. I can see that all the team members are currently engaged in their other tasks. I have experience making sense of information in written reports before. Can I work on filling this need in the team so the project can be a success?”

Taking initiative can be scary. We get it, we’ve been there. But the results can be internship-changing and career-defining. Being your own best advocate for your own professional development is vital to achieving your professional goals.

Not sure if you are showing initiative or not? Here are some good questions to ask yourself as you assess your ability to take initiative in the workplace.

• Do I offer suggestions or comments in meetings that are relevant and meaningful?
• Have I asked my supervisor for extra assignments?
• If I have asked for extra assignments, have I asked for ones that are specifically geared toward my abilities, or abilities I would like to develop?
• If a problem arises, what do I do? Do I take it immediately to my supervisor as a problem for them to solve, or do I consider possible solutions to discuss with them?
• Do I seek for active, open, and purposeful communication with my supervisor?

Written by Abby Thatcher, College of Humanities Experiential Learning Team

Abby Thatcher has been taking initiative with increasing success since Fall 2019, when she interned with the Scottish Parliament. Since January of 2020, she has worked with the College of Humanities as a Cohort Leader and competency expert in establishing expectations and developing effective communication skills. To read more about Abby’s experience working with the Scottish Parliament, check out her story here.