Proactive workers are in high demand, and it’s easy to understand why. When it comes to creating positive change, these employees don’t need to be told to take initiative.
Research confirms that, compared with their more passive counterparts, proactive people are better performers, contributors, and innovators.
But proactivity can go wrong, as Harvard Business Review writes. Emerging evidence suggests that, if proactivity is not channeled in the right way, it can backfire and have unintended negative consequences for organizations, leaders, team members, and individuals. This dynamic has been labeled the “proactivity paradox”: Proactivity is desired, but only if it conforms exactly to the expectations of the person in charge. For instance, people may initiate the wrong type of change and end up costing their organizations money, or they may have the drive to negotiate a better workload for themselves, but as a result, offload tasks onto others. Such proactive “surprises” can upset peers and leaders, and the resulting backlash often harms the initiator.
After analyzing 95 related studies and conducting employee interviews, Harvard found the key to navigating the fine line between positive proactivity and taking it too far is for employees to manage themselves well and understand that some problems are not theirs to solve. Harvard also found that proactive employees need to fully consider how their actions might affect their colleagues and managers.
Lastly, the research suggests that anyone considering taking up something on their own first make certain the idea aligns with the organization’s goals and mission. If it doesn’t, it’s likely to be a waste of time and resources. Read the full story from Harvard Business Review.
