How to show more initiative at work?
February 15, 2020 6:38 AM Subscribe
A common pattern I've noticed is that my managers tell me that I need to show more initiative. I usually do what's required and do my best at it. How do I break out of this pattern and do what's more than expected?
I've always had issues with motivation, also I don't really like asking managers questions. This isn't a good look and I know it makes me less likely to get a promotion. I'm also working a job right now where I only have about an hour of work everyday and then have nothing to do for the other seven. My manager has noticed this and is constantly at my desk asking if work has slowed down. It's humiliating because she does it in front of everyone. Also I admit to have fallen asleep at work before. I don't know what to do. I just pretend like I'm working hard all the time, it feels dishonest. I feel like I will get fired soon. She hasn't spoken to me about it but I know it could happen. It's just too many snippy passive aggressive comments. However I also recognize that she is not the first to complain about my work ethic and that I seriously need to get a handle on it. I admit that I'm a very passive person and don't mind coasting but I really want to change this about myself. It's embarrassing when people that are five, six years younger than me are being more assertive and more of a go getter than me. Honestly I've never had any disciplinary action for my work ethic, just a few snippy comments here and there. My past managers also didn't want me to leave my job because I am fairly reliable even with the lacking work ethic. Surprisingly they've also offered to give a good reference if I ever wanted to work in the same company, but they still complained about my work ethic. Also, they probably didn't want me to leave because it's just a pain to hire someone else I guess. Anyways I am currently applying to other jobs just in case I get fired from this one at the end of next week for not working. I don't want to repeat the same mistake again. Help a self proclaimed lazy person out.
I've always had issues with motivation, also I don't really like asking managers questions. This isn't a good look and I know it makes me less likely to get a promotion. I'm also working a job right now where I only have about an hour of work everyday and then have nothing to do for the other seven. My manager has noticed this and is constantly at my desk asking if work has slowed down. It's humiliating because she does it in front of everyone. Also I admit to have fallen asleep at work before. I don't know what to do. I just pretend like I'm working hard all the time, it feels dishonest. I feel like I will get fired soon. She hasn't spoken to me about it but I know it could happen. It's just too many snippy passive aggressive comments. However I also recognize that she is not the first to complain about my work ethic and that I seriously need to get a handle on it. I admit that I'm a very passive person and don't mind coasting but I really want to change this about myself. It's embarrassing when people that are five, six years younger than me are being more assertive and more of a go getter than me. Honestly I've never had any disciplinary action for my work ethic, just a few snippy comments here and there. My past managers also didn't want me to leave my job because I am fairly reliable even with the lacking work ethic. Surprisingly they've also offered to give a good reference if I ever wanted to work in the same company, but they still complained about my work ethic. Also, they probably didn't want me to leave because it's just a pain to hire someone else I guess. Anyways I am currently applying to other jobs just in case I get fired from this one at the end of next week for not working. I don't want to repeat the same mistake again. Help a self proclaimed lazy person out.
Email your supervisor every Monday and say "Are there specific tasks you'd like me to take care of this week? Please let me know."
posted by DarlingBri at 7:03 AM on February 15, 2020 [10 favorites]
posted by DarlingBri at 7:03 AM on February 15, 2020 [10 favorites]
One way of taking initiative is to simply go to your direct supervisor and tell them you don't have enough work to fill your day, and as if there are any additional responsibilities you can take on.
Another way is just to look around you and find things you can make a project out of. Maybe you notice that the filing system in your department is a mess and you think you could improve on it (take your ideas to your manager first to get their approval before diving in.) Or you realize that there is currently not a good system for tracking X, so you create a spreadsheet and tracking process.
Keep your ears open for things you could volunteer to do. Oftentimes you hear someone mention that they haven't had time to get to this or that, so maybe you could volunteer to help. "Is this something I could help out with?"
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 7:09 AM on February 15, 2020 [10 favorites]
Another way is just to look around you and find things you can make a project out of. Maybe you notice that the filing system in your department is a mess and you think you could improve on it (take your ideas to your manager first to get their approval before diving in.) Or you realize that there is currently not a good system for tracking X, so you create a spreadsheet and tracking process.
Keep your ears open for things you could volunteer to do. Oftentimes you hear someone mention that they haven't had time to get to this or that, so maybe you could volunteer to help. "Is this something I could help out with?"
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 7:09 AM on February 15, 2020 [10 favorites]
You know what, Stan, if you want me to wear 37 pieces of flair, like your pretty boy over there, Brian, why don't you just make the minimum 37 pieces of flair?
This is not really your fault imo, it’s theirs. It’s a weird culture to only assign an hour/day of work but expect people to be busy. I suggest you say something more polite to your manager. Eg “you know I do often have an extra hour or so* in a day, what tasks would be most helpful for me to learn or work on in my spare time?”
*I recommend only being honest about time like this in work environments that have proven trustworthy, functional, and rewarding, ymmv.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:12 AM on February 15, 2020 [5 favorites]
This is not really your fault imo, it’s theirs. It’s a weird culture to only assign an hour/day of work but expect people to be busy. I suggest you say something more polite to your manager. Eg “you know I do often have an extra hour or so* in a day, what tasks would be most helpful for me to learn or work on in my spare time?”
*I recommend only being honest about time like this in work environments that have proven trustworthy, functional, and rewarding, ymmv.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:12 AM on February 15, 2020 [5 favorites]
I'd like to re-frame this a bit- the idea that you should be tripping over yourself to earn promotions when you barely have work to do and are not passionate about the work, doesn't mean you don't have a "work ethic". Some people are ambitious and motivated by money and status; other people need to care or feel passionately in order to be motivated to go above and beyond. It's not your fault that you don't have enough work. My only suggestion would be to stop getting down on yourself for being "lazy", and maybe think about what truly interests you/where your passions lie, and direct your job searches in that direction.
posted by bearette at 7:24 AM on February 15, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by bearette at 7:24 AM on February 15, 2020 [6 favorites]
If you are worried about getting fired, then you actually have nothing to lose. What stops you from going to your supervisor and saying what you've said here? Don't tell her that you're a lazy person. Tell her that you've had a very hard time finding ways to get motivated or get initiative and you would love her leadership. That you have extra time available and you are happy to take on some new tasks, or would love some coaching on how to step in and take the initiative if she isn't readily finding things for you to do.
Also, just eliminate the word "lazy" from your vocabulary. You aren't doing yourself any favors by characterizing yourself so negatively. You are struggling to get motivated. You aren't practiced at being a self-starter. Those are things you can work on. Ask your boss for help! What do you have to lose? The job you've already resigned yourself to losing?
posted by pazazygeek at 7:36 AM on February 15, 2020 [7 favorites]
Also, just eliminate the word "lazy" from your vocabulary. You aren't doing yourself any favors by characterizing yourself so negatively. You are struggling to get motivated. You aren't practiced at being a self-starter. Those are things you can work on. Ask your boss for help! What do you have to lose? The job you've already resigned yourself to losing?
posted by pazazygeek at 7:36 AM on February 15, 2020 [7 favorites]
“I'm also working a job right now where I only have about an hour of work everyday and then have nothing to do for the other seven”
“I just pretend like I'm working hard all the time”
I suspect this is where the problem lies - have you literally never asked anyone (boss, coworkers) for more work? But pretend you are “really busy” when they ask why you aren’t done yet? Because they will know the difference between an eight-hour task and a one-hour task. If I had an employee who managed to stretch 5 hours of work to fill an entire week, I would be thinking about replacing them too (or just eliminating the position if that was literally all the work there was available to do).
If it’s is anxiety, just ask your boss for more work once you’ve finished your own tasks. Over email, if that’s easier. No need to come up with ideas yourself. They probably have a ton of stuff they want you to do (which is why they keep asking why you aren’t done yet), but haven’t given it to you because from their perspective you look like you are struggling to complete your current tasks in a reasonable timeframe.
If actually you don’t want extra work, but want to keep coasting along doing 5 hours a week but being paid for 40, plenty of people do that, and some managers will put up with that, and some won’t. Depends on how conflict-averse they are, and how easy you are to fire from a paperwork standpoint. It sounds like your current manager is in the second group though.
posted by tinkletown at 7:56 AM on February 15, 2020 [14 favorites]
“I just pretend like I'm working hard all the time”
I suspect this is where the problem lies - have you literally never asked anyone (boss, coworkers) for more work? But pretend you are “really busy” when they ask why you aren’t done yet? Because they will know the difference between an eight-hour task and a one-hour task. If I had an employee who managed to stretch 5 hours of work to fill an entire week, I would be thinking about replacing them too (or just eliminating the position if that was literally all the work there was available to do).
If it’s is anxiety, just ask your boss for more work once you’ve finished your own tasks. Over email, if that’s easier. No need to come up with ideas yourself. They probably have a ton of stuff they want you to do (which is why they keep asking why you aren’t done yet), but haven’t given it to you because from their perspective you look like you are struggling to complete your current tasks in a reasonable timeframe.
If actually you don’t want extra work, but want to keep coasting along doing 5 hours a week but being paid for 40, plenty of people do that, and some managers will put up with that, and some won’t. Depends on how conflict-averse they are, and how easy you are to fire from a paperwork standpoint. It sounds like your current manager is in the second group though.
posted by tinkletown at 7:56 AM on February 15, 2020 [14 favorites]
Do you have a habit of asking questions about tasks / your work that could have been easily solved if you did some research / had a proper think about first? If so, cut it out.
Every time you're on a project, think 'what ELSE would make this better?' and do that. People will start to notice.
Think beyond your projects also. Anything the company needs at the moment to be more efficient? Maybe the project management processes could be improved and you can trial a new system with a project and then share your experiences with everyone. Maybe you go networking and bring in a new client.
Think of yourself as an active agent, not a workbot that is given tasks to complete, and you will find yourself feeling more in control of your work, creating more impact and given more general respect. This in itself will encourage more of that behaviour. it feels good to not only be 'good enough' but 'excellent'.
posted by starstarstar at 8:00 AM on February 15, 2020 [1 favorite]
Every time you're on a project, think 'what ELSE would make this better?' and do that. People will start to notice.
Think beyond your projects also. Anything the company needs at the moment to be more efficient? Maybe the project management processes could be improved and you can trial a new system with a project and then share your experiences with everyone. Maybe you go networking and bring in a new client.
Think of yourself as an active agent, not a workbot that is given tasks to complete, and you will find yourself feeling more in control of your work, creating more impact and given more general respect. This in itself will encourage more of that behaviour. it feels good to not only be 'good enough' but 'excellent'.
posted by starstarstar at 8:00 AM on February 15, 2020 [1 favorite]
I was told this by a manager* recently when I was applying for a full-time job in the same department (I was a contractor at the time). I did all of my work consistently quick and even completed several projects in my tenure there. I even revamped several dashboards without being asked to and it was ignored.
In my head "you need to take more initiative" is just manager code for "you need to be as busy as I am."
So I did what other have suggested and had a meeting with her to discuss where I could begin looking for areas in my department to improve upon. Treat it as a learning experience regarding your "blind spots" or whatever lingo they throw at you.
*A month later she resigned as a manager to work as a consultant.
posted by Young Kullervo at 8:01 AM on February 15, 2020 [1 favorite]
In my head "you need to take more initiative" is just manager code for "you need to be as busy as I am."
So I did what other have suggested and had a meeting with her to discuss where I could begin looking for areas in my department to improve upon. Treat it as a learning experience regarding your "blind spots" or whatever lingo they throw at you.
*A month later she resigned as a manager to work as a consultant.
posted by Young Kullervo at 8:01 AM on February 15, 2020 [1 favorite]
1.Ask yourself how much you know about what others do at your job and how what you do affects their goals/deadlines/needs.
2.Discover a communication/pipeline/job handoff issue that may impact the company and fix it.
3. Ask to learn new skills or look at what your role is and how you can improve it.
4. Bring snacks with you to work so you don't fall asleep. Kind bars will save your career.
5. Talk to your supervisor about any other ways you can impact your department.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 9:03 AM on February 15, 2020 [2 favorites]
2.Discover a communication/pipeline/job handoff issue that may impact the company and fix it.
3. Ask to learn new skills or look at what your role is and how you can improve it.
4. Bring snacks with you to work so you don't fall asleep. Kind bars will save your career.
5. Talk to your supervisor about any other ways you can impact your department.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 9:03 AM on February 15, 2020 [2 favorites]
I have a cousin that really struggles with initiative-it has affected both his business and his personal life. I love him, but he makes me crazy and I can’t imagine being his manager. He is helpful when asked, but you almost always have to ask, and he’ll stop when the specific task you’ve asked him to do is complete. For instance, when he was helping us paint a room, he’d paint one area and then stand there, paintbrush in hand, until we directed him to the next wall. If you ask him to clean the counter, he’ll clean “this” part of the counter but not the crumb covered counter next to it.
And while I know he means incredibly well ( and I think he may struggle with depression at the core of this) I get so aggravated by the time he’s stayed with us for a few days that I go from cheerful and direct to snippy and passive aggressive.
It is exhausting to manage someone who only does the exact thing they are asked and not the obvious next thing. I’m not saying you’re this person, but if there’s a chance this might apply to you, think about how you could start stepping forward a bit. If you were your boss, what would you ask your employee to do? What would make you feel this employee was valuable? Try and figure that out (You can even ask-what would make you feel that I was being successful in my role?)-and then do that thing!
posted by purenitrous at 9:21 AM on February 15, 2020 [13 favorites]
And while I know he means incredibly well ( and I think he may struggle with depression at the core of this) I get so aggravated by the time he’s stayed with us for a few days that I go from cheerful and direct to snippy and passive aggressive.
It is exhausting to manage someone who only does the exact thing they are asked and not the obvious next thing. I’m not saying you’re this person, but if there’s a chance this might apply to you, think about how you could start stepping forward a bit. If you were your boss, what would you ask your employee to do? What would make you feel this employee was valuable? Try and figure that out (You can even ask-what would make you feel that I was being successful in my role?)-and then do that thing!
posted by purenitrous at 9:21 AM on February 15, 2020 [13 favorites]
I used to be like you. Not unwilling to do work, but unable to find a way to expand on the little work I'd been assigned. Some of it is definitely going to differ based on the nature of your job and the culture where you work. I used to work with people who, for Reasons, were quite adamantly not managers. They were in charge but they did not see their role as managing the people who worked for them so they really had no clue how to encourage or welcome initiative or create a workplace where that was a clear value. It was really really hard in the environment for me to show intiative and work ethic. No one noticed anyway, so there wasn't much point. I did take the opportunity to learn new things in my copious downtime, which didn't do much for me there but did really help when I went to look for a new job.
In my current position, I've advanced really rapidly because the culture encourages initiative and (more importantly) risk taking. Not everyone takes the opportunity (in my department we've got one guy who is clearly very happy just doing what he's told and nothing else, we know that about him and give him work accordingly, it's fine). Anytime you try something new, it is a risk. It might not work or it might not work the way you thought it would, and I currently have managers who have communicated that they realize that and it's okay. I've focused a lot on process improvements. I've noticed places where our various routines have a tendency to break down or get chaotic, sought out software that could help, learned how to use it on my own, introduced it to my managers, piloted it and demonstrated why using it would improve our work. Twice I've been very successful and the software I introduced is now used enterprise-wide, but a couple times I took it all the way to a pilot test and then learned that nope, this ain't it. Fail. A couple days ago I noticed that our process for clients making appointments for my department's services was a little chaotic for my comfort. It works, people sign up for an appointment, we get an email and... Someone on the team? Presumably? Grabs that email and makes arrangements to meet with the client. But I'm a manager now and I want a way to see who exactly is meeting with the client and when, so I can be assured that no one is slipping through the cracks (which has happened from time to time). So I'm investigating a way to integrate our intake form with the project management software we use (there are APIs involved so I found myself watching the LinkedIn Learning video course about APIs).
A lot of beginner level "taking the initiative" stuff is just doing shit no one else wants to do, though. QAing the documentation, reorganizing the files, cleaning up the share drive. If your managers are any good, though, if they see you doing that kind of stuff, they'll start to consider you for bigger projects, and you'll start to get brought in on more interesting work. Disclaimer: many managers are not any good.
posted by soren_lorensen at 10:19 AM on February 15, 2020 [4 favorites]
In my current position, I've advanced really rapidly because the culture encourages initiative and (more importantly) risk taking. Not everyone takes the opportunity (in my department we've got one guy who is clearly very happy just doing what he's told and nothing else, we know that about him and give him work accordingly, it's fine). Anytime you try something new, it is a risk. It might not work or it might not work the way you thought it would, and I currently have managers who have communicated that they realize that and it's okay. I've focused a lot on process improvements. I've noticed places where our various routines have a tendency to break down or get chaotic, sought out software that could help, learned how to use it on my own, introduced it to my managers, piloted it and demonstrated why using it would improve our work. Twice I've been very successful and the software I introduced is now used enterprise-wide, but a couple times I took it all the way to a pilot test and then learned that nope, this ain't it. Fail. A couple days ago I noticed that our process for clients making appointments for my department's services was a little chaotic for my comfort. It works, people sign up for an appointment, we get an email and... Someone on the team? Presumably? Grabs that email and makes arrangements to meet with the client. But I'm a manager now and I want a way to see who exactly is meeting with the client and when, so I can be assured that no one is slipping through the cracks (which has happened from time to time). So I'm investigating a way to integrate our intake form with the project management software we use (there are APIs involved so I found myself watching the LinkedIn Learning video course about APIs).
A lot of beginner level "taking the initiative" stuff is just doing shit no one else wants to do, though. QAing the documentation, reorganizing the files, cleaning up the share drive. If your managers are any good, though, if they see you doing that kind of stuff, they'll start to consider you for bigger projects, and you'll start to get brought in on more interesting work. Disclaimer: many managers are not any good.
posted by soren_lorensen at 10:19 AM on February 15, 2020 [4 favorites]
There are a few things going on here.
1. Not enough work. There's a huge gap between being overburdened and stressed (that's bad!) and having almost nothing to do and feeling wasted (also VERY BAD!). I've struggled with this at my job and it led to me just sitting like a lump. It's possible this job isn't a good fit for you because there just isn't anything engaging about it. That's not necessarily you failing, it's the job failing to engage you. But leads us to the second part...
1a. I solved this by a really good heart to heart with my boss two weeks ago and I actually have work and am engaged/solving problems/mentoring people. It's kind of crazy how I turned around a really toxic work environment.
2. What work do you find engaging? I know what I like to do now and I will literally do it and then side projects quite passionately and for long periods of time. This ALSO boosts my ability to tackle the far less important to me writing projects I've procrastinated on.
2a. If you need help on what you find engaging, I suggest the Sparketype test and also there are career inventories which are like personality tests for what you actually LIKE to do. I think most people like to do at least one sort of thing and will actively pursue if it they're allowed to. People just often don't find out what it is! What Color is Your Parachute has a huge inventory for yourself as well.
3. I found out I had ADHD which is not a lack of focus for me much... what it means is that my executive function is far lower than a lot of peoples. This means that I have a ton of trouble with:
-Lack of motivation for far away or internal tasks
-Lack of time sense
-Requirement for external verification/validation (this is not just praise, literally "Got it." from someone is enough or my checking off a box
-Anxiety about speaking up/asking for more work/asking to be included/general sense of how "lazy" and "worthless" I am even though I am proven top tier at many things. if I'm slightly out of my comfort zone, I will revert to feeling awful unless I use strategies I have developed.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 10:29 AM on February 15, 2020 [6 favorites]
1. Not enough work. There's a huge gap between being overburdened and stressed (that's bad!) and having almost nothing to do and feeling wasted (also VERY BAD!). I've struggled with this at my job and it led to me just sitting like a lump. It's possible this job isn't a good fit for you because there just isn't anything engaging about it. That's not necessarily you failing, it's the job failing to engage you. But leads us to the second part...
1a. I solved this by a really good heart to heart with my boss two weeks ago and I actually have work and am engaged/solving problems/mentoring people. It's kind of crazy how I turned around a really toxic work environment.
2. What work do you find engaging? I know what I like to do now and I will literally do it and then side projects quite passionately and for long periods of time. This ALSO boosts my ability to tackle the far less important to me writing projects I've procrastinated on.
2a. If you need help on what you find engaging, I suggest the Sparketype test and also there are career inventories which are like personality tests for what you actually LIKE to do. I think most people like to do at least one sort of thing and will actively pursue if it they're allowed to. People just often don't find out what it is! What Color is Your Parachute has a huge inventory for yourself as well.
3. I found out I had ADHD which is not a lack of focus for me much... what it means is that my executive function is far lower than a lot of peoples. This means that I have a ton of trouble with:
-Lack of motivation for far away or internal tasks
-Lack of time sense
-Requirement for external verification/validation (this is not just praise, literally "Got it." from someone is enough or my checking off a box
-Anxiety about speaking up/asking for more work/asking to be included/general sense of how "lazy" and "worthless" I am even though I am proven top tier at many things. if I'm slightly out of my comfort zone, I will revert to feeling awful unless I use strategies I have developed.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 10:29 AM on February 15, 2020 [6 favorites]
One way to show initiative is not to ask your boss, "what other tasks could I be doing?" but rather to examine potential projects that you can do and go to your boss with suggestions for work you could take on. For example, "I noticed that X has become a bit disorganized and I have an idea for cleaning it up and work like to spend an hour a day working on this project." Asking your boss for ideas on what you can do is not always the best tactic as what you're actually doing is giving your boss the work of inventing projects for you. Do that work yourself and offer it to your boss who can sign off on it or make alterations as neeced.
posted by acidnova at 2:27 PM on February 15, 2020 [8 favorites]
posted by acidnova at 2:27 PM on February 15, 2020 [8 favorites]
It's hard to answer this without knowing the specifics of your job. But one thing I found helpful was recalibrating my idea of what was expected. I used to think the bare minimum was expected of me, but now I realise it is not. I need to anticipate the questions my managers are going to ask and answer those before they are asked.
Can you do the same thing? Can you look at your workload, and the peripheries around your workload (like, say, the next step of a project you're working on) and make some strides on those, before they become an immediate priority or something you're directly asked to do? Say, take filing as an example. Say you've filed everything from A-D because that's what you were asked to do. Now you're done, so what's the next logical step in the project? Filing from D-G. So you do that, without being asked. That's showing initiative. This is a better option than asking your boss "What else could I be doing?" which while better than nothing also comes across as a little passive... On preview, basically everything purenitrous said.
Also I admit to have fallen asleep at work before.
This is really not a good look, if you're worried about being fired. Prioritise getting more sleep. Get a cup of coffee if you feel like you're going to fall asleep at work. I have never worked in an organisation where this kind of behaviour would be acceptable.
posted by unicorn chaser at 3:42 PM on February 15, 2020 [3 favorites]
Can you do the same thing? Can you look at your workload, and the peripheries around your workload (like, say, the next step of a project you're working on) and make some strides on those, before they become an immediate priority or something you're directly asked to do? Say, take filing as an example. Say you've filed everything from A-D because that's what you were asked to do. Now you're done, so what's the next logical step in the project? Filing from D-G. So you do that, without being asked. That's showing initiative. This is a better option than asking your boss "What else could I be doing?" which while better than nothing also comes across as a little passive... On preview, basically everything purenitrous said.
Also I admit to have fallen asleep at work before.
This is really not a good look, if you're worried about being fired. Prioritise getting more sleep. Get a cup of coffee if you feel like you're going to fall asleep at work. I have never worked in an organisation where this kind of behaviour would be acceptable.
posted by unicorn chaser at 3:42 PM on February 15, 2020 [3 favorites]
Having to find work for and to spoon feed incremental tasks to people is a significant time drain for supervisors/managers. Clearly part of a supervisor’s role is to do that but a busy supervisor appreciates somebody saying ‘I have completed my tasks for today but Jane is swamped and would like my help pulling together information for the weekly widget report....unless you have other things we need to prioritise today/this week?’. And if helping Jane goes well perhaps you could start to help with the widget report every week. That is what showing initiative is.
I am supporting a project as technical coach. I am formally more senior and experienced than the team lead but not leading the team and not involved all the time. So I turned up at our client last week, for the first time in two weeks, to find experienced people (with really long to do lists) hunting around for things the three interns could do. None of the things the interns were doing were a priority for our upcoming project milestones and the experienced people were looking after the interns at the expense of wrapping up things that are essential for these milestones. So after observing this for a few hrs I shared my observations and concerns about this use of time with the team lead. I recommended we send the interns back to the office for a few days, allow people to get through the priority items with limited distractions and re-assess if we need the interns back at the end of the week. The interns can help other teams in the meantime.
Is project management my role on the team, no. Did somebody need to take a step back and consider the bigger picture, absolutely! And luckily the team lead realises they are in over their head and will take any help I can offer. This coming week I’ll define a clear list of priorities they can work through and I’ve freed up my schedule to get stuck in and do what I can to help. Again, not the technical coaching I am supposed to do. Nobody has explicitly told me to do any of the things I am now doing on that project. There is a general understanding that my schedule is freeing up a bit round about now and an observation that everybody feels much better whenever koahiatamadl is out there taking the lead. So here we are.
Also I admit to have fallen asleep at work before.
Clearly, sleep enough. But if boredom is part of the problem and you can’t find work that helps your team, at least spend your time doing things that could make you a better employee. For example, learn more advanced excel, word or PowerPoint skills using free online resources etc. At least these things show you are willing to learn and skills that can benefit the company, should they have work for you.
posted by koahiatamadl at 6:56 AM on February 16, 2020 [3 favorites]
I am supporting a project as technical coach. I am formally more senior and experienced than the team lead but not leading the team and not involved all the time. So I turned up at our client last week, for the first time in two weeks, to find experienced people (with really long to do lists) hunting around for things the three interns could do. None of the things the interns were doing were a priority for our upcoming project milestones and the experienced people were looking after the interns at the expense of wrapping up things that are essential for these milestones. So after observing this for a few hrs I shared my observations and concerns about this use of time with the team lead. I recommended we send the interns back to the office for a few days, allow people to get through the priority items with limited distractions and re-assess if we need the interns back at the end of the week. The interns can help other teams in the meantime.
Is project management my role on the team, no. Did somebody need to take a step back and consider the bigger picture, absolutely! And luckily the team lead realises they are in over their head and will take any help I can offer. This coming week I’ll define a clear list of priorities they can work through and I’ve freed up my schedule to get stuck in and do what I can to help. Again, not the technical coaching I am supposed to do. Nobody has explicitly told me to do any of the things I am now doing on that project. There is a general understanding that my schedule is freeing up a bit round about now and an observation that everybody feels much better whenever koahiatamadl is out there taking the lead. So here we are.
Also I admit to have fallen asleep at work before.
Clearly, sleep enough. But if boredom is part of the problem and you can’t find work that helps your team, at least spend your time doing things that could make you a better employee. For example, learn more advanced excel, word or PowerPoint skills using free online resources etc. At least these things show you are willing to learn and skills that can benefit the company, should they have work for you.
posted by koahiatamadl at 6:56 AM on February 16, 2020 [3 favorites]
It sounds like you are buying into your employers’ emotional abuse. Seek employment elsewhere.
posted by Sterros at 12:05 PM on February 16, 2020
posted by Sterros at 12:05 PM on February 16, 2020
Best answer: 1.Ask yourself how much you know about what others do at your job and how what you do affects their goals/deadlines/needs.
So, for the people I know who struggle with showing initiative "correctly", much of their root problem has to do with not quite knowing what's going on around them to the extent that most of their peers do. Lacking situational awareness makes it really difficult to take initiative and be helpful without creating extra work for the people you are trying to help.
How to improve your situational awareness, though, is tricky to answer because it depends so much on why you're a bit out of the loop. Sometimes it's a by-product of being extremely task-oriented and not taking part in water-cooler talk that helps you get a better high-level view of what's going on around the office. Sometimes it has to do with having trouble multitasking - a tendency to monofocus means that you are probably less open to picking up on what's going on around you. Sometimes it has to do with finding it difficult, for some cognitive reason, to figure out a logical sequence of tasks on your own (like what purenitrous describes in their example). In other cases, people don't have the best situational awareness because they struggle to have productive interactions that would allow them to pick up more information in an appropriate way (like asking managers questions, but doing so without being annoying).
Don't blame this situation on being inherently lazy, there may be some other stuff going on that makes it difficult for you to either pick up or effectively act on situational cues that would help you be able to take more initiative.
posted by blerghamot at 5:38 PM on February 16, 2020 [3 favorites]
So, for the people I know who struggle with showing initiative "correctly", much of their root problem has to do with not quite knowing what's going on around them to the extent that most of their peers do. Lacking situational awareness makes it really difficult to take initiative and be helpful without creating extra work for the people you are trying to help.
How to improve your situational awareness, though, is tricky to answer because it depends so much on why you're a bit out of the loop. Sometimes it's a by-product of being extremely task-oriented and not taking part in water-cooler talk that helps you get a better high-level view of what's going on around the office. Sometimes it has to do with having trouble multitasking - a tendency to monofocus means that you are probably less open to picking up on what's going on around you. Sometimes it has to do with finding it difficult, for some cognitive reason, to figure out a logical sequence of tasks on your own (like what purenitrous describes in their example). In other cases, people don't have the best situational awareness because they struggle to have productive interactions that would allow them to pick up more information in an appropriate way (like asking managers questions, but doing so without being annoying).
Don't blame this situation on being inherently lazy, there may be some other stuff going on that makes it difficult for you to either pick up or effectively act on situational cues that would help you be able to take more initiative.
posted by blerghamot at 5:38 PM on February 16, 2020 [3 favorites]
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This allows you to daydream while looking industrious and helpful. It'll also make it easier for people to say "hey, while you're up, can you do this"
posted by dum spiro spero at 6:59 AM on February 15, 2020 [2 favorites]