Meaning of Proactivity (What is it, Concept and Definition)

What is Proactivity:

Proactivity refers to the attitude assumed by certain people to attend to situations or tasks that need to be controlled , a responsible management and a high response capacity.

In the labor and organizational field, the term of proactivity is highly used and valued , especially because is about the attitude sought and expects from the workers , that they are active, have a high capacity for response, initiative and disposition in any circumstance.

Proactivity, then, refers to the attitude that people assume to overcome various circumstances, not only work but also the personal life of each person , since the purpose is always to be better.

That is, the positive and active attitude that take each individual, in a situation, it is crucial to take control and start the development of ideas and me Todologies to improve what is happening around you and what you are responsible for.

Some synonyms for which the word proactivity can be substituted are: undertake, dynamism, develop, solve, among others.

The term proactivity was proposed by Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and neurologist, in his book entitled Man in search of meaning , in 1946.

Frankl He was a prisoner in a concentration camp of the Nazi regime during World War II, which he survived, according to his words, thanks to having the ability to make sense of his life.

For Frankl, proactivity is defined as the freedom to take a stand against various situations and have the ability to face them in the best possible way.

However, the term proactivity became popular and extended years later, especially in the area of ​​personal development and work through a self-help book written by bestseller Stephen R.Covey, in his book The seven habits of highly effective people s.

Proactive people, then, are those whose capacity to respond and develop in any circumstance or challenge, work or personal, encourages them to be innovative, effective and bold.

Being a proactive person is to have an attitude of curiosity and the impulse to overcome to be constantly in the search for how it can be done what is possible to improve something.

Proactivity is also the ability to know how to deal with a problem, measure the consequences of our actions and the daily proposal to be more competitive every day.

In the labor field they are always always in the search of proactive people thanks to their performance and quality of work, since they are people who are not only responsible but who through a good management benefit the company where they work.

Characteristics of proactive people

People nas that are considered proactive are characterized by having the ability to take control of what happens in their lives in an active way and always trying to be as effective as possible.Some of their characteristics are:

• They are constantly looking for the best path and the tools necessary to overcome both in their personal and professional and work context.
• Develop creative and innovative initiatives or action plans to achieve a goal.
• They are responsible for their actions and the decisions made.
• They are people capable of working in teams, contributing ideas and solutions.
• They look for new challenges and opportunities.
• Consider what the consequences or risks of making one or the other decision may be depending on the situation to be answered.
• The proactive person does not expect a solution to arrive because he works and focuses on reaching it without having to wait for third parties.

Finally, it is important not to confuse say the proactivity with hyperactivity or activism that some people have, which react to impulses and sometimes do not pay the necessary attention to the consequences of their actions.

Nor should a person be confused Proactive person with a person characterized by being reactive. Reactive people are those who react to impulses but in a positive or negative way , which can be problematic in any area of ​​performance work or personal.