Proactive and reactive approaches to life: looking for the problem in ourselves

What does it mean to be proactive or reactive? You may never have thought about these two concepts, although they are especially relevant in the workplace. These traits actually tend to influence which career path you choose, so we decided to explain them in more detail.

You probably have a friend or acquaintance who is always moving forward, achieving great success at work or in some other aspect of their life. They are constantly looking for opportunities and challenges that push them towards success. You probably also know someone who seems stuck in their job. They have no special aspirations. This is the main difference between a reactive person and an active person.

A proactive person is one who relies only on himself. In any event, he evaluates his actions, his actions and his decisions. The influence of the surrounding world is insignificant for him and is minimized.

A reactive personality , on the contrary, tends to blame any circumstances that get in her way. Even bad weather, even colleagues, even children. There is always some source of interference that prevents you from achieving the result.

Proactive vs. reactive thinking: which is more important?

First of all, let's understand the terminology.

In more scientific terms, the reactive and proactive approaches differ in their reliance on resources. A proactive person sees himself as the source of resources, a reactive person finds them outside.

From the terminology it is clear that reactive and proactive behavior, despite the beautiful common root of the word, are very different. What's next?

Reactive man waiting for results

By now you should have a better understanding of the difference between a proactive and a reactive person. If you don't identify with the first description, perhaps you will identify with the second. What does it mean to be a reactive person?

For starters, this doesn't necessarily mean you're not dedicated to your job. Maybe you work hard, but you always get the same results. You are a yellow-white flower that no one sees. For what? Because you didn't tell anyone you were there. You may even hide your skills as if you are ashamed of them.

Sometimes you may feel comfortable being a reactive person. However, in other cases, you probably would like to be more active, although you are not sure how to achieve this.

Being reactive means you have difficulty moving forward. You believe that it is easier to stay in your comfort zone.

“Setting goals is the first step to turning the invisible into the visible.”
-Tony Robbins-

Proactive or reactive: test

Proactive/reactive attitude is easily assessed using a simple test. In it you need to select phrases that a person uses in different situations.

You need to try on both options and choose your preferred one. And evaluate the results.

You should not strive to choose those combinations that never flash in your head or sound out loud. This is not true. And it won’t help to give a true definition of the type of behavior.

Proactive	Reactive
I will strive to change this	It's unlikely that anything can be done about this
I'll change their minds	It is unlikely that they will be convinced
I don't really like the people I work with, but not so much that I take it personally	My colleagues annoy me
I go to work	I have to go to work
I decided that I would do just that	I have to do this because...
I will find time to devote to these matters	I would help, but I don't have time
I'll figure out where to find funds to start the project	I have limited financial resources and will not be able to start this project.
It’s strange that few people are interested in this; what can be done to make it beneficial?	Nobody needs this, well, I won’t do anything
I need connections. I'll figure out where to find them	Certain connections are needed here. I do not have them
I will prove that no one can do this job better than me.	I won't be trusted with this job

What if there are “reactive” phrases in the list?

Work with it.

There is a simple algorithm for increasing proactivity, and if you follow it, you can achieve a lot.

Proactive people take initiative

Are you still not sure whether you are proactive or reactive? Well, the first thing you should analyze is whether you are taking initiative or not.

Initiative is associated with a skill that is highly valued in the workplace: proactivity.

When you take initiative, you perform certain actions that make you a leader rather than a follower. For example, instead of waiting to find a job, you connect directly with businesses that interest you. You can do this by emailing them cover letters that discuss your interests.

This is a great way to find out whether you are proactive or reactive. Active people rarely wait. They are not afraid to take the reins, try new things and move forward. They experiment and make mistakes instead of waiting for things to happen.

If you are a proactive person, you won't let a closed door, a no, or failure stop you. You are active and keep trying. Whether you believe it or not, this approach opens new doors for you. Although this may not bear fruit immediately, it will help in the long run.

Taking the initiative does not mean being pushy, pushy , or aggressive . This means being aware of your responsibility for ensuring that develop in a certain way.
-Stephen R. Covey-

Instead of output

The essence of a proactive and reactive approach to life is clear.

Some act.
The second ones groan.

There is no need to comment on who achieves the goal.

All that remains is to decide which path is yours. And give examples of your own proactive and reactive behavior, if you manage to catch them in current affairs. Simple analysis, but will it work? Write in the comments.

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What is proactivity?

Proactivity means acting now with an awareness of future problems , needs or changes.

Proactivity means taking well-planned actions to achieve goals that give your life and business a boost. This means focusing on what's important, not just what's urgent.

Sounds like a reasonable idea, doesn't it? The problem is that our world is becoming reactive rather than proactive. A reactive person is someone who “Reacts easily to irritation.”

A reactive person is driven by urgency and external influences . Because the sense of urgency often trumps the sense of importance, many of us spend our days stuck in an endless cycle of events:

New message in Telegram? It's better to answer right away.
Request for a meeting? I can't say no to this.
New post on Facebook? Better take a look before it gets lost in the endless stream.

Then, we wonder where our time went.

Principles of effective business leadership

In a market economy, sustainable development of an organization is impossible without proactive management. This concept means the ability to anticipate events and take the necessary measures in advance to avoid problems. Global experience has shown that proactive companies are more successful than their reactive competitors. This is because they constantly take the time to study internal processes to identify weak points and the environment. This allows them to quickly respond to ongoing processes, ensure proactive development taking into account the needs of the market and the challenges of the competitive environment.

The basic principles of proactive management are to anticipate and prevent negative trends. The goal is to respond to emerging problems and take measures to prevent their recurrence.

Effective management requires analyzing mistakes and making adjustments to current activities. There is a Pareto principle, according to which 20% of identified and hidden threats can cause 80% of critical situations that have serious negative consequences. Therefore, the issue of their identification and prevention is relevant. Thanks to proactive monitoring, the existence of a problem becomes known in advance, which makes it possible to eliminate it in a timely manner.

With reactive management, adaptation to external conditions occurs without attempts to change the situation. In this case, it is only possible to record the fait accompli of an unfavorable event that could cause the company to go bankrupt.

People with proactive thinking constantly have to make intellectual and physical efforts, their constant employment does not allow them to get bored, and their life is filled with bright stories. They make excellent leaders and successful businessmen. Reactive people find it easier to complain about life than to look for solutions to problems. Such a passive position will not allow you to achieve success, but not everyone is ready to take responsibility and make independent serious decisions.

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Proactive vs. reactive? It seems that it makes no difference if both words contain an “active” term. But it's big! Reactive and proactive approaches to life are so different that you not only need to understand the difference between them, but also strive for the predominance of one behavioral pattern. But which one?

Having a goal

Many people, unfortunately, live without any dreams. They are afraid to plan their lives. It is much easier to go with the flow than to be proactive and set great goals for yourself. Indeed, in the latter case, there is always a risk that it will not be possible to achieve what you want as quickly as you would like. Having a goal changes your attitude towards life and fills it with special meaning.

A person begins to look at the surrounding reality differently and evaluate his own prospects. He will no longer miss an opportunity to realize the task that is currently facing him.

Who should be considered a proactive person?

According to Wikipedia, proactivity is one of the categories of humanistic psychology. It describes a type of thinking in which a person’s reaction to an external stimulus is based on his independent will. Viktor Frankl included in the group of proactive people responsible individuals who do not shift the blame for what happened to them to life circumstances and those around them.

Stephen Covey, a venerable consultant on organizational management, also insisted that a person’s success and efficiency directly depends on his strong-willed personal qualities. Successful author and lecturer Wayne Dyer calls individuals with proactive thinking patterns people without limits. David Allen, an expert in the field of individual productivity, emphasizes the readiness of such a person for anything. Personal development coach and entrepreneur Anthony Robbins describes proactivity as unlimited power.

Thus, all formulations of this concept come down to two components - responsibility and activity. The first component of proactive thinking assumes that a person independently considers them correct and is aware of the consequences. This means that most events in life are a pattern, the result of one’s own actions. At the same time, responsibility alone is not enough to achieve a goal: it is necessary to be active.

Proactivity VS reactivity

What makes reactivity so dangerous is that it is imaginary productivity .

You just replied to 37 messages - mega productivity? There is a big difference between “getting something done” and actually making progress.

Imagine the difference: a proactive person is like a jockey on a real stallion, and a reactive person is like a rider on a children's rocking horse. Both are moving, but only one is moving forward, and the other is pinned to the sandbox.

Proactivity always trumps reactivity . Let's figure out why this happens.

Research

Based on these developments in organizations, academic articles such as Grant and Ashford's (2008) review of proactivity at work highlight that a new type of employee is needed in times of flat hierarchies in organizations and uncertain, dynamic, highly competitive business environments. This “new employee” must engage in independent, future-oriented behavior without the need for constant supervision and instruction from others. These authors also argue that: “Employees don't just let them live. Rather, they are trying to influence, shape, collapse, expand and soften what happens in their lives.” Proactivity and reactivity are two opposites in human behavior.

Proactivity and reactivity according to Stephen Covey

People, according to Stephen Covey, author of the bestselling book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, are inherently proactive by nature. Circumstances dictate their will to a person only when he voluntarily agrees with it. If a reactive person runs away from responsibility for the result, shifting the blame to external circumstances, a proactive person is ready to take responsibility and find the optimal way out of the situation.

A proactive person is guided by values, not by feelings and emotions. He looks for and finds an opportunity to take the initiative, understand the situation, and tries to anticipate the development of events. A reactive person shifts the blame to external circumstances, a proactive person is ready to take responsibility, realizing that this is the only way to find the best way out of the situation.

An ideal example of a proactive person is Mahatma Gandhi, revered as a saint in India. Without a personal office, political status and global leverage on international politics, he managed to expand his circle of influence among the common population, raise millions of people and end Britain's colonial claims to India.

Whenever we think that the problem is somewhere outside of us, this very thought already becomes a problem. By doing this, we allow external things to take control of our behavior and believe that we are able to change the situation only when favorable circumstances contribute to this. And most often you have to wait your whole life.

In his thoughts and actions, a proactive person is guided by the “I can”, “be” attitudes: I can be more patient, I can be more loving, I can be more diligent, more active, inventive... I can change myself and I will find a way to change external circumstances. He expands his circle of influence and clearly separates it from his circle of concerns.

A reactive person's thoughts constantly revolve around his unresolved worries and problems. He is completely absorbed and often revels in his helplessness, giving himself up to fruitless thoughts about how good it would be to have what he does not have and how unfair fate is that deprived him of all this. His circle of concerns is concentrated in the concept of having - I would be happy to have a house for which all the dues have already been paid. If only I had a more tolerant and understanding husband... If I had enough power... If only I had the necessary tools... If only, if only...

Vital energy

Proactive people are highly active. Their vital energy literally overflows. They do not allow themselves to be lazy and waste time. Such a person has an understanding that everything in life is given for a reason and everything must be achieved through certain efforts. When there is a lot of energy, the individual feels a surge of strength. It seems to him that he can move mountains, achieve any goal he can imagine. It is very important to have an understanding of what you need to spend your efforts on.

Only in this case can we talk about high efficiency. Focusing on results allows you not to quit at the most inopportune moment, but to continue to act no matter what. Any obstacles that arise can be overcome if you don’t give up.

Understanding Proactivity

In accordance with the principle of proactivity, between the stimulus - the irritant affecting a person and his reaction to it, there is always room for free choice.

Proactivity is a person’s ability to choose between an active or passive life position.

By choosing our response to circumstances, we change those circumstances. A person who is aware of his deep values and goals is a proactive person.

He uses his right and opportunity to freely choose and strives to subordinate his impulse reactions to life principles, regardless of the conditions and circumstances affecting him.

A person who consciously renounces his right to choose and influence circumstances thereby places responsibility for his life on circumstances, other people and external conditions. Such a person can be called reactive.

Promotion

Many organizations see proactive behavior on the part of their employees as critical to their survival in today's fast-paced business world with its increasingly complex work challenges. At the organizational level, adapting and responding to changes in one's environment is not enough; companies must be proactive to stay ahead of the competition and survive. As the excellent researcher in this field, Michael Frese, points out in his 2008 article: “The word is missing: we need a proactive concept of productivity for the modern workplace.” These modern workplaces require flexible and responsible employees who go beyond narrow tasks and who take a proactive approach to work. Additionally, individual careers have changed over the last decade. Employees change jobs faster and more often. This reduces the role of any given employer in managing employees' careers and increases the need for employees to take charge of their own careers. All of the above is the answer to the question of what proactivity is.

Subtleties and features

Proactivity is not limited to additional role behaviors. Employees can be proactive in their assigned role (for example, by changing the way they perform a primary task to improve efficiency). Similarly, activities labeled organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) can be carried out proactively or passively. For example, an altruistic OCB may be proactive in the team (e.g., offering help to employees before they ask for help).

How to become a proactive person?

It’s easy to adjust your behavior pattern and be proactive if you follow these recommendations:

Any transformation begins with introspection. It is necessary to understand which areas of life come first, what can be developed in these areas, and who (what) will help with this.
Proactivity is based on intense activity, so you should find the shortest paths to achieve your goal.
Mistakes are not a reason for despondency, but an incentive to look for an alternative way out. Things will go faster if, in addition to the main plan of action, there is also a backup plan.
Difficulties cannot be ignored in the hope that they will “resolve” on their own. Problems must be resolved in a timely manner.
Proactivity is inextricably linked with self-improvement, so you need to master new technologies, read useful books, and communicate with interesting people.
The ability to prioritize is a valuable quality for success. Current tasks can be presented in the form of a list, arranging them according to urgency.

For those who decide to develop proactivity, Stephen Covey advises paying attention not only to actions, but also to speech. When speaking, it is necessary to demonstrate in every possible way your strong-willed attitude to actions: “I can (understand, decide) ....” Remember: there is always a choice. Tired of work? You can build relationships with colleagues and bosses differently, open your own business, or, after receiving an education, try your hand at another field. The main thing is to be honest with yourself, take an active position, clearly see the goal and take steps towards it every day.