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Initiative/Results Oriented

Definition

Level of concern for own effort and initiative. Refers to effort an employee will display during a particular task.  Also implies that an individual will work and take action without specific direction and without being monitored.
 

Behavioral Descriptions
Proficiency Level 5

  • Exerts extraordinary effort.

    •

  • Makes exceptional attempts to reach solutions or achieve goals.

  • Takes action to seize opportunities for good of agency and customers.

  • Holds self accountable for team and organization outcomes.

  • Takes proactive steps achieve positive outcomes.
Proficiency Level 4

  • Goes beyond duty.

    •

  • Provides high level of effort on all tasks.

  • Takes on difficult and challenging tasks.

  • Consistently exceeds organizational expectations.

  • Perseveres through unpleasant assignments or tasks without complaining.

  • Independently takes on new tasks or projects and follows through.
Proficiency Level 3

  • Makes strong effort to get job done.

    •

  • Works independently with minimum direction or structure.

  • Persists on difficult tasks.

  • Follows though on commitments with appropriate action.

  • Tries various approaches until a goal is achieved.

  • Assumes personal responsibility for positive and negative outcomes.
Proficiency Level 2

  • Meets minimum standards.

    •

  • Makes sufficient effort on enjoyable tasks, lower effort on non-enjoyable tasks.

  • Only works to meet minimum standards set by organization.

  • Looks for easiest solution to most problems.
Proficiency Level 1

  • No concern for quality.

    •

  • No or little concern for quality of product or service.

  • Careless, makes numerous mistakes when working.

  • No concern for quality of product or service.

  • Gives up quickly on difficult tasks, doesn't make additional attempts.
Suggested Activities for Development

  • At the end of each week take some time to review the progress on your goals and objectives.

  • Talk to people in senior positions about their roles and gain there insight and opinions on what it takes to be successful.

  • Request feedback about your performance from your manager, colleagues, customers and team members. Look for common themes. From this feedback, identify one skill/ability to work on. Develop a plan to improve in that area and implement it. Remember to schedule regular performance reviews.

  • Initiate a discussion with your manager on how you can contribute to the organization reaching its goals and objectives.

  • Compare your success rate with your peers. Who is most successful and what are they doing? Incorporate their methods into your work habits and monitor your success.

  • Volunteer to participate in a challenging project. After you have completed the project, write down what you learned and how can you use it.

  • Identify 3 to 5 important quality measures for your own work. Use them to identify the area which is in greatest need and develop an action plan to improve quality in this area over the next 3 months

  • Each month review what you have achieved relative to your goals. Take into account changing priorities. List any obstacles that are getting in the way of achieving your objectives and identify strategies for overcoming the obstacles.

  • Create a task force to come up with new ways of increasing productivity and quality in your work unit.

  • Take time to debrief after completing a project. Identify what went well and what did not. Devise a plan to improve upon process.

  • Schedule a planning session with your management team to develop challenging goals in key success areas, and develop a plan to realize the goals.

  • Analyze the effectiveness of your organization to determine if the structure and processes facilitate or hinder getting work done. Implement strategies to improve effectiveness.
Recommended Courses
Additional Resource

Books

  • Please Don’t Just Do What I Tell You, Do What Needs To Be Done: Every Employee’s Guide To Making Work More Rewarding by B. Nelson (Hyperion, 2001). Basic point is one of empowerment: think bigger, figure out "what needs to be done" beyond the confines of your job description and do it. The book explains how to take the initiative and make one's job better or one's customers happier.
  • Never Wrestle with a Pig and Ninety Other Ideas to Build Your Business and Career by M. H. McCormack (Penguin Putnam, 2002). Brief chapters that range in topic from getting ahead to staying competitive. Doing business in today's climate still involves the same basic elements of human interaction-intelligence, creativity, and efficiency-that have always meant the difference between success and failure.
  • Stewardship: Choosing Service over Self-Interest by P. Block (Berrett-Koehler, 1996). Goes beyond the spirit of empowerment to discuss the benefits of companies that offer equity and partnership for its employees at all levels, discussing what stewardship means, management accountability, quality control, and human resources.
  • Transforming Work: The Five Keys to Achieving Trust, Commitment, & Passion in the Workplace by P. E. Boverie, M. Kroth & P. Boverie (Perseus Publishing, 2001). Unlocks the essentials to talent retention and shows leaders how to build a culture of growth and development. An excellent resource that teaches you how to bring your passionate self to work.
  • The Power Of Six Sigma: An Inspiring Tale Of How Six Sigma Is Transforming The Way We Work by S. Chowdhury (Dearborn Trade Publishing, 2001). Six Sigma is a business initiative used to reduce cycle time, eliminate product defects, and dramatically increase customer involvement and satisfaction. Works with employee involvement and commitment.
Behavioral-Based Interviewing Questions