Initiative

Webster's Dictionary defines initiative in the following ways: 1. an introductory step; 2. the energy or aptitude displayed in initiation of action: enterprise.  Do you have initiative?  I tried an interesting experiment last week.  I knew the weight room needed to be cleaned.  I gathered the rags, cleaner and vacuum so that I could get the job done.  Sometimes, you may notice, we have student workers in the weight room.  Part of their assigned duties are to clean the weight room; however, we can't have 100% coverage and I take care of this duty if they are not available.

On this particular day there was a student worker at the desk.  I was going to give her instructions and then let her clean the room, but I decided to run my experiment.  I went to the back room and began cleaning.  She turned on the TV.  I wiped down the equipment and then started to vacuum.  She turned up the volume on the TV.  I continued to clean, checking her activity as I went along.  She was not doing much.  I vacuumed right up to her desk.  When I finished,  I asked her if she ever thought about asking if she could help.  She replied, "I thought about it." 

Why didn't she take the initiative?  She knew cleaning was part of her duties.  I went on to explain that I wasn't trying to be a jerk, I was trying to get her to think about her future.  If you work for someone and they are performing a task and you are not very busy, don't you think it would be a good idea to at least offer to help?  When your boss writes your evaluation or if it is time for a raise or if your boss needs to lay off some employees to keep the business going, do you believe the way you reacted when she was working and you were not might leave an impression?  This impression can be positive or negative, depending on your initiative. 

If you were the boss, who would you want on your payroll, someone who watched you work and someone who  helped you work? 

Don't wait for things to happen to you.  Take the introductory step.  Do you want to get fit?  Take the introductory step.  Do you want lose weight?  Take the introductory step.  Do you want to have a winning season?  Take the introductory step.

Please squirrels, take the introductory step and then keep on marching.