Regardless of the type of organization you lead, it’s inevitable that problems that impact your business will arise. Without proper leadership skills to address these issues, a minor issue can eventually escalate into a full-blown crisis.
Proactive management is key to nipping problems in the bud and ensuring that your teams remain productive, and your operations run seamlessly.
In this post, we’ll define what proactive management is, how it works, and offer tips for becoming a proactive manager.
Proactive management is a flexible leadership style that emphasizes strategic planning and risk management instead of taking a reactive approach to situations and business goals. Managers who practice proactive management seek new opportunities for the business, establish measures to protect against unforeseen problems, and plan for decisions to be made in the future. Proactive management can be implemented in any industry through leadership that emphasizes planning and forward-thinking.
Proactive managers usually portray traits that benefit their organization. Here are some of their attributes:
There’s no question that today’s leaders need to practice proactive management. The only question is how to implement this leadership style. Below are some ways you can begin implementing proactive management:
The first step to implementing proactive management is to judge what may happen to your organization in the future and how you implement changes to attain success. A proactive entrepreneur may make a considerable investment that could result in significant returns for the company. Departmental managers may reorganize their business processes to reflect emerging market trends.
Instead of being reactive to an event, a proactive manager assesses the possible outcomes of various situations to minimize risk. For instance, a proactive manager may foresee a potential loss and avoid investing in a venture. It could also mean a manager noticing a safety concern in the workplace and alerting employees before the accident occurs.
Proactive managers identify new opportunities and take calculated risks. They constantly look for new ways to improve their organization’s bottom line. They may advise executives on which investment opportunities to cease. They may establish a professional development program to help employees adapt to changes in the industry. They may also develop new business models to increase revenue or impact business culture.
Another way to implement proactive management is to ensure that employees work harmoniously. This entails being on the lookout for any tension between employees, yourself, or coworkers and diffusing it.
Instead of allowing tensions to escalate or frustrations to build, proactive managers communicate with upset employees using empathy to diffuse tension in a situation.
Fostering relationships built on trust, honesty, and open communication is a crucial aspect that proactive managers should prioritize. Whether they connect with departmental employees or executive managers, proactive leadership means being the first to offer assistance with projects, appreciating other peoples’ efforts, and demonstrating genuine care for all team members.
Proactive managers not only seek external growth opportunities but also look inside their organizations to identify areas of need. Proactive managers can find solutions to problems as soon as they arise. They view challenges as an opportunity to make a change that can positively impact the organization.
Proactive managers create plans to deal with every problem that arises. They develop emergency procedures and set contingency plans for issues such as product malfunctions and revenue loss.
Below are some tips to help you become more effective in your proactive management:
Take the time to cultivate proactive traits in your team members via professional development programs. The programs should focus on proactive practices such as strategic planning and risk management. Allocate time for employees to celebrate their initiative and share their ideas. Also, mentor them and allow them to lead projects they envisioned.
Set clear expectations within the workplace. Explain to your employees why you made various decisions and what those decisions aim to achieve. You should communicate your expectations before a project, in the beginning, or at the start of a new quarter to prepare all team members for the task ahead.
Proactive management requires a lot of time to plan the organization’s next move. Proactive managers critically think about future situations, so unforeseen problems don’t catch them unprepared.
Create time to strategize possible opportunities and record your ideas. Consider involving others in your planning sessions, more so employees you’re mentoring to become proactive managers.
Today’s dynamic business environment demands that managers practice proactive management, and rightly so. Some of the benefits of proactive management include:
Are you ready to start your proactive management leadership journey? Platinum Group is a human capital management resource platform with solutions to help you streamline operations so you’ll have ample time to better manage your business. To learn more about Platinum Group or to schedule a demo of isolved, contact us today.