Proactive vs. Reactive

Have you ever been to a restaurant where after having taken your order, they immediately brought out fresh drinks, napkins and plates in preparation for the meal you were about to receive? I have worked for one such restaurant, and that single action is called being proactive.

A reactive waiter/waitress would have brought you your meal, and perhaps you would have said, "Excuse me, may I have some napkins and some more to drink?" He or she would have responded with "Of course," and then brought them to you. That is called being reactive. Reactive is a reaction to something. It is responding to an action which has already been interpreted. Being proactive is taking it a step further than that. It literally means, "creating or controlling a situation by causing something to happen rather than responding to it after it has happened." 

Our actions always have a reaction-whether we are driving down the road, at work, at home, or walking around town surrounded by strangers. A glance, a smile, a handshake, holding the door open for someone, all of these actions cause reactions. So what if we learn to take everyday situations and turn them into proactive situations? What would our work lives look like? What would our family lives look like? It only takes a ripple to cause a tidal wave, a spark to start a fire, and a voice to begin a revolution. 

Turning a reactive company into a proactive one takes time. It takes guts, and nitty-gritty, every day grunt work. It might seem like an impossible task. The results, however, are nothing short of miraculous. Start by taking each conversation and saying, "How can I better help this person today?"