Get more from your people by encouraging initiative in your business

You love it when a team member uses their initiative – every manager loves employees with initiative!

When one of your team uses their initiative it generally means they have done what needs to be done without having to be asked, even if it is not their job.

For example, they may not be the receptionist, but if the phone was ringing they would answer the call and either transfer the call to the right person, take a message, or even better (if they can) deal with the issue.

This is them using their initiative!

For example, where would Fred Smith be without a wedding dress and a large slice of initiative?

In the beginning of FedEx, the now international parcel courier, one employee responded to a delayed wedding dress with great initiative.

She organised and paid for a private jet to fly the wedding dress across the USA and land at a local airfield, in time for the wedding.

Naturally the bride (and groom) were delighted that their wedding could go ahead and in fact the ‘rescue mission’ was the talk of the wedding.

This talk resulted in FedEx winning a substantial parcel contract from one of the wedding guests, (a senior executive and a high-user of parcel services), so impressed was he at the service shown by FedEx.

It is reported that without this contract Fred Smith, the FedEx founder would have run out of money. No wedding dress, no initiative, no FedEx.

This one act of initiative by one member of the FedEx team had a profound effect on their business results and helped make them the success they are today.

Initiative can have the same effect on your business.

Initiative when encouraged in your team can transform your success, your profits and your growth.