Initiative & Self-Direction

Workplace readiness skills are essential to the success of any candidate for a new job and/or success on the job from the start. In your personal life and in work, you have probably heard of individuals described as being “real go-getters” or “take-charge” kind of people. These are terms used to identify people who are willing to take action before anyone else tells them to do so. Individuals who take charge can inspire others with their passion and creativity. In the workplace, these people are referred to as having initiative. Part of demonstrating initiative is being self-directed, which means that you need little to no help in completing your work.

You can demonstrate initiative and self-direction at work by setting career goals, practicing good time management skills, and learning how to organize your work area for efficiency. It is important to cultivate these skills by exploring techniques and characteristics of innovation and self-direction.

Class Objectives

After completing this class, learners will be able to:

• Identify the traits of an individual with strong initiative and self-direction
• Explain tangible and intangible success criteria when setting goals
• Describe types of goals and techniques to reward yourself for goals achieved
• Apply self-direction techniques to advance professional skills