Organizations assess their employees now and then to ensure that they are performing as expected, reward excellence where it is due and address the shortcomings. Managers are required to use employee appraisal phrases when stating how an employee has performed in various competencies. One area that is appraised using the phrases is employee initiative.
Taking initiative is one of the desired qualities of an employee. Having it means that an employee can do their job unsupervised and can improve their skills and job performance without being told. It is determination and the ability to follow through a task. Employee initiative means doing the job well, going an extra step, volunteering and embracing personal development.
Evaluating initiative is an important part of the appraisal process because it helps to differentiate between a productive employee and an average one. In case an employee is found to be lacking the virtue, measures can be taken to rectify that using the various ways of empowering employees to take an initiative. Employees who take initiative have high productivity and they are an asset to the organization.
How to encourage initiative
An employee who takes initiative is an asset, the reason why an organization should promote the virtue by creating a culture that encourages employees to be proactive. Employees should be rewarded for seeking better ways to do things, ways to cut costs or to introduce new products and services.
A company can encourage initiative by telling the employees of its importance, managers leading by example and being roles models of initiating as well as creating an enabling environment where employees can be creative. It should also give employees the authority to make decisions, recognize and reward initiative as well as acknowledging effort even if it does not bear fruit.
If an employee is lacks initiative, they can be challenged to seek new opportunities and to aspire more to their role. The employee can be advised to be independent when doing a task and to improve their skills.
Samples of employee appraisal phrases on initiative
Positive phrases: John seeks out new opportunities voluntarily; Grace works with little or no supervision; Mike challenges the ordinary way things are done and looks for a way to improve; Jack takes on new opportunities that present themselves.