It’s when they become proactive.

One dictionary defines proactive as “the ability to initiate change rather than reacting to events.” Another says “Proactive employees generally do not need to be asked to act, nor do they require detailed instructions.”

Anticipate a need and take the action necessary while preempting undesirable consequences. That is what we look for. Sounds simple, but it’s a tall order. “Proactive” is not generally taught in school, yet it is required to get ahead. Being proactive can be the difference between administrative and clerical.

If you are looking to advance in your job, here are seven tips to becoming proactive:

1. Be a Conceptual Learner. Everybody needs examples, but after a while you should be able to extrapolate the concept from one learning lesson into a similar situation. If you know how to put out the Bar-B-Que fire with a fire extinguisher, don’t let the place burn down from a kitchen fire, even though you weren’t shown how to use the fire extinguisher in the kitchen.

2. Grasp the Big Picture. Understand who in the organization depends on you and why. Understand and calendar all the big deadlines, strategic and tactical, that depend on your performance. Ask questions until you know how your job relates to the income of the business. You can’t take pre-emptive action unless you understand the big picture.

3. Prioritize. Zero in on the time-sensitive tasks and do them first. Don’t wait to be told. Bring your calendar to meetings and listen for deadlines. Anticipate what must be done to meet them.

4. Develop a Sense of Urgency. “I’ve got a call in” is not enough. Regularly check back with people key to the deadline. It’s the squeaky wheel that gets the attention. Be sure to thank them when they do get back and tell them why you appreciate it.

5. Verbally Acknowledge. When you receive a lesson, don’t just sit there, say something. It’s OK to ask questions because it shows you want to get the job done. And if you do get it, say it back to them in your own words so they are reassured.

6. Track Your Progress. To give a good progress report you must know the goal and all the deadlines required to get there. So keep track of where you are on your projects, and give your boss a frequent update.

7. Pick up the Pace. Identify the areas that seem to slow you down. Ask for special training in those areas. This sends your boss a message that you want to work smarter, faster and more effectively. A good boss will realize that the one-time cost of what you need pales in comparison to your increased production.

At the end of the day, it’s all about taking action that convinces your boss she doesn’t have to worry about you. Show her that you are a self-starter and have the company’s best interests at heart. When she’s asked about you, she’ll say, “I can rely on Mary, she’s on top of it”.

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post 7 Tips to Being Proactive – the Key to Job Advancement appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.

1) Cash Flow Management

Reduce your costs by how you buy. Extend your credit by how you pay. Get paid faster by how you sell. Here are a few suggestions:

• Treat your vendors like you treat your customers. They can cut your costs and extend your credit. Sell them on your product and its future. Make them strategic allies – if you grow, they grow. Call them with a payment plan weeks before you miss a payment. They have payments too, and will appreciate working with a customer who cares.
• Buy in quantity whenever possible with terms. Your supplier’s goods are more valuable to him as a receivable from you than they are sitting in his warehouse without a buyer. If you produce your product on an as-needed basis, you may be able to get your supplier to hold your purchase in their warehouse until you need it.
• Offer discounts to your buyers who purchase in large quantities and pay on delivery. Generally, when retailers buy big, they sell big. They sell quickly to create more space in their warehouse. They are more likely to discount it to their own customers. This helps create new customers for the retailer (and ultimately, you). It also puts money in your bank account before your bills are due.

2) Channel Distribution Management

If you have a product that will get sold by a retailer, it has to go through the distribution channels. Every part of the distribution system buys your product for a different reason. Here are just some of them:

• Sales people or brokers buy it for the commission. They understand the benefits, and see how they can sell their customers, distributors, jobbers, or chain stores. They think it’s a winner and will put in the extra effort to get it established.
• Distributors buy it because it fills a gap in their product offerings. Your product addresses a market segment they want to sell to, or one of their large buyers wants to buy it from them. They want to have the exclusive in their territory.
• The General Public buys it because it has proven to be an exceptional value and it is in stock. If it’s out of stock, they’ll buy something else. The biggest challenge for any start-up with an excellent product is keeping it in stock.

3) Human Resource Management:

No matter what you are producing, you’re in the Human Resource Management business. Your staff is your greatest asset. They represent your company and your product. Reduce turnover and preserve delicate buyer and vendor relationships by considering these critical elements:

• Make sure they know exactly where their check is coming from. It’s not from you; it’s from the customer and everyone else who helps you get it to them. Show employees a graph of how the money flows from the customer back to them with all the steps in between.
• Employees do what they are paid to do. As a cash-strapped start up, you can’t afford to pay for attendance alone. Pay for performance. Non-performers can’t afford to work for you; performers can’t afford to quit.
• Once you find top people, find out what they like to do and reorganize the company so they can excel at what they to do best. Training and mentoring are only the beginning. They have to be convinced that you have their best interests at heart. Keep them loyal with public acknowledgement for a job well done.

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

The post 3 Tips for Start-up Producers appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.