WorksheetsWorkplace Readiness Skill 03 - Initiative and Self-Direction
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 8mins
Employers look for prospective employees who already have certain skills and traits when they apply for jobs. One of these traits in initiative, which is...
working well with others
analyzing and summarize data
minding your own business and not asking too many questions
doing things independently, without being told
Jaishon just started his job as a cashier at a fast food restaurant. His manager told his senior coworker, Sheila, to assist him if he asks for help. A few hours into their shift, Sheila sees Jaishon struggling to help a customer, who is starting to get visibly annoyed. What should Shelia do in this situation?
Focus on helping her customers and apologize for the disturbance
Ignore the situation since Jaishon hasn't asked for help
Immediately call the manager to help him
Ask Jaishon if he needs help and assist him
Dominique always empties the office trash can when it is full to prevent trash from spilling onto the floor, even though she knows a custodian will come by at the end of the day to clean. She is demonstrating...
Initiative
Innovation
Customer Service
Critical Thinking Skills
During her annual performance review, Nancy's supervisor says she wants her to show more initiative. What should Nancy do to meet her supervisor's expecations?
Show disinterest in learning and professional development
Take on additional tasks without being asked
Resist change and new ideas
Ignore tasks and responsibilities outside her job description
Which is the best example of showing initiative?
Following procedures exactly
Seizing an opportunity for advancement
Producing consistent results
Responding to work emails
Anne works at a dog grooming salon. One morning her manager tells the team that another groomer called in sick at the last minute, and had a fully booked schedule of dogs for the day. How can Anne show initiative in this situation?
Focus on the dogs on her own schedule.
Offer to groom some of her coworker's dogs and reschedule the rest.
Call her sick coworker and tell her to get well soon.
Tell her manager that they should groom the dogs themself.
Jane finds the task allocation system at her workplace to be inefficient. She devises a new method and presents it to her supervisor, explaining how it could enhance productivity. This demonstrates Jane's:
adaptability
respect for diversity
integrity
initiative
How can you develop self-direction skills for the workplace?
Wait for instructions from others
Set clear goals, create a plan, manage time effectively, and be proactive
Only do those tasks which are directly assigned to you
Make a list of all of your preferred tasks and share it with your supervisor
Which of the following statements reflects a person with strong initiave and self-direction skills?
"I only do what I'm told to do."
"I identify needs and take steps to address them."
"I prefer to let others make decisions for me."
"I won't do anything that's not in my job description."
What is one way to show initiative at work?
Wait for instructions before doing anything
Keep to yourself and avoid interacting with others
Take the time to understand the company's needs and propose new ideas
Ignore feedback and do things your own way
Being proactive on the job involves all of the following EXCEPT...
Identifying the needs of your customers and coworkers in advance
Waiting to see if a problem is going to cost the company money before fixing it
Catching and addressing potential issues before they become a problem
Completing important tasks before being asked
Why is it important to show initiative and self-direction in the workplace?
It's not important; you should just do what you're told
It demonstrates your ability to take on leadership roles, solve problems, and can lead to career growth
It makes you look like you're trying to outshine your coworkers
It's only important if you want to impress your boss
John noticed that the office printer often runs out of paper, causing delays. He decides to keep a stack of paper nearby and refill the printer whenever it's empty. This is an example of John's...
Communication skills
Initiative
Technical skills
Teamwork
Why is it important to be proactive on the job?
To keep on top of your workload and prevent problems in the future
To make yourself look better than your coworkers
To make sure your supervisor is paying close attention to you
To create new problems for other people to solve
Employers tend to favor employees with strong initiative and self-direction skills for promotion because they...
are always the most talented people on staff
don't require a lot of supervision to do their job well
create more problems than they solve
tend to have a lower salary and save the company money
