Character Is Everything: What Is Proactivity
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Did you know that the word proactive isn’t even in the dictionary? It’s a word that is used all the time in society and there isn’t even a clear definition for it. I believe that it is an important character quality of merit and that it needs to be defined. So, what does the character quality of proactivity mean? Proactivity is the opposite of reactivity and can be defined as the ability to know one’s response before one is faced with a problem. Proactivity allows one prevent some problems from occurring although not all problems can be prevented and some problems come upon us without warning.
The quality of proactivity is in a larger sense related to one’s response when one is under stress and how one handles difficult situations. People who are proactive knows how to choose their response in any circumstance because they have a set of values and principles that they have learned that are plugged into their heart and soul. Reactive people on the other hand are very emotional and when they are faced with a problem they become angry, frustrated, depressed and so filled with anxiety that they tend to blame others or circumstances for their problem.
The character quality of proactivity is a learned quality, and perhaps the best teacher is experience or the experiences of others. When I was a very young school administrator I faced all kinds of problems with students, teachers, and parents. To be quite honest I didn’t want anyone to come to me with a problem, primarily because I just didn’t have the capacity to solve some of the problems that were presented to me. As I grew in my position I learned that what happened today could very easily happen again tomorrow. I learned how to determine my responses before I was presented with a problem, and became adept at student discipline, handling teacher complaints, and parent conferences. I lost my fear of confronting a problem because I already had the answer to the problem before it occurred. I went from being a reactive person to a proactive person and worked to always become part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Unfortunately today children come into school with a reactive nature and lack the ability to share, play in a group, show respect for others, do what they are told to do by the teacher, and to display kind and courteous behavior. They were never taught to use their proactive muscles by their parents who are probably emotional and reactive in nature themselves. I am sure that these same parents were offered instruction by their parents on how to handle difficult situations, but they failed to listen and learn from the experiences of others.
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