Introduction: Initiative Cannot Be Ordered
Many workplaces tell new employees:
“Be more proactive.”
“Think for yourself.”
“Don’t just wait for instructions.”
But initiative does not appear simply because someone demands it.
In many workplaces, people actually learn that initiative is dangerous.
If they act on their own, they are told not to make decisions without permission.
If they ask questions, they are told to think for themselves.
If they make suggestions, they are treated as annoying.
If they make mistakes, they are blamed harshly.
Eventually, new employees learn a simple lesson:
“It is safer not to speak.”
“It is safer to wait.”
“It is safer to do only what I am told.”
In that environment, the problem is not that people lack initiative.
The problem is that the environment punishes initiative.
Why New Employees Lose Initiative
1. They Are Punished for Acting on Their Own
New employees rarely make perfect decisions from the beginning.
They need correction, feedback, and opportunities to improve.
But if every imperfect decision is treated as a serious failure, they stop trying.
They learn that making no decision is safer than making a wrong one.
2. They Are Also Punished for Asking Questions
Some workplaces create a double bind.
When new employees act independently, they are criticized.
When they ask questions, they are also criticized.
They hear:
“Why didn’t you check?”
and then,
“Why do you always ask?”
This does not create initiative.
It creates hesitation.
3. Delegation Becomes Dumping
Delegation is necessary for growth.
But vague delegation is not training.
Examples:
“Just do it nicely.”
“Use your judgment.”
“Make it feel modern.”
“Think from a young person’s perspective.”
These instructions may sound empowering, but without purpose, boundaries, criteria, and check-in points, they become dumping.
New employees need small, clear decision areas first.
4. Mistakes Are Treated as Personal Failures
Initiative grows through experimentation.
If mistakes are treated as learning opportunities, people continue trying.
If mistakes are treated as personal defects, people stop trying.
A workplace that attacks people for mistakes cannot expect initiative.
5. There Is No Time or Space for Training
A workplace full of overtime often has no space for training.
There is no time to teach.
No time to document.
No time to review.
No time to let someone try.
Then the same workplace says:
“Reduce dependency on specific people.”
“Be proactive.”
“Train younger employees.”
That is not realistic.
Initiative requires time, psychological safety, decision criteria, and feedback.
How to Develop Initiative in New Employees
The key is not to give new employees huge responsibility from day one.
The key is to give them small, safe decisions.
1. Start with Small Choices
Do not begin with “Think about everything.”
Start with simple choices.
Examples:
- Should this subtitle be placed on the side or at the bottom?
- Which color is easier to read?
- Is this cut around ten seconds long enough?
- Does this explanation feel too long?
- If you were seeing this for the first time, what would be confusing?
These questions are easy to answer.
They give new employees a chance to make decisions without being overwhelmed.
2. Use Their Suggestions
If you ask for opinions but never use them, people stop speaking.
When a new employee gives a useful suggestion, use it.
Examples:
“Let’s place the subtitle at the bottom.”
“That color is easier to read.”
“Let’s cut it around ten seconds.”
When their opinion is reflected in the final output, they learn that their judgment matters.
3. Praise Specifically
Generic praise is better than nothing, but specific praise is stronger.
Instead of only saying “Good job,” say what was good.
Examples:
- The footage is stable and easy to watch.
- That angle makes the explanation clearer.
- Your perspective as a first-time viewer is useful.
- This cut length feels right.
- I was right to ask you to handle this.
Specific praise helps new employees understand their strengths.
4. Praise Them in Front of Others
When appropriate, recognize their contribution in front of other people.
Examples:
“She filmed this part very clearly.”
“We asked a new employee to check whether the video was easy to understand.”
“This part includes feedback from someone seeing it for the first time.”
This turns their work into a recognized contribution.
It should be natural and factual, not exaggerated.
5. Use Polite Communication as a Sign of Respect
Using respectful language with new employees helps create safety.
It shows that they are not being treated as disposable helpers.
Examples:
“What do you think about this placement?”
“Does this color look readable?”
“Would this be confusing for someone seeing it for the first time?”
Then, when praising, a slightly more casual tone can create warmth.
Examples:
“Nice, that looks good.”
“This is really easy to see.”
“I’m glad I asked you.”
A good balance is:
- Polite language for respect and safety
- Casual praise for warmth and encouragement
Workplaces That Demand Initiative Often Destroy It
Some workplaces say they want initiative, but they punish the conditions that create it.
They criticize people for acting independently.
They criticize people for asking questions.
They ignore suggestions.
They punish mistakes.
They give responsibility without authority.
They provide no time for training.
They do not share decision criteria.
Then they ask:
“Why is no one proactive?”
This is like stepping on a sprout and then asking why it does not bloom.
Initiative needs an environment.
At minimum, people need:
- Safety to speak
- Small opportunities to decide
- Feedback
- Clear criteria
- Permission to make correctable mistakes
- Recognition when they contribute
- A role they can own
Without these, people do not become proactive.
They become defensive.
Psychological Safety and Initiative
Google’s Project Aristotle identified psychological safety as an important factor in effective teams. In psychologically safe teams, people feel safer taking interpersonal risks, such as speaking up, asking questions, or admitting uncertainty.
This applies directly to new employee training.
A new employee needs to feel:
“I can ask.”
“I can suggest.”
“I can be corrected without being attacked.”
“I can participate without being mocked.”
Without psychological safety, new employees protect themselves instead of taking initiative.
Self-Determination Theory and New Employee Training
Self-Determination Theory emphasizes three basic psychological needs:
- Autonomy
- Competence
- Relatedness
These are useful for understanding new employee development.
Autonomy
Do not give unlimited freedom.
Give small choices.
Example:
“Which placement is easier to read, side or bottom?”
Competence
Help them feel capable by naming what they did well.
Example:
“The footage is stable and easy to understand.”
Relatedness
Treat them as a respected member of the team.
Example:
“Your perspective helped improve this.”
When autonomy, competence, and relatedness are supported, people are more likely to show higher-quality motivation and engagement.
Training New Employees Also Reduces Dependency on Specific People
Training is not just for the new employee.
It also reduces dependency on specific individuals.
When only one person can do a task:
- Work stops when they are absent
- Questions concentrate on them
- Knowledge is not transferred
- Overtime increases
- Improvement becomes slow
To reduce this dependency, work should be broken down and gradually shared.
A practical sequence is:
- Show the work
- Do part of it together
- Give a small decision
- Review the result
- Praise what worked
- Assign the role again
- Document the process
This helps the new employee grow, reduces the burden on the trainer, and makes the work more repeatable.
Practical Example: Video Creation and Training
Imagine creating an internal training video.
Do not ask a new employee to “make the whole video” from the start.
Instead, involve them in small decisions.
Ask them to:
- Film a short part
- Check the length of a cut
- Choose subtitle placement
- Compare subtitle colors
- Identify confusing points from a beginner’s perspective
Ask concrete questions:
“Is ten seconds enough for this cut?”
“Should the subtitle be on the side or at the bottom?”
“Is this color readable?”
Then recognize their contribution:
“The footage is stable.”
“Your first-time viewer perspective helps.”
“This became easier to understand because of your input.”
Over time, the new employee may start asking:
“How does this look?”
“Is this angle okay?”
“Would this be easier to read?”
That is initiative growing.
Bad Training vs Good Training
Bad Training
- Dumping vague work
- No criteria
- Blaming mistakes harshly
- Never praising good work
- Treating new employees like guests and giving them no responsibility
- Overloading mid-level employees while protecting new employees too much
- Saying “be proactive” without creating conditions for initiative
Good Training
- Small tasks
- Simple choices
- Clear criteria
- Specific praise
- Recognition in front of others
- Mistakes treated as correctable
- Documentation
- Gradual role ownership
Useful Phrases
Asking for Input
- Which one looks easier to understand?
- Would this be confusing for someone seeing it for the first time?
- Is this too long?
- Which color is easier to read?
- Should the subtitle be on the side or at the bottom?
Praising
- This is easy to see.
- The footage is stable.
- That angle works well.
- Your perspective helped.
- I’m glad I asked you to handle this.
Assigning a Role
- Could you check the readability again next time?
- I’d like to ask you to handle this part.
- Please tell me if anything feels confusing from a first-time viewer’s perspective.
- This part seems like something you are good at.
Conclusion: Initiative Is Designed, Not Demanded
New employees do not become proactive because someone tells them to be proactive.
They become proactive when the environment allows them to try, speak, decide, and learn.
The key is:
- Small decisions
- Safe communication
- Specific praise
- Correctable mistakes
- Recognized contributions
- Documentation
- Gradual ownership
A workplace that destroys initiative cannot complain that people lack initiative.
If you want proactive new employees, do not start by demanding initiative.
Start by designing the conditions where initiative can appear.
Give small choices.
Use their input.
Praise specifically.
Turn contributions into roles.
Document the process.
That is how new employees grow.
That is also how teams reduce dependency on specific people.
References (4)
- Google re:Work, “Understand team effectiveness”
https://rework.withgoogle.com/intl/en/guides/understand-team-effectiveness - Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-Determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-Being.
https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/SDT/documents/2000_RyanDeci_SDT.pdf - Self-Determination Theory official site, “Theory”
https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/theory/ - CIPD, “Trust and psychological safety: An evidence review”
https://www.cipd.org/globalassets/media/knowledge/knowledge-hub/evidence-reviews/2024-pdfs/8542-psych-safety-trust-practice-summary.pdf
