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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Von Ether" data-source="post: 7716760" data-attributes="member: 15582">"initiative" is an interesting word. I divide up initiative into two types.Type 1 Bravado.When I was new and entering the white collar world, I got the same complaint. I had grew up on a farm and never worked in an office before.I was lost and literally had no idea of what to do and scared to death of making suggestions in fear of looking dumb.  My co-worker who grew up white collar and had a Master's degree had more "initiative."His secret?Confidence and a couple of years workshopping business plans and presentations with friends -- something not on his class schedule or as an assignment. He even admitted that he was just as lost as me, but he could talk the talk. Something lots of geeks don't feel comfortable doing.The side benefit of his confidence is that this rising star was quickly mentored. Suddenly he didn't need initiative anymore as he was assigned projects. Later in another job, I found my own confidence and a mentor to guide me as well.I also leaned that every boss and job had crazy different expectations and tools. You need a mentor to help guide you around not only job, but more importantly, the company culture, especially the culture not in the employee handbook.I also have some nurse friends and they have a secret. The goal of doing clinicals is so that you have enough practice and confidence so that you never know if you are their first patient. No wants to be the first patient for health care professional. These patients get nervous and constantly second guess the new nurse or doctor. Type 2 Experience.This, to me, is what I actually think of when someone mentions the word "initiative."Someone who knows what to do takes the reins and bangs out a rough strategy on how to tackle the problem. That, though, takes experience. And through that experience, the confidence to know what needs to be done.So bosses want to see someone act like the already have experience. And that maybe the employees who need mentoring aren't the ones who look more promising.**Because it seems that mentoring is a binary decision in the corporate world.</blockquote>

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