Definition of Initiative: readiness and ability in initiating action; enterprise
Out of the six character traits the college emphasizes, initiative
is the one that makes colorful balloons, whirling confetti and loud cheers go
off inside my head. I have this reaction for two reasons:
1.
I’ve been placed in positions of management
since I’ve been a teenager. There are qualities in your employees that you
learn to prize more than others, and initiative is one of them. An employee
that recognizes what needs to be done, and then does it without waiting to be
asked, makes their time, their boss, their co-workers and their company so much
more productive. It’s an invaluable trait to bring into an organization.
2. I’m
a mother of a teenager, and as any mother of a typical, garden-variety type
teenager knows, initiative is hard to come by.
I know my daughter understands that a household needs certain things
accomplished in order to function on a daily basis. Clean dishes are a handy thing to have when
dinnertime rolls around, clean laundry is mandatory for attending school, stuff
like that. When I walk through the door after a long day of work and I see a
sink filled with dirty dishes that she created from her endless after-school
snacking, it’s common to hear me ask, “Couldn’t
you have done the dishes?” to which she replies, “No one asked me to.” Or better yet, “I didn’t know I needed to.”
Huh. I would fire her, but I
think that’s actually what she wants.
At Shepherds
College, we know that initiative is important for the students to learn, not
only for job performance, but for daily living as an independent young adult.
When one of our graduates moves out on her own, she needs to recognize when her
food or supplies are getting low and do something about it.
She needs to be
aware when her work clothes are no longer clean and take the appropriate action
to remedy the situation. Her parents aren’t going to be there to do these tasks
for her. She needs to recognize that a task needs to be done, and then do it
without being told.
Here are several ways we accomplish this goal at Shepherds College:
Mr. Gaschke encourages initiative in the residential areas by
putting the students in a position of responsibility regarding cleaning
supplies and paper products. When supplies
are getting low, it’s up to the students to notify him of the need to
restock. He also expects the students to
take the initiative to discuss make-up work with him if they miss school.
Mrs. Konopasek creates initiative scenarios for the students
to role play in Personal Development 2. She’s also been known to purposely mess
up her classroom to see if the students demonstrate initiative in straightening
it up! Heads up students!
Miss Pollard asked her third-year students to find a need in
the community and meet it. The students took the initiative to look through the
newspapers, find needs that were mentioned and plan service projects to help
meet the needs. The students will be volunteering at animal shelters, planning
a fun day for the girls at the Agape House and assisting with yard work, also
at the Agape House.
 |
| Our students working with a girl from the Agape House. |
Initiative is one very important key to our students’
success in school and in their pursuit of an independent living. At Shepherds
College, we teach them to set goals and follow through with them on their own, to recognize needs and meet them without being told.
We have no doubt they can do it. Believing in their
abilities, even when others don't, will give them the confidence to take
initiative and succeed in their jobs, in their homes, and in any area of their
appropriately independent lives.
Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.
No comments:
Post a Comment