My boss told me to 'be more proactive' and I finally figured out what that actually means

For about a year, I kept getting that same note in my reviews. I thought it just meant working harder, so I'd stay late and take on extra tasks. Nothing changed. Then, about three months ago, I started sending a short email every Monday morning. It just lists my main goals for the week and asks if my boss sees any conflicts with other projects. It takes five minutes. The difference is crazy. Instead of just doing work, I'm now steering the work. My boss stopped giving me that note and started asking for my input on scheduling. The shift wasn't about more hours, it was about showing I understood the plan. Has anyone else cracked a vague piece of advice like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

barnes.jamie1mo ago

Interesting take. My experience was the opposite. I tried the weekly email thing and it just felt like extra paperwork. My boss never read them. What worked for me was stopping by his office for a two minute chat every few days to ask, "Anything new I should jump on?" That showed I was looking ahead without creating another email chain. It seems like "be more proactive" really means "find the one way your boss likes to get updates.

angela_knight1mo ago

Your boss not reading emails is a him problem, not a system problem. A weekly email creates a paper trail that covers your butt when priorities get fuzzy.

sean_ramirez1mo ago

Five minutes a week is a solid trade for getting off the feedback loop. @angela_knight is right about the paper trail, but Jamie's point about different bosses is key. My last manager hated email, so I'd just drop two quick options on his desk before a meeting. It was the same idea, just a different channel. How do you figure out which method to try first without looking like you're guessing?