Proactive Strategy: Keeping an Idea List

One approach to being proactive is to think of it as a way of looking ahead and planning for the future. Over the years I’ve developed an easy method for this that allows me to be prepared for the next step. Here’s my secret: anytime I’m asked to bring ideas to a meeting or have a thought that needs to be explored, I start a list. As I go through the days and weeks, any new ideas I have related to the topic are added to the list.

How does this work in action? As a real life example, there is a meeting I will be attending in a few weeks. It’s an important meeting that occurs only a couple of times a year. Typically people in my situation will either spend an hour preparing all at once or not prepare at all and wing it when they get there. I’m going with secret option number 3: my idea list. I started a document on the meeting topic, and anytime I come across something relevant to the meeting, I jot it down. When the meeting arrives, I’ll just need to organize my notes, and I’ll be prepared.

This idea also works well when you have a theoretical concept or large project that needs some exploring before you can take action. Several years ago I was approached with the idea of adding a new position to my department. At first I thought the new position was unnecessary, but just for kicks, I started a list of responsibilities that could fall under that role. After a while, I had a comprehensive list of job duties for the new position and understood the value of what it could bring to that department. Furthermore, my list allowed me to easily build the job description and know exactly what I was looking for when the time came to hire someone.

The idea list concept is a really simple and efficient method for planning as you go, which will allow you to be fully prepared and minimize the “work” related to this type of strategizing. It’s a wonderful way to centralize your thoughts, which can help you to be more proactive when it’s time to take action. If you’re skeptical, I highly recommend you pick one thing you are working on and give this method a try.