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Quick Look Course Summary:Taking Initiative Course (1 day)
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Length: 1 day(s)
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Price (at your venue): 1 Person R 5,654 EX VAT 3 Person R 3,982 EX VAT 10 Person R 2,940 EX VAT
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Certification Type:Non-Accredited
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Locations & Venues: Off-site or in-house. We train in all major city centres throughout South Africa.
Taking Initiative – self-paced online, 6 months’ access: R750 per learner (ex VAT); teams of 10 or more pay less.
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Taking Initiative Course (1 day)
Delegates learn when and how to step forward – spotting opportunities, judging the risks and acting with confidence and good judgement.
Managers say they want people who take initiative, then wonder why staff wait to be told. Usually people do see the gap but hold back: unsure whether it is their place, afraid of getting it wrong, or not sure how to raise an idea. This course on taking initiative at work gives employees the judgement and confidence to step forward – and the sense to know when not to.
Delegates look at what initiative means in practice and why people hold back. They learn to read situations with an open mind, recognise when their own strengths let them step in, and judge when going beyond the normal routine is appropriate – taking company culture, values and the limits of their authority into account. A quick risk, impact and cost check helps them decide whether to act, ask first or leave it. The afternoon builds confidence, shows where to find opportunities inside and outside the organisation, and covers persistence after setbacks and the balance between initiative and restraint.
Case studies and short exercises come from real workplace situations, and every delegate leaves with one idea they plan to take forward and a plan for doing it.
Why this course
For your organisation
- Staff who solve problems instead of passing them up the line
- More good ideas raised through the right channels
- Initiative that stays within authority, policy and acceptable risk
- Less dependence on managers for routine decisions
For your delegates
- Confidence to raise ideas and act on them
- A simple check for whether to act, ask or wait
- Ways to handle setbacks and keep going
- A personal plan for one initiative you will take forward
What delegates will be able to do
- Explain what initiative is and why people hold back
- Identify situations where their strengths and skills allow them to step in
- Check whether an action is within their authority and fits company culture and values
- Weigh the risk, impact and cost of an idea before acting
- Decide when authorisation is needed and when the risk is too high
- Communicate an idea persuasively and follow through on the agreed solution
- Build confidence through preparation, positive self-talk and visualisation
- Find internal and external opportunities to add value
- Handle setbacks, adapt ideas and know when to hold back
Who should attend
Employees at any level who want to contribute more, team members being prepared for supervisory roles, graduates and new starters, and managers who want their teams to show more ownership without losing control.
Course outline
Day 1 – Stepping forward with judgement
What initiative is
- Acting on what needs doing without being asked
- What initiative does for your career and your organisation
- Why people hold back
- Making initiative a daily habit
Reading the situation
- Keeping an open mind and adapting
- Making decisions and owning them
- Recognising when you can step in: your strengths, skills and the gaps others leave
- Listening carefully and going the extra mile
Going beyond the routine
- Checking culture and values before acting
- Staying within the scope of your authority
- Communicating ideas so they get heard
- Acting on agreed solutions
Weighing the consequences
- Asking the right questions first
- A quick risk, impact and cost check
- When you need authorisation
- When the risk is too high
- Good and bad initiative: building judgement and avoiding emotional decisions
Confidence and opportunity
- Assessing and building your confidence
- Positive self-talk and visualisation
- Finding opportunities inside and outside the organisation
- Applying your core strengths to problems that will grow if ignored
Persistence and restraint
- Handling setbacks and change
- Reworking ideas and moving forward
- Counting the work an idea creates for others
- Stakeholder buy-in and emotional intelligence
- Knowing which ideas not to push
- Personal initiative plan and close
How it is delivered
One day, 08:30-16:00. In person at your offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online. One delegate or a group of up to 20; case studies tailored to your workplace on request. Workbook, decision checklist and a personal initiative plan included. We deliver it at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and anywhere else in South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online for teams in different places.
What our clients say
“BOTI demonstrated professionalism, sound subject knowledge, and effective facilitation throughout the training. The programme was well organised, relevant and beneficial to our delegates.”
“BOTi has consistently and expertly delivered quality training services in respect of our Soft Skills requirements. We feel confident in recommending BOTI as a training services provider par excellence.”
“They were very professional, and they never failed us at any point during the process. They have met our expectations with both trainings.”
Frequently asked questions
Can you run this course at our offices?
Yes. Most groups are trained at the client's premises anywhere in South Africa; we can also host it at a BOTI venue or deliver it live online.
Will this make staff overstep their authority?
No – the opposite. A large part of the day is about judgement: checking authority, weighing risk and knowing when to ask first or hold back.
Can managers attend with their teams?
Yes. Mixed groups help a team agree what good initiative looks like in your organisation, and we can add a short section for managers on encouraging and recognising it.
Is it accredited?
No – it is a non-accredited short course and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Can the case studies use our own situations?
Yes. Send us two or three examples where someone stepped in, or should have, and the facilitator builds them into the exercises.
Can you run this course in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban?
Yes. We train on site at your offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and across South Africa, at a BOTI venue in Johannesburg, or live online so a team spread over several offices can attend together.
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