The switch was flicked and the light went on. It was a lightbulb moment.

It happened during our regular Team Dinkum project meeting. After running through our current projects and working out where we were up to, Jacob offered a valuable insight. He said, rather than simply responding to our clients needs, let’s come up with new strategies to help them engage with their target audience. It was a blue skies invitation.

You’re probably thinking, where’s the revelation there? Shouldn’t you always anticipate the future needs of your clients. Yes, you should. But in a service business, you generally have tunnel vision meeting present demands.

So, this week, I decided to be proactive, rather than reactive. Here are my suggestions.

1. Be Deliberate

As I worked through projects, I made time at the end of each to ask the question, how could this client get more? The simple process of deliberately focusing on what could be better meant my brain allowed for this possibility. What can you do now to ensure future success?

2. Be Creative

Often with project management work, your thinking becomes quite linear. There are a series of stages you need to go through to achieve your outcomes. It’s useful to stop, and step back, and ask yourself what other outcomes could be possible. Again, this process frees the brain up to be creative and think new thoughts.

3. Be Bold

Sometimes, new thinking can be a bit ‘out there’ or unconventional. New thinking isn’t always welcomed. I say, allow yourself to come up with unusual or even poor ideas. Expect some to be duds, because amongst the ideas will be winners.

Carving out time and energy to be proactive was very useful. It’s a practice I will continue.

Photo Credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1026653