5 Ways Companies Can Be Proactive

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many organisations were taking on a more reactive approach when it came to internal operations.

It wasn’t long, however, until business leaders realised that things needed to change moving forward if they wanted to enhance their strategic planning and avoid scrambling to get ahead of any potential issues - big and small.

While no one could’ve realistically seen the pandemic coming and changing how we live and work so drastically, the unprecedented circumstances it brought forth made us realise how important it is to be prepared for whatever may come.

So, how can companies work to be proactive? We discuss 5 great ways to get started, here.

How Organisations Can Be Proactive

1. Identify Your Company Brand

One of the best ways for organisations to kickstart a proactive approach is to, first and foremost, identify what their company stands for.

This means pinpointing the core values and purpose of the organisation so that HR and business leaders can use them as a way to guide imminent business decisions.

When a company knows who they are and what they aim to be in their industry, it makes it easier to find better business solutions as the decisions made should be aligned with these set objectives.

2. Know Your Target Audience 

For any organisation, it’s important to know your clients, customers, or the target audience you want to reach.

Once you’ve figured that out, you can adapt your communication style to your audience rather than simply mirroring the style of your competitor.

For those busy individuals seeking professional qualifications, for example, it’s important for learning providers to market flexibility in how learners can upskill and when.

In other words, if you don’t adapt to customers’ ever-changing needs, you’ll risk losing out on an entire market (and a lot of money).

3. Leverage Data 

Using technological advancements like data analytics to predict future industry trends and events is one of the key things organisations need to include in their business strategies in order to remain proactive.

When done correctly, C-suite leaders can use the data collected to dive into customer demographics, their interests, and their behaviours and use them to identify and solve problems as they happen, as well as optimise innovation and creativity to achieve desired objectives.

It can be difficult to stay ahead of the curve, but data analytics helps organisations stay on track by improving processes and optimising internal communication, ultimately guiding the right conversations between business leaders that results in more success for the business. 

4. Create a Solid Structure 

There is no way a proactive strategy can be implemented properly without creating a solid structure for how to conduct day-to-day business.

That being said, it’s important for teams to create processes and procedures in their approach to new projects, tasks, and assignments that will act as ‘best practice’ guidelines moving forward.

These guidelines will allow organisations to selectively customise their products and services based on their clients’ needs, all while maintaining consistent, proactive customer service. 

5. Take Risks 

No one ever got ahead without taking a little risk, right?

Well, the same idea goes for organisations who fail to equip themselves with the foresight that risks often come with consequences, and while sometimes those consequences aren’t great, often they work out for the better of the company.

Reactive companies work from a place of impulsiveness while proactive companies work from a place of self-control and assertiveness.

This means not responding immediately to complex issues, and instead taking a beat to think about the pros and cons of the potential solutions, what actions they might generate, and how to go about executing them.


While it takes a little extra leg work to implement a proactive strategy at work, we hope this blog has helped you see why having one is much better suited for the modern working world than an outdated reactive strategy.


Do you want to stay ahead of the industry curve? Learn the flexible, proactive way and enrol on a 100% online CIPD programme with us today to get started.