HR-Survey > Employee Opinion > Dimensions

Survey Questions: Action

Definition: Action embodies a proactive and preemptive mindset, where employees anticipate challenges, take initiative, and address critical issues with resourcefulness and timeliness. It reflects ambitious, tenacious, and results-oriented behaviors, where colleagues demonstrate personal drive, decisiveness, and a commitment to go above and beyond to ensure success. Action also thrives in a culture of responsibility and empowerment, where managers delegate effectively, and team members take ownership of their work while striving for excellence within organizational boundaries.

Proactive

Proactive behavior is centered around anticipating future events--whether challenges or opportunities--and taking early action to shape outcomes positively. It involves steps like identifying potential issues before they arise, preparing for project launches in advance, or implementing solutions based on emerging trends rather than current problems. Being proactive is about readiness and initiative, aiming to stay ahead of the curve and continuously improve conditions or performance before a reactive response becomes necessary.

The supervisor takes corrective action when necessary.
My team takes steps to prepare for the start of the project.
I know how to take proactive steps to address potential issues before they become a problem.
My manager prevents small issues from becoming critical incidents.
Employees at the company are proactive rather than reactive in work.
My manager is proactive in addressing the needs of the department.
Senior executives are proactive in developing solutions to problems.
My team leader uses strategies to stay ahead of potential challenges at work.
Our department fixes small issues before they become critical incidents.
Our department identifies opportunities for improvement before there is a problem.

Preemptive

Preemptive is focused on prevention; taking decisive action to avert specific risks or disruptions before they materialize. This could look like performing preventative maintenance, preparing equipment before a shift, or implementing safety measures ahead of anticipated incidents. Preemptive behavior is typically more narrowly targeted, acting in response to identified threats or foreseeable issues. It's about neutralizing risk before it can interfere with progress. While proactive actions seek to optimize, preemptive ones are designed to protect.

Our manager identifies seasonal or cyclical workload spikes in advance and reallocates resources early to prevent bottlenecks.
Our department anticipates needs and takes pre-emptive action to address an issue.
My team anticipates critical incidents in the department and takes steps to mitigate their effect.
My team creates contingency plans for high-risk tasks so the team can pivot quickly if conditions change.
Colleagues monitor early warning indicators (such as error trends, customer complaints, or equipment readings) and intervene before they escalate.
The project lead conducts preventative maintenance on the equipment.
I know how to secure needed materials, approvals, or staffing before they become critical to project progress.
Our manager takes preemptive actions avoid obstacles or delays.
The team leader prepares equipment at the start of the shift.
The members of my team review upcoming deadlines and initiate cross-team coordination before dependencies become urgent.

Ambitious

Ambitious focuses on pursuing advancement, growth, and high-impact outcomes. Itâs driven by a desire to exceed expectations, seize opportunities, and actively seek ways to contribute beyond the status quo. This dimension reflects forward momentum and goal-oriented energyâambitious individuals initiate action and strive for excellence, often juggling complex tasks while aiming for broader influence.

Colleagues exhibit personal ambition and drive.
Employees in my department initiate actions to get things done.
Senior executives take action when opportunities arise.
My coworkers are ambitious when working on a project.
Employees in my department seek out opportunities to contribute beyond assigned responsibilities.
My manager handles multiple complex issues simultaneously.
My supervisor is driven to complete a high amount of work.
My manager exhibits personal ambition and drive but not at expense of others.
My team stays focused and productive when there's work to be done.
Senior executives create opportunities and then take advantage of them.
The project manager displays high energy and enthusiasm on consistent basis.

Initiative

Initiative focuses on taking independent action to address issues or seize opportunities without waiting to be prompted. It reflects a readiness to actâspotting problems early, launching new projects, volunteering first, and stepping up when something needs doing. The emphasis is on responsiveness and self-starting behavior, often in service of preventing delays or driving progress forward from the ground level.

My manager initiates projects or tasks that have a positive impact on the team.
Colleagues identify needs and take steps to address them.
My manager takes charge without being asked.
My team leader is the first to volunteer for assignments.
Our manager takes advantage of changes to the current situation.
Coworkers fix problems when they occur.
Coworkers take the initiative to address problems sooner rather than later.
Colleagues will take action to address a problem rather than to wait to confer with others about the situation.
Leaders take the initiative and do not wait for the situation to change.
The project manager decides to act rather than remain passive.

Tenacious

Tenacious, by contrast, emphasizes perseverance and resilience in the face of difficulty or setbacks. It's about staying committed when progress slows, navigating obstacles with determination, and maintaining focus despite adversity. Tenacity reflects an unshakable resolve.

The project manager stays committed to goals even when progress is slow.
Employees demonstrate resilience in the face of adversity.
The project lead persists in work despite obstacles encountered.
Our manager focuses on tasks without being distracted.
Employees in my department make progress despite repeated failures or setbacks at work.
My department completes tasks despite obstacles encountered.
Our team adapts approach to overcome significant obstacles.
Coworkers overcome obstacles that may impede progress on a task.
Associates pursue goals with action to achieve success.
My supervisor completes challenging projects successfully despite setbacks.

Decisive

Decisive focuses on making confident, timely choices and taking ownership of those decisions, especially under pressure. It reflects a readiness to act without hesitation, overcoming âanalysis paralysis,â and committing to a course of action even in uncertain or high-stakes environments. The emphasis is on individual conviction and direct actionâleaders or team members stepping up, owning the outcome, and moving initiatives forward through personal resolve.

Team members are not afraid to take action when necessary.
Employees make decisions confidently and stand by them.
Associates are not afraid to take corrective action when necessary.
The project leader avoids "analysis paralysis" through action.
My manager makes effective decisions, even when under pressure.
The project leader takes action when necessary.
The project leader makes decisions
Managers are decisive when making decisions.

Goes Above and Beyond

Goes Above and Beyond emphasizes exceeding expectations and contributing beyond what's formally required. This includes seeking personal growth, supporting others' success, embracing added responsibilities, and striving for collective excellence. The emphasis here is on exceptional commitment and contribution, doing more than what's asked to elevate outcomes for the team or organization.

The project leader looks for extra ways to help the department achieve performance goals.
Colleagues take on additional responsibilities outside of the job description to help the team succeed.
Coworkers in my department encourage and support a culture of excellence and continuous improvement within the department.
The project manager accepts new challenges and works on them with urgency.
Leaders motivate others to achieve or exceed goals.
Coworkers in my department seek and utilize opportunities for continuous learning and self-development.
My division motivates us to achieve or exceed professional goals.
Employees in my department seek new opportunities for advancement.
My supervisor motivates and supports others to gain skills.

Delegates

Delegates emphasizes the strategic distribution of authority and responsibility to others. It involves assigning tasks based on strengths, empowering the team to act independently, and ensuring alignment with broader goals. The focus is on leveraging collective capacity--ensuring the right people are doing the right things to drive progress through coordination, not just individual initiative.

The project manager drives and mobilizes others progress toward goals.
My supervisor ensures that the team's tasks align with its overall objectives.
My team leader assigns tasks to individuals who are most able to perform them.
Our team assigns tasks to team members based on their strengths.
The project manager determines the best person for a specific task within the team.
My supervisor works with others to ensure tasks are completed.
My manager delegates tasks and assignments to subordinates as soon as a request has been made.
My manager establishes the tasks and direction for the team.
Our manager identifies the right person for a job when distributing tasks.
My manager delegates decision-making authority to team members.

Resourceful

Resourceful focuses on strategically navigating systems, relationships, and constraints to achieve results. It's about creatively leveraging what's available--people, tools, knowledge, or organizational structure--to push work forward, often in complex environments. Being resourceful emphasizes initiative, ingenuity, and long-term effectiveness, especially when pursuing ambitious goals across boundaries.

The project manager leverages skills and resources to exceed performance expectations.
The project leader leverages skills and resources to exceed expectations on projects.
My manager converts plans into actions.
Leaders take advantage of opportunities to move the organization forward.
Associates work effectively within the organizational lines and boundaries to attain goals.
My manager creates performance measures to ensure action by the department.
Employees in my department work across organizational lines and boundaries to attain goals.
Team members navigate organizational structure and boundaries to achieve goals.

Responsive

Responsive, by contrast, emphasizes swift, situation-driven action, especially when something unexpected or urgent arises. It's characterized by quick thinking, flexibility, and stepping in immediately to resolve issues - be it a safety concern, a dissatisfied customer, or a sudden change. It's centered on timely reaction and adaptability, ensuring that needs are met and problems are addressed without delay.

Supervisors act immediately instead of waiting for someone else to solve the issue.
Associates address safety issues immediately.
The project leader takes action in critical situations.
Managers address performance issues quickly.
My manager takes action to respond to a dissatisfied customer.
Coworkers in my department develop alternatives and solutions when presented with a problem or issue.
My division adapts to changes in the situation.
My team leader is willing to change course to meet the needs of a new situation.

Results Oriented

Results Oriented focuses on delivering outcomes and achieving goals, regardless of pace or conditions. It reflects a commitment to success, accountability, innovation, and completion - teams do "whatever it takes" to meet objectives, even if that means enduring delays, solving complex problems, or navigating around obstacles. The emphasis is on impact and follow-through, with urgency used strategically to support desired results rather than for its own sake.

My manager gets the job done.
The members of my team are able to get things done and make things happen.
The project lead moves forward on important projects.
Our manager undertakes actions to achieve specific goals.
Senior executives do whatever it takes (within reason) to get the job done.
Our department completes tasks on time in spite of delays in the process.
My manager gets people to take action.
My team creates innovative products and services.
Our team does what it takes to get the job done.
My team takes responsibility for meeting performance standards.

Fast Paced

Fast Paced emphasizes speed, momentum, and sustained energy in day-to-day execution. It values quick response times, avoidance of procrastination, and a consistent sense of urgency. This mindset drives productivity through efficiency and immediate action, ensuring teams stay agile, responsive, and energized - even under pressure or while tackling complex issues.

My team leader works quickly to get the job done.
My supervisor works at a quick pace.
Employees in my department start immediately working on assignments.
Colleagues ensure timely completion of tasks.
My team stays motivated to perform at a high level and inspires the department to do the same.
Employees in my department avoid procrastination.
I can maintain a sense of urgency in daily work routines.
My team leader acts quickly to create innovative products and services.
The members of my team work quickly when faced with difficult problems.
My supervisor does not procrastinate when there is a job to be done.

Responsibility

Supervisors set high standards for themselves and others.
My manager conducts critical-incident review immediately after the event.
Associates take responsibility for actions.
My supervisor approves purchase requests in a timely manner.