Guide 121 / 200 4 alternatives 2-minute read

Better ways to say “Proactive”

A self-help word pretending to be advice.

i · Why avoid itTwo lines, no filler

"Proactive" means "not passive" and implies the opposite, "reactive," is unsatisfactory. Both words dodge what actually needs doing. Prefer specific verbs: "anticipate," "prevent," "flag early."

ii · Before & afterDrop-in demo

Before

We need to be more proactive about customer risk.

After

We need to flag churn risk to CS before renewals.

iii · The alternatives4 ways out

01

Anticipate neutral

prepare for future events

Anticipate churn risk before renewal.
02

Preempt formal

act before a predictable event

Preempt the complaint by notifying customers.
03

Flag early neutral

internal escalation

Flag issues early to legal.
04

Prevent neutral

stop before it happens

Prevent incidents through tighter monitoring.

iv · Brew tipKeep this one

Replace "be proactive" with the specific action. If there isn't one, there's no advice.