appreciative, Author at Dennis E. Gilbert

31
May 16
2

Is Your Problem Expensive?

Tags : budget crisis management Managing problems

The Keurig coffee maker has a small basin under the spout to catch spills.

Many desktop personal computers have a battery backup power supply in case of the loss of electrical power.

Most cars have a warning light to indicate low or insufficient fuel.

Man Counting Money

Without a catch basin, a battery, or indicator lights, we may have a problem, but many problems really aren’t problems when we are prepared. One problem of being prepared is that sometimes our dependence on the solution makes us take the problem for granted.

“No need to stop for gas now, a warning light comes on when it is low.” Doesn’t account for the mileage to travel to the next filling station, the traffic jam around the corner, or even if the warning light is working.

Many of our problems are not so big or not so expensive when we have budgeted for them. They become part of our plan of action and typically are not viewed as much of a problem at all. “Our fuel gauge is indicating low fuel, I see a station, let’s get fuel now,” is much less expensive than running out of fuel and calling for a tow.

For the unprepared, under budgeted, or overly confident, a problem may grow to become a crisis.

A crisis is always more expensive.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and coach that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is the author of the newly released book, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at DennisEGilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

24
May 16
-

Do You Have Generational Wisdom?

Tags : generational differences learning organization culture wisdom

Considering your job performance and setting aside the idea of formal education, the number one priority for most people is experience. When we consider having a balanced workplace culture and we set aside the feeling of belonging, happiness, or purpose, our number one desire might be gaining or keeping respect.

Millennial traditional

Working across the five generations that are active in our workforce today we often find that the earlier generations place a significant value on experience while the most recent generations place more value on knowledge. We can also consider that we gain both experience and knowledge when we are learning from each other, regardless of the generation you represent. Traditional’s and boomers can learn much from the millennials and generation Z and vice versa, and that is without even mentioning the savvy generation X people.

Any workforce generation should be interested to learn more about:

What are we doing different today, as compared to last year [quarter, month]?
What worked well when we most recently met or exceeded our goals?
What organizational culture attributes are most consistent and meaningful for our success?
Are we implementing new and innovative ideas that are cost effective?
How can we better utilize technology?

Your biggest gain won’t come from comparing differences (a common cross-generational challenge) or focusing on problems, it will come as you and your organization gain wisdom. There is something excitingly special and respectful about an organizational culture that asks good questions, listens well, and is willing to learn. They capitalize on opportunity.

The opportunity for wisdom.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and coach that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is the author of the newly released book, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at DennisEGilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

17
May 16
-

Generation Google

Tags : answers Google search engine

Knowledge and information equal power. Solving problems or finding answers usually creates action and action generates results. When a traditional or baby boomer gets stuck where do they go or who do they turn to for answers? Depending on the scenario they may seek to find someone they believe has the answer, they make a call, consult a book, or decide they’ll think about it for a while.

Woman Typing

Millennials and GenZ (Generation 9/11, iGen) will probably consult their mobile phone or other portable device. They won’t think to ask an elder; they won’t wonder about the hours of the library, they’ll Google for answers.

In the true (sometimes undesirable) spirit of a generational discussion, these actions may represent our differences, but the question we should be asking is, what do the generations have in common about this scenario? The answer is easy; they are searching for information that will lead to a positive action, result, or resolution.

What did you do the last time you were stuck? Did you ask someone or search? Many people tend to just ask or call someone they know. They consult an expert, which is good, but can we find the answer on our own?

We are now deeply rooted in an information age, the answers that we seek can often be found through an on-line search. You may have to change your thinking from asking to searching, but Google, YouTube, Bing, or many other search platforms can help turn a challenging situation into one that leaves us feeling happy and confident.

Do we care that there is a segment of the GenZ population that does not understand how to use an index in a book? Do we care that there is a segment of the baby boomer population that doesn’t know how to use a search engine? Does it really matter, or are we just pointing out our differences?

Reminds me of a story, “Teach a man to fish…” (Don’t know that one? Google it.)

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and coach that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is the author of the newly released book, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at DennisEGilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

10
May 16
-

What’s New or What Sticks?

Tags : better new valuable

New is sometimes a code word for better and often we make the assumption that if it is new and better, or new and improved, it must be worthwhile. On the flip side of new and improved we may have failures (Example: New Coke), but that may be more the exception and certainly not the rule.

New might also be associated with thrilling. Ride the roller coaster, see the concert, or meet a celebrity and we might be thrilled, but after some time and enough exposure the thrill seems to diminish. The same may be true with first dates, a new job, and fast red sports cars. When we initially encounter them they are thrilling, but after some time, not so much.

Trying something new, different, or thrilling may be an attention grabber and initially boost interest which is great, but doing something that sticks provides long-term value.

Create something new, make it stick.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and coach that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is the author of the newly released book, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at DennisEGilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

03
May 16
-

Are You Focused?

Tags : choice focus

When you are trying your best, working your hardest, and determined to achieve your goals you are focused. The opposite of focus may be distraction. Staying focused or distracted is really about your choice.

When we lose the sale, come up short on the goal, or miss the deadline we can either focus on those shortcomings or focus on the next attempt.

The funny part is that when we are focusing on the lost sale someone else is already getting the next one.

If we are thinking about coming up short on the goal we are losing ground to the person still pursuing it, and while we tell our friend about the missed deadline time is still moving and we’re falling farther behind.

When you are distracted from your focus you often become focused on the distraction.

Sometimes the hardest part about achieving your success is dealing with the choices you make.

Stay focused.

– DEG

Originally posted on May 3, 2016, last updated on November 27, 2018.

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

26
Apr 16
2

3 Generational Commonalities

Tags : commonalities generational differences respect trust

What is more important our differences or commonalities? There is so much expression about how workforce generations are different; it might be refreshing to understand a little bit more about what they have in common. Have you ever thought about generational commonalities?

Many people agree that there are challenges when reaching across the workforce generations and often we hear about the negativity experienced from baby boomers or the sense of entitlement when it comes to the millennials. Perhaps there is too much energy spent on examining differences. What do we have in common?

Generational Commonalities

Here are three (of many) things all generations share:

Trust – employees of all generations want to feel a sense of trust. When you believe in the people you work with and trust them, your communication and job performance improves. Trust, like respect, often has to be earned.
Respect – everyone wants respect. The trouble spot when working across the generations is that everyone (or each generation) may define respect differently. Sometimes respect is assumed or given, but many times it must be earned.
Change – when you find a group of employees feeling uneasy, nervous, and afraid, you have probably found a team who is experiencing change. This feeling has little or nothing to do with generational orientation, it often comes from what someone feels they have to lose, or gain.

Silver Bullets

While it may be hard to find the silver bullet or quick fix to solving cross-generational conflict, a focus on differences tends to increase the visibility and opportunity for negativity. On the other hand, when we focus more on our commonalities we might discover that we have deeply rooted mutual goals. Better understanding of common goals can unite people. It may also help to eliminate barriers that keep teams from achieving high performance.

What would you rather do, chronically discuss differences, or unite your team and achieve excellence?

Choose excellence.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker, and coach that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is the author of the newly released book, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

19
Apr 16
2

Commitment To Lead

Tags : commitment leadership

Everyone knows that workplace leaders should be good role models. After all, you probably aren’t leading unless you can represent the appropriate model of culture, high performance, and excellence that you would expect from anyone on the team. Are you committed to leading?

A commitment to taking the lead sounds like the right thing, and we often verbally acknowledge our intent to be committed as a leader but sticking to this commitment while facing chronic interruptions, having a feeling of a lack of time, and even experiencing confusion over the right priorities can keep us from being truly effective. What we can do, what we try to do, or what we simply won’t do, often gets lost in some nebulous reality as days pass by and our schedules (and accomplishments) only become more cluttered.

The good news is we have an opportunity to take the lead, role model high performance, and create a culture of progression by being committed to yes. The question then becomes, will you?

Let’s face it, it takes courage and strength to actually commit, and commitment isn’t just a verbal acknowledgement. If you’re committed you will never confuse the idea of can, try, or won’t. Two of those options will leave you and everyone else off the hook; one will get the job done.

Yes, you can do it.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker, and coach that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is the author of the newly released book, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at DennisEGilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

12
Apr 16
2

Millennials, GenZ, and Soft Skills

Tags : emotional intelligence generational differences soft skills

Somebody once said, “You hire for hard skills and fire for soft skills.” Most people and organizations who have made the investment to hire, certainly don’t want to spend the time and money to replace an employee. Does the millennial and GenZ (Gen 9/11, iGen) population lack soft skills?

Working Across Generations

There seems to be an abundance of opinions surrounding the differences of values and beliefs when working across the generations. Some are likely true, some are likely ill-founded, and still others may be true, but only for some individuals, not all. A popular view of differences between the youngest generations and those who have been in the workforce for some time is that younger generations are doing many of the same things as those who have come before them, they are just doing those things later in life.

There is much evidence of this trend. Consider first jobs, first cars, and first time home buyers. You can also consider the average age of those getting married and the average age of those having children. This seems to be substantiated as nearly every traditional, boomer, or gen X person will agree. Of course it is not absolute, not everyone is in this same place of doing similar things, only later, but many agree there is a trend.

Soft Skills Dilemma

Technology has certainly changed our lives. In world where we are attached to our cell phones, live with mild to severe cases of nomophobia, and sit in small groups paying more attention to our devices than to the person beside us; are the newest generations building soft skills?

Arguably every generation has found a path for communicating, but for more recent generations that path has changed. Traditionals and boomers learned to read body language, monitor the flow of the conversation, and find ways to figuratively read people, long before they entered the workforce. Today we might refer to some of this as emotional intelligence, a soft skill.

Once upon a time interactions were dependent on people, now the interactions are sometimes more dependent on technology. If traditionals and boomers learned much about soft skills before entering the workforce it could mean that todays workforce is coming up short upon entry. In many cases, our daily interactions with people have shifted more towards interacting with a cell phone or a computer.

Many jobs require people to interact (live, face-to-face), brainstorm, and solve problems. People working in groups also face challenges such as differences of opinion, conflicting values, and various interpersonal styles.

So it might beg the question, are the more recent generations rich on hard skills, but short on soft skills?

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker, and coach that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is the author of the newly released book, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at DennisEGilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

05
Apr 16
2

Leadership Marathon

Tags : choice leadership marathon purpose

Step into the bowels of any workplace culture and you may find plenty of people seemingly armed with information ready to argue, complain, and describe the prominence of disrespect. We live in an information age, some argue information overload, but it is not the power of information itself that creates leadership, it is how that information is used. That makes leadership beyond most anything else, about choice.

Leadership is not about a position, a title, or a rite of passage. Leadership is a combination of innovation, presence, and purpose and when connected with a group of people we create a following, a culture, and (through organized people) an organization.

When likeminded people unite to follow a cause, a theory, or paradigm it will be the organization of the group that aspires to collaborate as a unit, by choice not force, that ultimately propels the group forward. Today most organized groups are sprinting, not waiting, standing, or walking. The pace of change and the need for speed is united in a movement metaphorically observed as a marathon. Make a choice, choose to lead, become the organization.

Run the marathon.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker, and coach that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is the author of the newly released book, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at DennisEGilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

29
Mar 16
-

Generational Learning

Tags : communication generational differences learning

Working across the generational continuum has its fair share of challenges. Sometimes it feels like more people are just seeking a reason to avoid workplace synergy rather than create it, to find drama instead of eliminating it, and to focus on what doesn’t work instead of what does.

When it feels like we just can’t get along and people become weary of interacting with or managing the backlash created by reaching across the generations it might be time to consider how each person you are working with (or against) adds value. When we focus on the value of people instead of concerns, commonalities instead of differences, and see opportunities instead of barriers, we’ll likely position ourselves for greater success, both individually and organizationally.

Many traditionals, baby boomers, and even Gen X employees often believe the most value comes from life experiences while many millennials and Gen 9/11 (Gen Z, iGen) believe the most value comes from knowledge. The longer term employees see weakness in a lack of experience and the more recently educated see weakness in a lack of knowledge or technology skills.

What would you rather do?

Spend a few hours a week learning a few tried and true methods,

spend a few hours a week learning how technology can improve workflow,

or spend a few hours a week discussing what your cross-generational team members don’t understand about the workplace and life?

While this isn’t a love story, it does remind me of a great Meatloaf song [circa 1977], Two out of three ain’t bad.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker, and coach that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is the author of the newly released book, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at DennisEGilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

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