appreciative, Author at Dennis E. Gilbert

29
Dec 15
2

Generational Inclusion or Diversity?

Tags : culture employee engagement generational differences millennials workplace harmony

Organizations of all sizes are concerned about employee engagement and while some proclaim that employee engagement is a buzz phrase, others know from their own personal experiences that work is not about work / life balance, but more about life style. I’m not proclaiming a workaholic viewpoint, but I am suggesting that work and life crossover, perhaps more than many would like to admit. Those connecting with the Dolly Parton song 9 to 5 may have to shift their thinking.

Generational differences are often labeled as problematic, and it is true that the traditionals and boomer communities may have a different agenda as compared to their younger counterparts. Through informal surveys I’ve discovered that much of the millennial population believes in common and shared effort across teams and organizations, which includes responsibility, accountability, and a good work ethic. Their need to compete is of less concern when compared with their need to matter, make a difference, or have a sense of purpose.

The concept of diversity may suggest division or being divided, when in reality what most organizations need is inclusion. When we think more about how to include the values and beliefs across all workplace generations we are making a conscious effort of inclusion. If we are not thinking about inclusion we may be focused on what is different and the result is segregation not engagement.

Recently I wrote about some of the myths associated with generational differences and age, and it is important not to confuse these two very different issues. So many organizations are trying to understand employee engagement and generational differences because they have realized that it is costing them in terms of both money and people, and they understand that closing this gap means unifying the team.

Societal trends may cause many working professionals, especially those that are representative of the more recent generations, to view their job as a contribution to both society and community. This also may lead them to consider their place of work and level of engagement as a life style choice, not just a job. Considering this, it may suggest that people join an organization for the life style. Shocking? Yes, to some, but it appears organizations that have this figured out also have better engagement and retention.

It often seems the generalized belief is that workplace harmony is created when the breadth of diversity is embraced. Perhaps today’s organizations should focus more on culture changes for inclusion, not diversity.

– 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+

22
Dec 15
-

Generational Differences–Myth or Fact?

Tags : age facts generational differences myths

Everything from climate change to philanthropy many people seem to have an opinion about what each generation will do or how they will respond. We are flooded with information about jobs, advertising campaigns, and the financial behaviors of the various generations. Some argue that the generations are a myth, that it is all about age and as time moves forward so do your viewpoints on life, others disagree and place blame entirely on generational differences.

Here are a couple of myths and facts to consider:

Myth: Everyone who is identified by birth year to be included in a specific generation will have the same values and beliefs as those of that same generation. This is a myth because other contributing factors exist such as those espoused by family or geographic variances such as rural versus urban living.

Fact: Generational frameworks are driven by changes in social economic conditions, technology, and war. Those having different life experiences in any of these three categories will likely see the world and their life differently.

Myth: Some generations know how to communicate better than other generations. Methods of communication vary and are changing; technology is driving much of this change. There is a tendency to combine communication methods with social norms, while related they are likely not inclusive.

Fact: Some values and beliefs will shift with age, top priorities and concerns for a 20 year old will be different from a 60 year old. This was true 50 years ago and will likely hold the same truth 50 years in the future.

Generational differences are a fact when you consider the drivers and segregation of commonly accepted generational frameworks, they are a myth when you place the emphasis on values and belief systems based on age.

– 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+

15
Dec 15
-

Your Gen X Boss

Tags : baby boomers Gen X leadership respect

There is so much chatter about baby boomers and millennials that the other generations almost appear silent. Gen X workplace professionals are rapidly occupying more of the formal supervisor space and this shouldn’t be a surprise. Many exhibit an excellent combination of youth and maturity, curiosity and experience, while also being well educated and technology savvy. Perhaps the perfect combination to lead employee teams.

Success in life as well as in business often develops through great relationships. So if you want to build your relationship and earn respect with your Gen X boss consider these three tips:

Be appropriately assertive. Gen X doesn’t like to waste time and there is no point in wasting any with fluffy conversation unless you want to impress them with a new advertising campaign.
Become comfortable with giving and receiving direct communication. In addition to any frustration Gen X professionals feel about time it should be no surprise they like their communication to be direct. It may be considered disrespectful for you to think they can’t handle tactful and direct approaches to communication.
Respect is earned, not given. They may be somewhat undecided about what long term means to them, and earlier generations often stereotype their commitments as being short. Consider that they may want to prove their ability to stick things out and never quit or back down. The Gen X leader will earn your respect. Those who honor and exemplify this spirit will forge stronger relationships with them.

Generational differences are real, but remember that they are symptoms of other common challenges such as communication and organizational culture. Building a great relationship with your Gen X boss may start with respect, but that is certainly not where it ends.

– 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+

08
Dec 15
-

Be More of You

Tags : change critics failure focus

Soon, if not already, many people will start planning how they are going to turn things around, make a difference, and make things better for 2016. If this is you, or someone you know I want to share two things that could be worth considering.

1) Failure is part of every success story. People who don’t take the risk of failing and never step out of their comfort zone grow very little, or not at all. The work that you do is almost always open for criticism and failure. Those who recognize failure is part of success will risk more and likely accomplish more.

2) Don’t change from criticism, change from success. Given enough opportunity and input there will always be someone who finds fault and disappointment with your work, your project, or even your style. The key is to focus on those who like and appreciate your efforts. Don’t do less of what is great about you in order to focus on someone’s negative critique.

So often people receive feedback and process the feedback by making changes in accordance with the dislikes they have received; to some small extent that may be ok. But, if you are really striving to become a better you, don’t change for the people who dislike your work, strive to do more of the work that people admire and appreciate. Build yourself up, not tear yourself down. If you sacrifice what is unique and great about you, you don’t build you, you build someone you’re not.

Of course in any line of work or job, you may have to change, adapt, or adjust in order to conform to quality and job standards, outside of that, learn to be more of you.

-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+

01
Dec 15
-

5 Tips for Leading a Multigenerational Team

Tags : generational differences leadership respect trust

You cannot lead across all generations with the do as I say, think as I think, work as I work approach. Like it, or resent it, leadership today requires careful consideration and an in-depth understanding of multigenerational approaches for creating buy-in, establishing credibility, and effectively managing communication.

As if that is not enough, creating a trusting environment with universal principles that are inclusive of every generation is a must. Below are five tips for leading across all generations:

Illustrate loyalty. Many believe there is a lack of commitment to longevity by the more recent generations. In contrast, those same (more recent) generations believe the short-comings on commitment and loyalty are illustrated by old-school leaders who are frustrated with new school ideologies. Bridge the gap by providing evidence of loyalty, commitment, and opportunity across all generations.
Provide opportunities for learning. College or no college, illustrate your interests in advancing the team through books, seminars, or videos. Everyone knows that learning improves performance. Old school or new school, experience or formal education, learning has been tested, and it has passed the test every time.
Think across the boundaries. Open-mindedness is a value and belief system for many leaders. Be willing to stretch across formal frameworks and leap hurdles in the spirit of moral or social responsibility. People representative of any generation will likely thank you for it.
Solve it with technology. Whatever stands in the way of progress, solve it with technology and let go of any workflow traditions that don’t include state-of-the-art approaches.
Demonstrate that you value knowledge. Many people from any generation may realize that their experiences are not always in perfect alignment with the job. For this reason placing a value on knowledge—not experience—should be the focal point.

Perhaps the most important element of leading across all generations is the ability to illustrate and live by a culture of common focus, not a culture of a focusing on differences. Generational differences limit team effectiveness, commonalities bridge gaps. Make your approach one of mutual respect with a focus on what everyone has in common and never forget that generational differences represent a symptom of a greater problem, and are likely never the root cause.

– 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+

24
Nov 15
-

3 Ways to Improve Generational Conflict

Tags : aggressive bottom line conflict generational differences

Nearly everyone knows that not all conflict is bad. In fact, in some cases conflict may be necessary or even helpful with things like change and innovation. Conflict is a natural part of working with other people regardless of your generation. In fact, there is often a significant amount of conflict when working with others who are in the same generation.

Can you build a case for the idea that conflict is worse when working across the generations? You probably can, but what may be most important is reminding ourselves and our colleagues, regardless of generational representation, that to keep conflict from becoming harmful it needs to be properly managed. Consider the following positive actions:

Avoidance is as problematic as being too aggressive. Ask questions of others to gain understanding of specific interests or to clarify positions. Think collaboration.
Conflict doesn’t know generational boundaries. Conflict is typical for groups of any generation; all generations have this in common. Focus on commonalities.
Different doesn’t mean better or worse. In conflict, a different idea is often managed as the wrong idea. The common ground should be inclusion not exclusion. Build on others’ ideas to create synergy.

When we strive to address concerns based on the root cause and when we learn to look for commonalities instead of differences we can make our workplace communication more effective, our contributions more productive, and improve employee engagement and job satisfaction.

Effective, productive, and engaged, your team will improve the bottom line!

– DEG

Originally posted on November 24, 2015, last updated on April 11, 2019.

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.

17
Nov 15
-

Generations – Drive Purpose, On Purpose

Tags : generational differences motivation purpose

Recently I had a great conversation with a colleague about the perception of millennials and motivation. Many believe that motivation is intrinsic. Either you have it or you don’t, and in some ways I agree. In other ways, I believe the magic for anyone exists in their own individual sense of purpose. Perhaps everyone needs to drive purpose, doing it on purpose.

Drive Purpose

Motivated On Purpose

For example, if I look in the mirror and believe I could lose a couple of pounds I may be motivated to exercise more. If I want to buy a new state-of-the-art television I may forgo some frivolous spending to save money towards buying the new TV. If I want to advance in my career I know that I have to put in the time, effort, and perhaps gain additional education or experience to be able to accomplish that goal. I’m motivated to do those things. I have a purpose for my actions and behavior.

Likely no workplace will quickly help individuals from any generation discover responsibility or undue what decades of learned behavior has espoused on them. If they (at any age) lack the commitment or understanding of being responsible, the job itself won’t likely take them there. However, when the job offers them a sense of purpose, and they recognize and desire social responsibility at some level, a sense of purpose will help them be more motivated and engaged.

Drive Purpose

Regardless of the generation, the key for most organizations is to hire people that demonstrate signs of either, motivation or responsibility, or both. Of course, there are also courses of action for those employees already on-board. In either case, link their job, no matter what it is, to the purpose of the organization. When they know they are making a difference, they’ll care more about doing a good job.

Drive purpose, on purpose.

– 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+

10
Nov 15
-

Generations of Feedback

Tags : communication confidence feedback

It may be a stereotype to assume that baby boomers believe millennials are over the top on their feedback needs. Workplace professionals representing earlier generations often suggest to me one problem the latest generations bring to the workplace is the expectation of frequent and continuous feedback. Granted, societal shifts which play a significant role in framing who is in what generation, do illustrate differences between the earliest generations still active in our workforce when compared with the latest generation just now entering our workforce.

It seems reasonable though, especially if we are in a quest for generational neutrality, that feedback quality and quantity, and the need for it, is a commonality. Some argue that too much feedback, or feedback that is not kudos deflates and weakens performance by breaking down confidence. Feedback that breaks down confidence has not been delivered, or at least not received as, being meaningful and constructive.

Here are three golden rules for feedback across all generations:

Well-managed feedback improves performance. Negative feedback means mismanaged feedback. Your goal should be to help the recipient succeed. Every generation needs well-managed feedback.
Timing is critical. Feedback delivered too early or too late doesn’t have the most effective impact. Timeliness is not an issue of generation; it is an issue for discipline and commitment to positive performance improvement.
The feedback process is not one way. Feedback is two-way communication and should reach across all generations as well as organizational levels.

Expectations often condition our perception of outcomes, and being more forthcoming with feedback, and doing it often, will likely result in stronger relationships. Keep in mind, though, that this feedback should be both congratulatory and performance improvement oriented, but never negative, or mismanaged.

Does your generation need feedback?

– 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+

03
Nov 15
-

Millennials This, Boomers That

Tags : communication generational diversity respect

Many believe the generations are to blame. Some are convinced that cross-generational workplace communication simply does not happen. Still others believe that when people stop trying to change things and adapt to the tried and trusted method everything will work out for the best.

If you listen you can’t miss it in the news, millennials this and boomers that, millennials want it all, and boomers just want to retire without any more change or hassle. However, generational differences are not the root cause, they are simply just a symptom. Here are three important guidelines to help reach across generational frameworks:

More communication is not necessarily better communication. While every generation might occasionally feel that insufficient or not the right communication is occurring, it is the quality and not the quantity or volume that sets good communication apart from bad.
Trust is always a factor in every workplace generation; that means it is a commonality. Perhaps nothing affects communication more than trust does. It takes time to build it; be patient, and don’t underestimate its value.
Each generation has its own unique framework and will listen and communicate through filters. Don’t try to change someone else; change the way you respond and interact to make your communication clearer.

When we focus on differences, we’ll get just that, differences. Focus on commonalities, reach across to a generation different from your own, and keep in mind success will come from a focus on how a generation different from your own wants to be treated. We are often taught to treat others the way we would want to be treated. That isn’t the secret formula for reaching across the generations. The secret formula is to treat each generation the way they want to be treated.

There is a difference, it is sometimes called, respect.

– 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+

27
Oct 15
-

Bike’s Lessons

Tags : life lesson persistence success

Many people know how to ride a bicycle, and they are taught at a very young age. People ride bikes for pleasure, exercise, or transportation. They are economical, long lasting, and low maintenance. You can ride it, carry it, or stow it on the back of your car. The cost of entry is typically low, but elegance or high performance costs more.

Old School Vintage Bike

The lessons about bikes are many and not just brought to life by their value, appeal, or popularity. When we ride a bike we learn about efficiency, energy, and momentum. We learn about rest, maintenance, and safety. We learn about judgment, respect, and sharing.

We learn that stopping and starting is harder than staying at a study pace. We learn that there are different ways to get to the same destination, and the fastest way may not be the most economical or the most enjoyable. We learn that if we don’t know when to stop we may get out of control. We learn that balance requires movement and that sitting still for too long will cause you to fall. We learn that you can coast downhill, but if you’re looking to go up, you have to use more energy and pedal harder.

Did you ever think you could learn so much from a bike?

– 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+

Author Archives: appreciative

Dec 15

Dec 15

-

Dec 15

-

Dec 15

-

Dec 15

-

Nov 15

-

Nov 15

-

Motivated On Purpose

Drive Purpose

Nov 15

-

Nov 15

-

Oct 15

-

Search This Website

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Blog (Filter) Categories

Follow me on Twitter

Assessment Services and Tools

Recent Posts

Email Signup

Subscribe to newsletter

Contact Info