average Archives - Dennis E. Gilbert

15
Oct 19
-

The Frustration of Being Average

Tags : average career growth mediocre organizational culture

Are you planning to excel in your career? Is being average the norm? By definition most people would fall into the average bracket.

It seems funny to me how controversial the subject of being average can be. I’ve had people unsubscribe and delete me from social media because they didn’t like a discussion about being average. It’s true.

Is it okay to be average? Certainly, but if my work was geared to just becoming average there wouldn’t really be much work to be done. My business depends on people who are working for something more.

Being Average?

When you consider the definition of average, you have to think about the middle. In manufacturing, if you build to spec, you are really building to the middle. In any service sector, most of your transactions are probably average.

This is a simple concept, because what falls below spec or is less than spec is poor quality, and once in a while if we stretch, we can go beyond average.

Most organizations are actually trying to hire for average. They look for what they define as “best fit.” Best fit is really about being average. Lousy work and you fall below, exceptional work and there isn’t enough room for you. At least, that is how things seem to shake out.

Frustration of Average

The argument for average is that we need certain levels achievement, but not so much achievement that you blow away the spec.

For most careers then, the goal of excelling in your work is counter intuitive. That is, unless there is room for advancement.

This is one of the cultural frustrations for the organization. It is what causes work in motion to slow down. It causes quality to be only about good enough, not about as good as it could be.

Sometimes we have to look beyond best fit. Yet, that is a risk that many choose not to take.

-DEG

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.

10
Jul 18
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When Pleasing Everyone Pleases No One

Tags : average marketing pleasing everyone risk

You have probably said it, “You can’t please everyone.” If you haven’t said it, you’ve certainly heard it. Are you pleasing everyone, or just creating an atmosphere of average?

Many people like to operate in the averages. They have some willingness to cooperate, to compromise, and they try to just get along.

We see this with room temperatures, the audio volume in the movie theater, and often on the highway as we keep the pace of traffic.

Stand Out

Yet, most people, most products or services provided by organizations are looking to stand out. They aren’t necessarily looking to blend in, to make everyone happy, or to keep operating within the averages. Or, are they?

The dive bar just outside of town may have the best wings, they are different from the franchise operation downtown. They aren’t average, they are exceptional as proclaimed by some. Yet there may be those who find them too hot or the atmosphere inappropriate for kids.

Anthony Robbins, who some admire very much, doesn’t have an average presentation style. It is part of his strategy. It appeals to some, but not necessarily to all.

At the carnival you don’t really remember much about the ring toss, the ping-pong ball throw, or the hot dogs. You remember the biggest, scariest ride that some wouldn’t even think about trying. You did, or maybe you didn’t, but you remember.

How should you position yourself or your organization? Do some things make sense existing in averages.

Pleasing Everyone

At a table in the restaurant our coffee probably comes in a ceramic mug or cup. A fountain soda from the fast food chain often comes in a paper-based cup with a plastic lid and a straw. Most smart phones are close in size and are available in black.

The challenge in all of this is that pleasing everyone is not memorable. That is why the restaurant needs to set itself apart. It is why the dive bar has the best wings, and perhaps precisely why Anthony Robbins is well known.

Comfort and averages keep people locked in to something that is just okay. There isn’t really any risk and so the reward is average.

Yet the business or person who risks giving more, doing more, and being a little different can become memorable. Memorable is probably not based in the average.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a five-time author and some of his work includes, #CustServ The Customer Service Culture, and 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+

04
May 18
-

Different Sells and the Evidence To Prove It

Tags : average different leadership mimic sells

No publicity is bad publicity, or at least that is what we’ve often heard. In some cases, this may be true. In your career or for your business what will give you more traction, being the same or being different? Different sells and we have lots of proof.

Evidence

The hit television show, The Big Bang Theory, is largely a success because the characters are very different. Sheldon Cooper may be a favorite for many, but when you look twice you may discover that nearly every character is, well, a bit different.

Speaking of The Big Bang Theory, if you are a creative thinker your thoughts may drift to William Shatner. In recent years, William Shatner has continued his legacy through clever television commercials that co-feature a Big Bang Theory star, Kaley Cuoco.

However, William Shatner, and even Kaley Cuoco aren’t the best evidence to correlate with the idea that different sells. That honor goes to Leonard Nimoy. Nimoy stole the show in Star Trek, the original television series which began in the mid-1960’s.

Nimoy was different in many ways, including his pointed ears, but that may not be as memorable as the tone he applied to his words. Spock, as he was so fondly known, was a hit with words like fascinating, logical, and who could forget, “live long and prosper.”

Is this enough evidence that different sells? Let’s throw in one more for good measure.

What about The Office? The television show based on the workplace in the small city of Scranton, Pennsylvania. In this hit comedy series, Steven Carell, made a big splash for his career as he played Michael Scott. Different, nerdy, and full of workplace missteps and miscues, the connection of being different made it all seem surreal.

Different Sells

Do you believe different sells? Many people and organizations spend their lifetime trying to be the same, to fit in, or to mimic others. Being the same or being similar only leads to one thing, blending in.

When you want to stand out, be different. When you want to lead, be different. Properly executed, being different sells.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a five-time author and some of his work includes, #CustServ The Customer Service Culture, and 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+

26
Oct 17
-

How To Keep Your Brand Promise

Tags : average brand promise customer service marketing memorable

What is your brand promise? People, stakeholders, employees, or owners; how often are you reflecting on your brand promise? The most important work you do every day should be connected with keeping your brand promise.

What is in the quality of your product? What is important and valuable about the service you provide?

Exceed Expectations

Many organizations put plenty of effort into exceeding customer expectations. It is common to see it written in the mission statement, be included in value statements, or contained in guiding principles. Can you always exceed expectations?

People often talk about touch points or moments-of-truth and they are part of understanding the service process. However, one of the most important aspects of exceptional customer service is what you do that makes the service moment memorable.

Can you do it every time? Each and every transaction? It is unlikely. Even when you can do it often, every time may be unrealistic. Besides, every time may also imply average and so it starts all over again.

Keep Your Brand Promise

When your brand promise includes delivering excellence, keeping that promise may not require exceeding it. What makes you memorable is often being better than average, it may not always be a surprise.

Memorable moments are, well, priceless. When you are consciously committed to the habit of making the moment memorable you’ll likely have more success at achieving excellence.

The magical part about memorable moments may be that they are often random. An opportunity is there, and taken. When the culture seeks priceless memorable moments a whole lot more of them will occur, but they’ll never occur every time.

Average is Easy

Consistently trying to achieve the higher mark is a behavioral habit that separates exceptional results from the average. At some point, average becomes too easy.

Performing at the level of delivering just of enough service is not the same as delivering just in time. People might be delighted with just in time, but just enough sets the bar for average.

If your brand promise includes delivering at the highest level, remember that it is a moving target. You’ll need to keep showing up and you’ll need work outside of the averages.

Make it memorable. Keep your promise.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a five-time author and some of his work includes, #CustServ The Customer Service Culture, and 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+

15
Aug 17
-

Change the Average Customer Experience

Tags : average committee culture customer service network

We are always evaluating. Often we size things up, make a determination or a judgment. Bias might come into play and sometimes stereotyping. Have you thought about how to change the average customer experience?

Everywhere you go people are trying to deliver exceptional customer service. In some cases, we may argue that sometimes they aren’t really trying at all. Ask people what they want in the customer experience and they might tell you. Others will never say a word or respond to a survey.

Average Customer Experience

Organizations do it all the time. They try to hire people who are just like the rest of the team. Looking for the fit, it is what they do. How many really up their game? How many look for the best of the best instead of just what fits?

The customer experience delivered by your organization is really about the culture. It is a collection of values and beliefs delivered across time that may now be identified as a tradition. It is not just a department and it is not just the responsibility of closing a sale.

What your customers may get, at best, is an average experience. It’s an average when you aren’t making moves to do something bigger, better, and bolder than the rest.

Your customer has a measurement, a bar, an experience that sets the standard. Anytime someone surpasses the standard they have received exceptional service. In those situations, their experience is above average.

Change the Experience

What if your organization hired differently or if you invited new members to the committee? What if you asked the front line, listened better, and changed more? Would you, could you, increase the average experience for your customers?

Who is in your network? You might be part of the average calculation.

What are your favorite restaurants? They set your average experience.

What do you buy online? Shopping online is part of your average shopping experience.

If you are going to change your average, when you want to create a better customer experience, you are going to have to do something different.

It takes guts and effort to make a difference.

Average is easy.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a four-time author and some of his work includes, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce and Pivot and Accelerate, The Next Move Is Yours! Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

13
Jan 15
-

Create It

Tags : average belief excellence

What is passion to someone is completely unreasonable to someone else.

Do you believe in what you are doing? Do you believe in your people, the project, or the new marketing program? Do you believe in yourself?

Movers and shakers, fast trackers, and water walkers, they all believe. Their belief may be so deep and with so much conviction that they are labeled as cocky, arrogant, or narcissistic. If they stray from mainstream thinking or action they may face ridicule, mockery, and negative labels.

That isn’t what bothers them, it is what motivates them.

Walking a different path tells them they are on the right path, because the same path is the path of the average, the unwilling, and the status quo.

Don’t believe in average, believe in excellence.

Create it.

– DEG

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

Photo Credit: John Morgan

Tag Archives: average

Oct 19

-

Being Average?

Frustration of Average

Jul 18

-

Stand Out

Pleasing Everyone

May 18

-

Evidence

Different Sells

Oct 17

-

Exceed Expectations

Keep Your Brand Promise

Average is Easy

Aug 17

-

Average Customer Experience

Change the Experience

Jan 15

-

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