Tag Archives: challenges

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best results

Best Results, When You’re Doing Your Best

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How are things turning out? Are you getting the best results? What questions are you asking yourself? What are your answers?

When things go right, it often feels like things can’t go wrong. So much so, that people often take for granted the opportunities that are welcoming them along for the ride. Has this ever been you?

Sometimes the opposite is true. One wrong turn seems to lead to another. The only opportunity that you start to wish for is that there will not be more bad news. Could this be you? Have you experienced this in the past?

At the moment, if the chips seem down, it is often hard to see what things will look like on the other side of the crisis. The haste to improve, correct, and redirect the flow is often overwhelming.

Have you searched for more optimism? Is there a path to shifting from doom to bloom?

What will you focus on to get better results?

Best Results

There are two possible paths to shift to better results. The best news is, you can take them both at the same time.

The first possible path is to put the obstacle into perspective. People often lose their perspective when the chips seem down. The half-inch tall obstacles get blown out of proportion and they appear hundreds of feet tall. Step back and look at how big, or how tall, in the bigger picture of life, how tall is this obstacle?

Worry won’t shrink it. Keeping it all in perspective might.

Remember that disappointments are a natural part of life. The risk that doesn’t always blossom, and opportunities that seemed like they would likely appear, but then didn’t. It’s normal.

The second possible path is to start analyzing your wins. You can do this with a win-list. It’s simple really, you stop counting the things going wrong and you shift your focus to your wins. Any win and every win, no matter how small.

Most people are pleasantly surprised when they start focusing on wins instead of drowning in the drama.

Everyone wants the best results.

Doing your best matters. What you focus on always creates your perspective.

You’re taller than your obstacles, and you’ll win.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), 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.


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Competitive motivation

Competitive Motivation Keeps Things Rolling

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Selling is often considering to be about winning. Convincing another party to exchange money for a good or service. It’s commerce. Do you believe in competitive motivation?

McDonald’s and Burger King might have something going on. Don’t forget about Wendy’s and Carl’s Jr., they have a few things in common. Then there is Domino’s, Papa John’s, and Marco’s Pizza.

Businesses who are front runners tend to not like the threat of another player. New players like chasing the front runner.

Could there be some motivation hidden here?

When the football, baseball, or soccer teams hit the field we recognize both are out to win, and only one will. Any kind of tie feels better than a loss, but it is still not a win. It makes overtime even more attractive.

The idea of winning is inspirational. It’s motivational.

Competition may not always be people or businesses.

Competition can be about numbers, metrics, or a system.

Employee teams can aspire to beat the previous record, exceed goal, or overcome a distinct disadvantage.

What we focus on is what we get.

Competitive Motivation

There are some interesting aspects connected to the motivation created by competition. One such aspect is that when the competition knows you’re watching it may give them an advantage.

It may bring about decoy’s, the threat of exposed trade secrets, or espionage.

It could also start a war for talent. Bring on non-compete clauses, wage hikes, and package deals.

How do you size up competitive motivation?

Chances are good that it is keeping you moving.

Roll on.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), 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.


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changing now

Changing Now Has Never Been Harder or Easier

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What if you were forced to change right now? Changing now, in the moment, at this place in time requires a special effort.

Do you feel like the World around you is changing? It is easy to get people to agree that everything is changing. Are you changing or staying about the same?

Look at a picture of you from half of your lifetime ago. You’ll notice change.

The process of change, which is otherwise known as transition is an emotional reaction to the feeling you experience during change.

It is a struggle because part of you wants to stay exactly the same and part of you either feels forced or desires to do something different.

There are emotions involved. It could be anything from denial, to fear, to shock and disbelief. You might feel panicked, angry, or scared. Most of all, you probably feel stressed about a change you didn’t see coming, or one you feel challenged to adopt.

Controlling your emotions and staying cool under pressure are just a small part of navigating change. Recognizing the pinch of the stress you’re feeling sometimes prompts panic. Yet likely, panic will not result in any kind of positive outcome.

Changing Now

Remember the thought of that picture from half a lifetime ago?

Considering that there was not a significant life altering event that changed your physical appearance you probably barely felt the change on day-to-day basis.

You were and have been, just living. Making your way through each day, week, month, and year.

Changing now is really about tiny milestones consistently applied across time.

Sure, big leaps are sometimes preferred and sometimes they are even required. Mostly though, it is a day-to-day application across time.

Every decision you make, every conscious thought about change, it feels like the right path in that moment you decide. It’s the best choice. What happens next isn’t always up to you.

Many decisions or choices aren’t easy. Change is sometimes difficult.

Changing now has never been easier.

-DEG

Looking for change? Need some help with navigation? It is exactly why I wrote this book:

Pivot and accelerate

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), 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.


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big problems

Big Problems Require Big Effort

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Some problems are simple. Some problems feel silly once we see the solution. Big problems typically don’t go away easily, otherwise, we probably wouldn’t be discussing them.

In the workplace we hold meetings to solve problems. Change is often met with opposition, always eager and ready to point out more difficulties, and more challenges.

Resistors insist that the proposed resolution will break the system, lose customers, and start an unstoppable downhill spiral of events that will end in devastation.

Workplace Challenges

Twenty years ago, I remember holding meetings with sales teams and operations groups. During the meetings I used an easel pad to capture what they identified as problems.

Following the meetings in my office I would review the large flip-chart sheets and spend more time to understand the data I had captured.

The problems were complex. They involved numerous departments and workgroups. Budget and money were factors for resolution. So was training, on-boarding the right people, and keeping systems operational while change emerged.

Because of the complexity and budget, it meant that I couldn’t single handedly address their concerns. It would require buy-in from investors and other organizational leaders.

What did I do?

Big Problems

I spent time with the people in the decision flow who had a voice and could impact the necessary areas to address the challenges. This required more meetings, more time, and more red tape.

What didn’t I do?

Unfortunately, I didn’t immediately get back with the teams that spent the time to discuss the challenges. I didn’t spend enough time to follow-up, follow-through, and keep them apprised of the status. I assumed they understood the careful navigation required to address their concerns.

Through their lens, from their frame, I wasn’t doing anything to help with their problems.

I felt rather silly. Twenty years later I still feel kind of silly writing about it. The problem is, we often take many behaviors, actions, and inaction for granted.

Make a big effort. Be thorough. Circle back. Do it timely.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), 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+


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multigenerational supervision

Is Multigenerational Supervision Required?

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It is often hard to unlearn what we’ve learned. Informal discussions with people across all generations confirm this in my mind. Does your team or organization require multigenerational supervision?

Multigenerational supervision implies that a supervisor must flex his or her style to appropriately navigate and lead across all workforce generations.

Multigenerational Challenges

Ask anyone to put some thought into the problem areas for reaching across all generations. They would probably suggest that communication is one problem. Close runner-ups would probably include change and technology approaches to work.

Why is it that these areas are so problematic? You could argue it is connected to values and beliefs. You could argue it is connected to how we’ve learned, parental styles, educational backgrounds, rural vs urban living, and many other factors.

The truth is that all these factors are in-part a catalyst for generational challenges. So how do we navigate?

Multigenerational Supervision

Supervisors are always challenged with situational leadership. Which to me implies, they must manage situations somewhat differently depending on the circumstances. It does not mean the rules or policies are different for different people. Just the style is different.

There are two main factors to consider here:

  1. Traditionals and baby boomers learned to accept commands from the boss. The youngest millennials and generation Z (Gen 9/11, iGen) learned from a more servant style of leadership. True with many parental philosophies. True in their perception of workplace roles.
  2. Communication across the generations has similar aspects. Traditionals and baby boomers are more accustomed to not offering opinions or suggestions. They knew workplace cultures of not playing a role in decision making and problem solving, that was the job of management. The youngest in the workforce expect (and depend on) a more collaborative style.

So, the best multigenerational supervisors (regardless of their own generation) are the ones that can unlearn, adapt, or flex their personal style.

The underlying philosophies of adaptation and respect are required across the entire generational framework.

Are you able to unlearn? Are you flexible?

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and corporate trainer. 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+


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