choices Archives - Page 2 of 4

06
May 20
-

Traveling Forward Is Your Only Path

It’s your only path because you cannot go backwards. When you recognize traveling forward is your only route, embracing it becomes less difficult.

You can’t freeze time. It doesn’t stop. Fix a telescope on the constellation Orion and it keeps moving. In our view of the sky, so does the Sun and the Moon.

Returning to Normal, or Not?

There are certainly many lessons being learned during the spring of 2020.

One that perhaps hasn’t been fully considered is that there is only one path forward. You can’t stay exactly the same because you can’t freeze time. You can’t go back either.

There is not going to be a return to normal. A new normal perhaps, but not a return to the old normal. Things are different now.

Changed for a long time, if not forever, people will think differently about social gatherings. Commerce will be different. Certain fears are new or older ones rekindled or solidified.

Will there be an “all clear?”

Even if there is, or when there is, many people still won’t believe it. Some don’t believe it now, and some won’t believe it later.

Fear will impact the quality of decisions. There will be fear of a virus, fear of legal issues, and fear of the unknown.

Fear is always a motivator. Unfortunately, being fearful isn’t the design of the most successful organizational cultures.

Traveling Forward

Forward is your only choice. The cause and effect of decisions you make will affect today and tomorrow, but not yesterday.

Expecting that there will be a return to normal is thoughtless. It’s an assumption based on desire not on practicality.

Tomorrow will be different from today. Even if you tried to stop tomorrow from happening it’s still coming.

When you accept that traveling forward is the only path you should also consider asking yourself what you’ll change.

You have a chance every day to make tomorrow better than the day before. Assumptions about normal are simply a state of right now.

-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.

05
May 20
2

Good Decisions Come From Good Character

Tags : choices decisions future outcomes persistence

Is it easy to make good decisions? Considering a lifetime of decisions and choices, does your character define you?

A good friend of mine asks the question, “How does someone get discovered?”

He is referring to things like musicians, authors, and even great business leaders. Evidence suggests that there are many talented people who go through life undiscovered.

Why?

Has the playing field been leveled? Are there too many in the category of average?

What will set you apart?

Wealth of Information

We live in a World saturated with information. There is so much information, so many media options, and so many opportunities worthy of consideration that nearly everyone has an opportunity to contribute or learn something.

In professional settings there are countless sources for business information. There are thousands of schools and universities, and even more books, seminars, and other learning opportunities.

It would seem that both knowledge and opportunity are everywhere.

What makes a difference for people in their career? If information and knowledge are abundantly available, what sets some apart?

Good Decisions

Setting aside the concept of luck or being at the right place at the right time your best moves probably develop from your character.

When you consider that all of the people who seek knowledge have similar resources for knowledge gain or accessibility to information, then it really comes down to decisions.

The missing skill becomes your sense of good judgment.

Every decision made today will have consequences. Some of those may be labeled as good while others may be labeled as bad.

Everything that you do and become is a part of the decisions you’ve made. Across your own lifetime, it is part of your character.

Perhaps the most scarce resource of all, is the character required to make good judgments that lead to good decisions.

Decisions made are part of who you are. How you change what happens next is part of who you’ll become.

-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.

01
May 20
-

Unexpected Choices Spark a Pivot.

Tags : change choices decisions pivot

Decisions sometimes need to be made even when it is undesirable. Have you encountered unexpected choices during adverse conditions?

If you have, then you’ve probably recognized that freezing, seizing up, or having a reluctance to consider alternatives may result in poor choices.

People deal with the stress of the unexpected in different ways. Some immediately want to explore while others just want everything to go back to what they considered normal.

In many cases, there is not a back to normal option. The status quo is no longer available. There becomes a new normal.

People often believe that a persons environment shapes who they are and who they become. Others believe that people are who they are, regardless of any environmental observation or stimulus. There is even a psychology based term for this, it is known as the Fundamental Attribution Error.

Our environment is powerful. Situations and circumstances are powerful. Your habits, ethics, and integrity are also powerful.

What do you do or assume during adverse conditions? Are you looking for new options or do you find yourself restricted to known paths?

Innovators seek new options.

Unexpected Choices

You may discover that it is time to pivot. Time to explore the unexplored and discover a different direction.

What do you do when the store is out of your favorite brand?

How do you get to work when your normal route is blocked?

What happens when you don’t have the right tool for the job?

You improvise. Discovery of options and choices provide an opportunity to keep moving.

Everyday decisions always have an outcome. Decisions that you make under pressure or adverse conditions also have an outcome.

Certainly a decision or choice to do nothing is still a decision but the opportunity to pivot gets new things started.

It may be the unexpected choices or options which require you to go in a new direction that yield the best results.

Consider alternatives.

-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.

17
Apr 20
-

Drama Decisions Are Not Productive

Tags : choices decisions drama pivot productivity

Each day you have a responsibility. The responsibility to make decisions. Are you making drama decisions, or good decisions?

When your job, at least in part, is to make good decisions have you considered the information that guides those decisions?

Obstacles and Validity

It’s common that workplace leaders hear and see a lot. People run to bosses, especially middle managers, seeking an opportunity to have a voice.

They voice their opinions. Opinions that sound like facts, but are not facts. Some may be valid and reliable. Others may be nothing more than hearsay.

Your best decisions may come from careful analysis. It may mean examining the data, asking more questions, and even having the patience to allow things to unfold a little before jumping.

Some workplace leaders find themselves sandwiched between a variety of stories with little data. These stories are often embellished versions of the real story, and unfortunately an easy management trap is to listen to a few and then the last presentation seems to win.

These are drama decisions.

Drama Decisions

Drama decisions are fueled with unproductive emotions. Often arising from jealously, envy, or spite.

Voices get loud. Frequencies increase, and the outcomes feed the drama even more.

If part of your job is being responsible for making good decisions then it may be very important to consider the characteristics of the source.

Are you listening for facts and not reacting to opinions?

Is there any data to back up the message?

What is really the root cause of the scenario being presented?

You didn’t achieve a position responsible for making good decisions by often making bad ones, but could you still do better?

Have you considered the value of thinking more critically and making better decisions?

It may be a worthwhile exercise.

-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.

15
Apr 20
-

Better Choices Come From Better Habits

Tags : career choices decisions habits leadership

Are you able to make better choices? Is it your job to make better decisions, to think more critically, or to choose the best path?

Chances are good that everyone has some of this responsibility. If it is true for you, how are you ensuring your choices produce the best outcomes?

“Every dog has its day.”

Nearly everyone quickly recognizes the meaning of this phrase. It is to suggest that at some point, everyone gets some luck or stumbles onto some good fortune.

Many people believe that the best of the best get all of the breaks. The view is that life is easy and good fortune is always coming their way.

It is true for the view of individuals and often also true for the view of businesses or organizations.

Lucky Breaks

Have you ever had a streak of good luck? What about a streak of bad luck? Many will tell you that bad luck comes in three’s and so you look for it to stop after a self-identified, third event.

Streaks of good luck or bad luck don’t continue on forever. That is why we call them a streak.

Studies on the concept of luck have concluded that we all have about the same amount of luck. It is how we manage our luck that determines the future outcomes.

With all of this in mind it would seem logical that your daily habits are what make the most difference.

Better Choices

Each day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute, positions you to make the best choices and decisions about what will happen next.

Today you’ll make some choices. Tomorrow the path might be altered ever so slightly (or drastically) to create a new beginning.

Diets and exercise don’t change a physique on a single day. Getting better at your craft doesn’t flip the switch over night. Your career or your business venture isn’t about a single day, a single moment, or a specific spike or decline.

What happens across a career is about choices. The choices you make are connected to the habits you follow.

Today is a good day to figure out what those are.

-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.

14
Apr 20
-

Technology Discomfort Creates Leaders And Followers

Tags : choices discomfort followers leadership technology

Have you ever been the victim of technology discomfort? That hesitation, fear, or unwanted risk to try something you’ve never done before?

Many people are making big leaps. It is more than giant steps, they are leaping.

The rapid deployment of video technologies used in a time of crisis has forced the hand of the slow to adopt.

Some will suggest that it has to do with age. Others may suggest that it has to do with beauty, perception, or the fear connected with the unknown that causes discomfort.

Digital isn’t new. It is just being wildly adopted by the feeling of need.

We need to communicate better. We need to have a meeting, broadcast some information, or participate in the next discussion. It may be for a decision, for something to learn, or because we miss our family and friends.

Needy.

There is nothing wrong with recognizing the need and driving change.

The question to ask though, is, why did you wait so long?

The early adopters and those who embrace. The risk takers, and the rain makers. Many of those have already been there. Everyone else has just been waiting. Waiting to follow.

There might be a lesson here.

Technology Discomfort

The lesson may be about exploring your discomfort and not leaping back when you see your shadow on the wall.

No more hiding away and waiting behind.

Stepping back keeps you in your comfort zone. There is no courage required. No reason to face the fear and discomfort for growth. Just unknowingly waiting to be driven by force.

Leaders lead. Leading requires risk. Following matters too. Yet, following out of force is different from following by choice.

Choosing is leading.

Having no choice feels like a push.

Nobody likes being shoved.

Making the choice is much more productive.

-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.

02
Apr 20
-

Being Responsible Emotionally Is Your Choice

Tags : bad day choices disruption good day modeling behavior

Each day presents a new opportunity, yet you only have it for just this one day. Tomorrow is another new day. Are you being responsible emotionally for yourself or your team?

What difference would you like to make today?

People often mention attitude. The discussion seems to center around either having a good attitude or a bad attitude. Everyone quickly recognizes that attitude is a game changer.

The new day opportunity is to construct our emotional state around how we want to feel, how we want things to look, and the outcomes that we seek.

Unless you’ve somehow been hiding under a rock for two months, you recognize that there is a problem right now. Disruption is everywhere and everyone knows it.

You still have a choice about how you’ll approach the day.

Responsible Emotionally

People often identify a good day as one without pressure, without worry, or without havoc. Are these days about choice?

Perhaps, in some regards. In other ways, circumstances and situations arise that are often beyond your control.

On these days you have a choice. You can put your energy into a reaction, some anger, or viewing it from the position of the victim. This takes energy.

Another choice is to use your energy to focus on how want to feel. Choose to believe in a different outcome and start by modeling the behavior that represents the outcome you desire.

There is a benefit. A big benefit. The benefit is not only about how you’ll feel but also about how you appear to others.

Today will only happen once. Tomorrow is another day.

Make your best choices about how you will represent on this day.

-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.

23
Aug 19
-

Delayed Decisions Can Become a Bad Habit

Tags : choices decisions habits procrastination

Do you hurry to make decisions? Is your pause something that becomes a habit? Do you feel more accurate after strategically waiting? Delayed decisions can become a bad habit.

Cool Off, Slow Down

We’ve learned about the cooling off period. If we are making a big purchase, a major life choice, or something of very high risk, a delayed decision seems appropriate.

Confidence, or a lack of, may drive how rapidly we make decisions.

Across time we may develop a learned pattern that the act of delaying decisions keeps our options open, provides more clarity, and allows our emotions to calm down. All of which may be true, and sometimes good, but is it required?

Do you have a habit of delaying decisions?

Delayed Decisions

In 2006, you may not have heard of Facebook, when you did, you may have decided to wait to join. By 2010, if you wanted engagement on Facebook, your advantages were already lessening. Sure, there were still many more people to join, but Facebook was already contemplating strategy for controlling and securing their platform.

If you wanted to be a Facebook Influencer, early adoption was a good strategy.

When we jump in early, there is often an advantage. This is true with many decisions. First on the bus, first to the fresh buffet, or first in line for the Black Friday electronics deals. All may be advantageous.

There is a bell curve of value connected with change. Decisions drive change.

As humans we are creatures of habit. We often launch, analyze, learn, change, and repeat. Sometimes we label this as a fluid process. Fluidity can be good.

At the same time if our habits drive us to hesitate, wait, slow down, and analyze more, we just might miss the bus.

Careful consideration is always valuable. Procrastination on deciding can become a bad habit.

-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.

16
Jul 19
-

Workplace Headache and Other Ailments

Tags : choices headache pain problems workplace

Do you have a workplace headache? Is there something or someone gnawing at you?

We’ve heard somebody say it, “I have a migraine.” Migraines are no joke and could be a serious condition.

Metaphorically, are there some pains around your workplace?

Beyond Control

Any time we have people working together we’re going to have different personalities, different values, ideas, and beliefs. There will always be different ways to approach problems and different moods depending on what is happening in our lives.

In addition to the interpersonal circumstances we’ll also probably have work we like to do, and work we despise doing.

We know there will be good days and bad days.

Can you control your situation? In some cases, probably, yes. In other cases, probably not so much.

We can’t do much about the traffic jam, the road construction, or a traffic accident.

Pouring rain, bright sunshine, high temperatures or freezing cold. No wind, light wind, or whipping wind, nothing we can really do.

The personalities of our valued customers or coworkers, they are beyond our control.

Workplace Headache

If we choose to allow it, we have a lot of workplace ailments. Personalities, values, and attitudes, not much we can do unless it is our job to help others with their behaviors.

We can choose to not let a traffic jam, bad weather, or different personalities ruin our chance at productivity.

There is a job to do, either way. What happens next is based on our own decisions.

We can choose to acknowledge our headaches, or move forward perhaps forgetting that we have them.

-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.

12
Jul 19
-

Buying Choices Every Customer Makes

Tags : buying choices competition marketing

What choices do you make when you are shopping? New shoes, a dress or a shirt, or perhaps a new car, what do you decide? Buying choices can be challenging.

I’m thinking about an ice cream sundae.

This smartphone is probably outdated, what are the newest features in phones?

My car has been paid off for two-years, maybe I’ll get a new one.

When a hot new technology is introduced the first brand to bring it market has an advantage. The buyers only need to decide if they will buy, they don’t really have choices about brand.

Competition Can Be Good

In many places, there is a gas station and convenience store on each side of the street. At the exit of the highway, to the left and to the right there are food options. When you find a TGI Friday’s you may also notice nearby a Ruby Tuesday.

Certainly, there may be many reasons for this. One competitor may be trying to beat the other, show their dominance, become the best. Run the other out of town.

On the other hand, we may wonder if it would be better to be the only place in town?

Buying Choices

In many buying situations the buyer is making two initial choices.

The first decision is if they will buy. They may want the ice cream sundae but they have to decide if it is within their caloric allowance.

Competition sometimes answers the question the first question. When we see a McDonalds to our left, and across the street, to the right, a Burger King, we may now accept the if, we only have to decide which.

Two competing gas stations at the highway may assume the if has been answered. Buyers are exiting, now they’ll decide which one they’ll choose.

Competition sometimes means there is only one question left to answer.

Selling the idea is sometimes the biggest hurdle.

-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.

Tag Archives: choices

May 20

-

Returning to Normal, or Not?

Traveling Forward

May 20

Wealth of Information

Good Decisions

May 20

-

Unexpected Choices

Apr 20

-

Obstacles and Validity

Drama Decisions

Apr 20

-

Lucky Breaks

Better Choices

Apr 20

-

Technology Discomfort

Apr 20

-

Responsible Emotionally

Aug 19

-

Cool Off, Slow Down

Delayed Decisions

Jul 19

-

Beyond Control

Workplace Headache

Jul 19

-

Competition Can Be Good

Buying Choices

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