commitment Archives - Page 2 of 4

29
Oct 20
-

Gone Sideways and Self-Help For Your Efforts

Tags : commitment confidence decisions focus strategy

Have you ever felt like the project took a wrong turn? Have things gone sideways? Maybe you don’t even notice it, yet?

Committed people sometimes do some very strange things. Onlookers wonder why the commitment sticks even when there is evidence clearly illustrating it’s failing.

In all likelihood, there are multiple angles or points of view. One of the common yet somewhat unrealized traps is staying committed because of all the effort already put in.

It’s often hard to make the right choice. Someone wants to abort the project early and someone else wants to hang in there because, “We’ve already invested so much.”

Everyone recognizes hindsight often tells a different story, either way.

The right now is not hindsight and it’s also not foresight.

What should you do?

Gone Sideways

For the customer, you need to do the right thing. For the team and even your community, you must do the right thing.

Yes, even for yourself, you must make a good decision now.

Many people believe that every day they are in a tactical firefight at their workplace. So many things happening so fast, so many loose ends, and so much drama.

What do they do?

They fight the fire. They address problems as emergencies and face the wrath of whatever unfolds next.

Problem-solving is a key skill for leadership. If you are good at it, you should be proud. However, when tactical firefights are so commonplace that you fail to execute strategy everyone loses.

The project gone sideways either needs to stop, start again, or redirect. Stuck won’t work and neither will additional wasted effort.

The same is true with poorly performing employees.

Learning from the past is powerful. It goes hand-in-hand with knowing when to pivot.

A strategic focus needs a tactical approach.

Tactics only, without a vision for the future, are sure to send you sideways.

You don’t have to believe it now, but you will when you check your data.

Commit to the strategy. The tactics of getting there may need to be adjusted.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), 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.

17
Sep 20
2

When The Best Job Is Your Current Job

Tags : career commitment effort focus new job

Do you have a great job? Do you feel stuck in a not so great job? Perhaps your best job is your current job and you don’t even realize it, yet.

Work can be tough. Navigating organizational politics, managing appropriate relationships with co-workers, and even dealing with customers or vendors. And, I didn’t even mention the boss.

Are you career minded or are you on a quest for better pay? Maybe it’s both.

Absolutely, there are some business cultures that will seemingly never change. However, there are plenty of business cultures that are looking for employees who truly want to make a difference.

Are you truly committed to the effort to make your current job your best job?

Your Best Job

It’s easy to give up, throw your hands in the air, and claim that you’ve tried. After a while, you may feel beat down, underutilized, and misunderstood.

That doesn’t mean that it is over. A new job is going to require you to double down with effort. Why not double down right where you’re at? Would that make a difference? Could it?

Sometimes the greener grass is right in your own yard.

Discovering it starts with some tough questions.

What is your goal? That doesn’t mean, “Find a new job.” That’s too high level, you’re going to have to go deeper and more meaningful.
What are the obstacles? Identifying the obstacles can help you strategize on how to move around them. Sometimes obstacles are imaginary, be sure to give your thoughts the reality check.
What can you cultivate? Are there relationships that need to be built? Trust that needs to be restored? Have you really put forth the right effort and attitude or have you drifted away from your best delivery?

If you can’t answer the questions above, you’re probably not ready.

Ready for what?

Basking in Greener Grass

You may not be ready to find the green grass in your own yard. Perhaps you’re not ready to put forth the right kinds of effort, patience, and strategy to achieve the most in your current role.

Have I struck a nerve?

You’re human. It is easy to drift from good habits and a good attitude. It’s easy to blame the boss, claim it’s a bad place to work and focus more on what’s wrong instead of what’s right.

Chances are that you have more to offer than what you’re currently giving.

Sometimes the magical answer appears when you ask the right question.

What’s right about your current job?

Stay focused.

-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.

04
Sep 20
-

Work Schedule and Doing What Comes Next

Tags : commitment productivity schedule task master tasks

What’s your work schedule look like? Do you have one? What’s your plan?

Being a task master is an effective way to get all the boxes checked. It matters and can be productive. What about the things that derail the checklist? How do you get those things accomplished?

It is important to remember that there will always be rainy day projects. There will be projects that get started but never get finished. Work completed that sits around unused and unwanted. And stuff that no matter how much effort you apply you’ll just never see the end.

It’s not uncommon to be energized by something new. A small (or big) challenge that you know is achievable and you’re excited to jump in.

There is also often procrastination. The same old, same old, project or task. It’s boring, mindless, and hard to determine its true value, yet it must be done.

Many people enjoy a hands-off management style. A style that isn’t suffering from micro-management or looked down upon from the ivory tower with a pen in hand ready to check the box.

Work Schedule

How are you feeling about your work schedule?

Is it appropriately busy? Could it be boring, monotonous, or seemingly without meaning?

What about things that can never be finished? Things that once completed start all over again? Completing sales orders, engaging customers, or keeping weeds away from your sidewalk. All continue to add up.

You’ll never watch every minute of what’s on YouTube. You can’t read every blog or listen to every podcast. The bucket is being filled faster than you can consume.

Whether you manage your own schedule or are being observed by a task master, it’s important to keep a few basics in mind.

Lists of work and are important. Yet, checking boxes is not necessarily a sign of quality or efficiency.

Likely, there will always be more on the list than what can be accomplished.

If you’re going to manage by a list, don’t allow things that can’t be finished weigh you down. Some things never end, or end only to start again.

If you’re deciding what to do next, don’t embark on something that will derail the real work that needs to be finished.

-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.

31
Aug 20
-

Persistent Commitment Is Not About Time

Tags : career commitment destination persistence problem solving

At least not directly. Persistent commitment emphasizes the value of the journey, and in most cases, it shouldn’t alter the destination. Assumptions that it takes a long-time shouldn’t weaken the focus. In fact, it may serve to strengthen it.

Destinations are often connected to hurdles, problems, and cannot happen within the moment. It is often why people fail to reach them.

The business or organization you work for has a journey and a destination. The same may be said about your career.

Destination Focused

In hospitality businesses, people sometimes refer to their operation as a destination location. The restaurant outside of town may have to be a destination location.

In these scenarios, it’s important to be persistent in providing the ambiance that draws people to you. Successful operations focus more than just food.

Whether you are problem-solving for your business or planning your career, staying persistent, and being committed matters.

Identifying that the journey may be long shouldn’t alter the commitment.

A career is considered to be comprised of many years. Yet, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be focused, committed, and taking action towards the destination every day.

Some good things take time. It’s true.

Persistent Commitment

Time shouldn’t be confused with weakening or lessening the commitment. It doesn’t mean you should just cruise, lose your focus, or wait on the perfect time.

Feeling that it’s taking too long to get to your destination may make you settle for something less. Not because you can’t get there. Perhaps because the feeling connected with the journey to reach your destination makes you less committed to the requirements of the goal.

It happens for people with diets, exercise routines, and managing personal finances. It may be the cause of business failures or connected with the frustration of navigating your career.

Bottom line, it shouldn’t.

It just shouldn’t happen.

Stay persistent and be committed.

-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.

07
Aug 20
-

New Job Demands and Going All Out

Tags : career commitment job demands work ethic

Someone may tell you that you have to put yourself all in, in order to go all out. They’re probably correct. Do you have new job demands? Can you go all out?

Being committed to high performance in the workplace is not always easy. There are plenty of distractions and plenty of naysayers.

That shouldn’t stop you!

Whether you are starting a new career, a new job, or have moved to a new employer, going all out matters. It even matters if nothing is really new, maybe it is just a new you.

People often lack the commitment because they are uncertain. Perhaps they wonder if they have the knowledge, skills, and abilities. They may also be uncertain if they can sustain such a high level of commitment.

Additionally, sometimes, they’re troubled by the likability factor. Will other people get angry or am I stepping on someone’s toes?

Being committed is an interesting position. You sometimes don’t realize that you’ve already decided, you just need to carry out your plan.

Commitment is a Choice

When I was a teenager, rolling skating and dancing were a popular group attraction. If you went to the rink, you were going to skate. If you went to the dance, you were expected to dance.

Only not everyone did.

It could feel kind of personal. People are watching. What if I fall on my skates or my body moves weird when I try to dance?

If you went to the rink or to the dance, you should have already decided. Unless you decided that you were going, but you were not going to participate. So why show up?

Teenagers may have many reasons. Yet, in real world adult workplace situations does just showing up count? Of course not.

When you make the decision to show up for your job, your work, or career it’s time to dance. The commitment should have already occurred so why not?

New Job Demands

Life is full of distractions. Life has risks.

There is a risk to commitment and often a feeling of uncertainty. What you sometimes fail to realize is that you’ve already decided. The moment you decided to show up was the moment you decided to go all out.

What is riskier?

For your job, riskier might be only going half-in. You do something so that there is motion, but your commitment is all wrong.

As a result, you do inferior work. You miss targets and deadlines, or your output is not the quality or quantity expected. You cost more than you are worth.

What holds more risk? Going all out or only half-in?

You didn’t think you were going to show up and only watch, did you?

-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.

08
Jul 20
-

New Commitments Are Often Necessary

Tags : change commitment focus habits

There might be a change happening, are you aware? New commitments are often necessary and being committed will make a difference for success.

The Olympic diver needs to be committed. So does the Bob Sled team.

Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley had to be committed, so did NASA, SpaceX, and the Falcon 9.

Business or Personal Change

Our workplaces are experiencing massive change. It is happening in businesses, K-12, and higher education.

Are commitments necessary?

Have you asked yourself or your team recently, “What are we committed to?”

Commitment creates focus and focus will always impact results. A focus on nothing, will get you nothing.

What are you committed to?

Are you committed to a revenue goal, a project milestone, or a career path?

If it is going to happen, focus will be required.

Change often develops in the workplace from both internal and external forces. The 2020 pandemic has ensured that there are some external forces putting pressure on businesses. Change is not an option.

Successful change will require a commitment.

Are you ready? Is the team?

New Commitments

In competitive sports or a rocket launch, there is a commitment. Part of the commitment is focused on a timed event. Once the countdown clock begins there is little chance of turning back.

There is not an opportunity to hesitate or stop. Once it is go, it’s go. All that remains is to perform.

Workplace change often fails because of a lack of commitment. It is also true for the career change or better eating habits.

Maybe it is time you ask yourself if you are committed.

You better know before the countdown clock starts.

-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.

09
Jun 20
-

Better Leadership Makes Things Better

Tags : choices commitment decisions future leadership

Sharp turns, bumps in the road, and dead-end streets. It’s easy to give metaphorical expressions for navigating the rough spots. Maybe what we really need is better leadership.

Everyone has a chance to lead. It’s an opportunity that awaits although many don’t often pause long enough to see it.

Conditions for Leading

Busy is a condition, it’s also a great excuse. People can be too preoccupied and that can detract from their focus.

Often effectiveness is missing.

Listening matters. We hear sounds or noises. True listening involves spending the time and energy required to comprehend or understand what you are hearing.

The truth often is, people are lazy listeners.

If you’ve been in the workforce for a while, you’ve seen a thing or two. If you’ve been in the workforce even in the past few years, you’ve encountered a lot.

We’ve went from a raging, fantastically exciting economy, to getting knocked to our knees by the threat of a virus. Now, violence and disruption have hit our streets and shattered our communities.

Anyone can lead, and now is a great time to be involved.

Better Leadership

Better leadership is an opportunity. It is an opportunity that is needed now, and it will be continuously needed in the future.

Leading, listening, and understanding the difference between busy and effective are all leadership challenges.

Transformation surrounds everyone. The choices you make today will impact your contribution to what the future looks like.

Everyone needs to move on, move forward, or move out of the way of progress.

Lead in your workplace, your community, or for a cause that you care deeply about.

Make things better.

-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
Mar 20
2

5 Tips To Help You Work From Home

Tags : accountability commitment focus productivity work from home

There are some people who just realized their dream opportunity. Largely, this sudden shift may feel more like a nightmare to many people. Are you prepared to work from home?

More or less I have worked from home for the past 14 years. I’ve had part-time offices out of my home and spent many hours onsite at client locations. However, when I’m grinding out new content, writing, studying, and preparing for deliveries, I’m often at home.

Work From Home

First, let me say that there are pros and cons. I spent over 20 years working in conventional workplace settings. I definitely recognize both sides of this story.

Solitude can drive you mad. Yes, it seems kinda cool at first, but after some time you miss the interactions and sometimes the climate of a face-to-face team. There is also no one immediately available to bounce ideas off of, except for your plant or a family pet.

Let me jump right in. Here are five tips to help you get started, stay productive, and not feel like you’re totally alone.

Set a schedule. Planning to do things when you get around to it is probably a bad idea. If you’re planning to do some wash, run the vacuum, or get a snack for the kids you are best to plan around a schedule. A schedule keeps you focused during high energy times of the day and helps you avoid time sucking distractions. Productivity is going to be important so set a schedule.
Prepare a work space. A home office is ideal. However, you can also use your kitchen island, a coffee table, or a stand up desk by using your ironing board. Your best work is going to occur if you can establish a place to setup and keep it somewhat permanent. Using your laptop on your recliner may work for processing some email but your best work is going to occur from a little bit more rigid work space.
Block out distractions. It may feel pretty cool to have the news on the TV, or be jamming to music so loud that the neighbors can hear it, but these are largely distractions. While everyone is different and some will think that they work better with these distractions I encourage you to think twice. Every time you pause to think about something else, something different, or throw in the next load of laundry you are wasting time and more importantly energy.
Take some breaks. A break is not necessarily a distraction. It can be an energizer. It can also be very healthy both emotionally and physically. Your best-case scenario is to plan your breaks. Set a timer and forget about it until you are alerted. You could take break every hour or every two or three. They are important and don’t skip too many.
Teamwork. If you you’re working remotely with a team a great energizer is to plan for team calls or video chats. One way is to plan a call for every two hours. The team quickly assembles at the appropriate time and in a round-robin approach you take turns talking about what you accomplished since you last spoke and what you plan to accomplish in the next time slot. This call should last no more than 15 minutes. It is a quick huddle, and energizer, and a great way to hold each other accountable.

Working from home is just that, it’s work. Yes, you may be able to dress down a bit and yes, you may have some additional flexibility but there is still plenty of work to be done so don’t coast.

-DEG

You may also be interested in the Managing Remote Work Teams or Master Your Work From Home Environment webinar(s).

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
Mar 20
-

Urgent Work Is a Different Priority

Tags : commitment decisions focus priorities urgency

How do you decide what is going to get done? Are you doing urgent work or just work that feels like it should get done?

One decision you make almost every day is closely connected to what happens next.

What are your priorities?

Your Priorities

Will you brush your teeth first, get dressed, or take a shower? What is your priority?

Will you grab a coffee at work, report to your work area, or discuss the latest news with a colleague? What is most important? What is urgent?

There are lots of ways to determine priorities. Often it is driven by some form of need. However, the need is not always the same as what you or others want.

You also likely factor in the concept of what you should do.

I should…

Go to the gym after work.

Tidy up this mess before doing anything else.

Finish the report before the meeting on Wednesday.

When you consider the should factor, you may discover that should isn’t always the most important or urgent. Should is often considered a nicety.

In the workplace, or in your community, you’re often challenged by trying to decide on the right things to work on. What is the most urgent?

Will finishing the report early help my coworkers? Does that rise to the level of urgency?

Is picking up trash in the park more urgent than working on a campaign to help shelter the homeless?

Urgent Work

People often decide on what they’ll work on next by the urgency that they perceive about the importance of the task.

Individual perceptions which are often driven by group dynamics, peer pressure, and even the media affect your sense of urgency.

The next time you want something to happen you may want to consider how others may perceive the sense of urgency. Urgent work always seems to take a priority.

It’s not the squeaky wheel, but it may be the sneaky wheel.

Understand your priorities.

-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
Mar 20
-

Changing Now Has Never Been Harder or Easier

Tags : challenges change commitment effort pivot

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:

Buy Now From Amazon

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: commitment

Oct 20

-

Gone Sideways

Sep 20

Your Best Job

Basking in Greener Grass

Sep 20

-

Work Schedule

Aug 20

-

Destination Focused

Persistent Commitment

Aug 20

-

Commitment is a Choice

New Job Demands

Jul 20

-

Business or Personal Change

New Commitments

Jun 20

-

Conditions for Leading

Better Leadership

Mar 20

Work From Home

Mar 20

-

Your Priorities

Urgent Work

Mar 20

-

Changing Now

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