Tag Archives: competencies

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more effort

More Effort Always Beats Effortless

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Pick any change and you’ll quickly see a connection to effort. More effort is often what people need, yet people often seek to give less effort, not more.

Is there a balance?

A balance emerges when more effort becomes more efficient. It typically becomes more efficient when new habits are formed and when learning curves are no longer an obstacle.

Easy Peasy

If you want to climb six flights of stairs with ease, and assuming you aren’t already accustomed to doing it, you’ll have to put in some extra effort.

If you are a front-line employee who has now become the manager, you’re going to have to put in some extra effort to learn the skills and develop management competencies. It won’t be, the same old, same old.

People often search for talent. Talent in sports, talent in the arts, and talent in the workplace. Does your talent come naturally, or is it more of a developed process?

More Effort Required

Many people might quickly suggest that talent is someplace in the middle. There may seemingly be some natural tendencies for people, yet people often become good at things they enjoy or things they excel at with less effort.

Getting better then, in either case, is conditioned by putting in more effort. Even if you are already good, you’ll get better with more effort.

The quest for effortless and easy is a nicety.

It will seldom take you very far in your career. Even when you have the raw talent.

-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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being everything appreciative strategies

Why Being Everything Doesn’t Matter Much

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There is a simple concept that many follow in business, “If we don’t have it we can get it.” That may go along with; we can build it, create it, or do it. Does being everything matter?

It seems logical, feels intuitive, we don’t want to lose the customer or the sale so we broaden our offering. On the job, we’re mostly taught to fill in, lend a hand, and learn something new. Does this make us more valuable, or less?

Like many things in life, some of this may be situational. It probably helps a lot of people most of the time, but when we really want to stand out or do our best work it may be the wrong approach.

Focus and Risk

We may call this our focus. What are the things that we do really well? What are our core competencies? In what ways or areas do we deliver our best work, build the best product, and set higher standards with our talent?

Focus feels risky. When we say we can’t do that, get that, or make that, it feels like business lost. It may be, and most can’t afford to give up anything, or so that is the feeling. On the other hand, when someone needs an expert, a specialist, and the best who will they call?

There are plenty of analogies about why focus makes sense. For example, for those who are industrial minded there is the torch that cuts metal. A broad flame isn’t concentrated, it doesn’t get as hot, a finer flame focused on a specific spot will cut through the metal.

Depending on backgrounds, industries, or even rural versus urban demographics there are analogies of the shotgun approach, spray and pray, or stories of you can’t be all things to all people. Is being everything smart?

Being Everything

When your focus is too wide, when you try to be everything to all people and all situations you might be lessening your value. In fact, you might accomplish much less. You may start a lot of work but you can’t seem to finish anything.

I’m certainly not suggesting you don’t lend a hand, build something custom, or order the one thing that is hard to get for your valued customers. At the same time, keep in mind that hauling a wider load doesn’t make the trip cost less or get you to the destination faster.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), 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, Pivot and Accelerate, The Next Move Is Yours!, 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+


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Leadership Matters, What Are You Doing?

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Perhaps one of the most important aspects of being a great leader at any level is self-awareness. If you believe that leadership matters than it might be time to step things up a little, or a whole lot.

leadership matters appreciative strategies

Demonstrating leadership doesn’t exist in obtaining the position. It isn’t always about formal bounds of authority. If you want leadership recognition consider how you measure up.

Leadership Matters

Do you want to be more self-aware? Are you demonstrating great leadership qualities?

  1. How do you demonstrate integrity?
  2. What will you do to inspire someone, anyone?
  3. How do you show passion for the work?
  4. Are you trustworthy and how do others know?
  5. Do you help others discover more confidence?
  6. What will you change?
  7. Are you willing to take appropriate risk?
  8. What will build your own character?
  9. How are you helping?
  10. If you didn’t show up would it matter?
  11. How will you show resilience?
  12. Is your work focused?
  13. Do you believe in persistence?
  14. How do you show appreciation?
  15. Are you courageous?
  16. Are you accountable for your own actions?
  17. Do you do as you say?
  18. Are you building appropriate connections?
  19. Is your communication clear, concise, and factual?
  20. Are you an innovator?
  21. Do you believe in your mission?
  22. What opportunities are you creating?
  23. How will you address weaknesses?
  24. What will be your legacy?
  25. What do others say about you?

Are you able to quickly answer these? What questions made you pause, made you think, or made you wonder why it made the list? A helpful hint for processing this might be to focus more on the ones that caused you to pause, there is probably a reason.

False perceptions and self-deception is one of the most important yet often unrecognized leadership trouble spots.

Are you leading?

Do you believe it matters?

– DEG

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


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