generosity Archives - Dennis E. Gilbert

17
Sep 21
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Smart Connections Are Built To Last

Tags : connections generosity networking social networks

Do you have some good connections? How long have they lasted? Building smart connections ensures better quality and creates lasting relationships.

What are connections for, are they for leaning on when you need them? Are they built for you to help them, or them to help you? Is help part of the equation?

Are connections about back scratching? I’ll scratch yours and then you scratch mine? Is it the good olde boy network?

Today, it often feels like you need a degree in psychology to sell many products or services. You have to understand the marketplace, the people, and use all of the resources at your disposal. It’s not true in every sector, but it is true in many.

It may also be true in social media. Social connections, people you’ve never met. Social proof, do your pictures tell a story and spring others to action? Are you active on social media?

What about that new job you’re thinking about? Does anyone there know you, who would be a good reference or could give you a gleaming recommendation?

Smart Connections

Not all connections are the same. Many, but not all, seek reciprocity.

That isn’t all bad, but is it the true basis of connection?

Many non-profits go on funding drives. They make the ask. They apply a little pressure and you’re forced to consider your options.

Chambers of commerce host events. Drop a business card, shake (or fist-bump) a hand, or refer someone you know. Some of these have even ventured into an online, virtual option. Join us, we’ll chat, and become friends. Now, you’re on the email list.

LinkedIn, is designed mostly for business. People join, create a profile of experiences and credentials, make some connections, and establish a network.

Are any of these activities good? Are they smart?

Yes, and yes. They can also be over-cooked.

The elephant in the room is generosity. The more generous you are the better.

The tables haven’t turned, but people don’t value the feeling of being used.

Be authentic.

Be smart.

Strive to be more generous.

-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
Jun 21
-

Reciprocity Expected, Fact or Myth?

Tags : community expectations generosity reciprocity

Is reciprocity expected? Do you have espoused values that guide you for each favor or do you often expect something in return? A future favor paid back?

It might be generational, but likely it is more about community.

Communities pop up everywhere. It is not just the borders of a small town or urban street block. Communities are about people.

There are communities on social media, there are like-minded people doing things to help others in the name of religion. There are also generous people who just enjoy helping someone who needs a hand.

What about reciprocity?

Reciprocity Expected

Are the concepts of reciprocity developed in childhood or as an adolescent? Does it come from parental guidance or is it hard wired from birth?

When someone lends you a hand, are you obligated to return the favor? For many people, this is the expectation or the guilt, whichever side you fall on.

Of course, you can’t forget about the psychological or even the sales factor connected to this.

As many would quickly recognize, giving something often solicits an expectation of receiving something in return. It is sales trick number 4.

If you have ever felt that you’ve been snookered by a rather crafty salesperson reciprocity may have been involved.

Perhaps what is better for your community, your workplace, close friends and family, or your neighbor is to simply give. Lend the hand, be generous, and expect nothing in return.

Generosity is something to be proud of, do the kind of work and be the kind of person that others admire and respect.

Give reciprocity a rest.

-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
Mar 20
-

Acquiring Trust Even When In Doubt

Tags : competitive advantage confidence generosity trust

In a thriving service oriented, connection-based economy, trust may be your most important asset or, your most significant weakness. Acquiring trust isn’t always easy, yet it is always worth it.

What does your gut tell you?

Trusting Matters

Many people rely on their gut feel or instincts to assess their level of trust. Trust with vendors. Trust with customers, and of course, trust with teammates.

The backbone of trust may come from confidence, expectations, and certainly past experiences. Insecurity and paranoia may also creep into the picture.

Trust is often about giving. Can you give trust?

If we’re going to explore giving of trust you have to consider generosity.

Trust is largely about generosity. Will your generosity be taken advantage of by others?

In discussions it may quickly turn into a slippery slope.

Let’s be realistic though. Trust only comes from generosity. We can talk about earning trust, but in reality, earning is not really the same as simply giving.

Do you have the confidence in people to give more trust? Have past experiences tarnished your future expectations?

Acquiring Trust

Knowing what to expect and when can help boost the confidence factor with trust. In other words, if you know a teammate can handle the task grant them the trust. You’re giving.

If you are in doubt based on past experiences specifically with this individual or specifically with this type of task, then explore the requirements with others involved in order to boost everyone’s confidence. Then give more trust.

One act of giving trust means that there is the opportunity to earn it.

If you want your brand, whether it is a personal brand or organizational, to go up in value you’re going to have to give more.

In our service oriented, connection-based economy you really don’t have much choice.

-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.

29
Jan 20
-

Workplace Generosity and What It Means for the Team

Tags : culture generosity reciprocity workplace

If asked, could you honestly suggest that there is generosity in your team? Workplace generosity is often suggested as a core value, but what actually occurs may be something different.

Generosity is an interesting aspect of organizational culture.

Giving Culture

Many people believe that every day they are giving. Giving, giving, and more giving, but never receiving in a reciprocal manner or amount.

This is the first fallacy of generosity. Generosity is about giving first, and not expecting something in return.

People can give in many ways. Most of them are not monetary.

We can give our attention and be a good listener. We may give new ideas or give valuable advice. In some cases, we are even giving respect, transparency, and appropriate consideration for others contributions.

These are all generous aspects of your culture.

Workplace Generosity

Do you view your teams as being generous? Are they giving on a supportive and emotional level? Are they keeping commitments and are they authentic?

Reciprocity is a nice compliment to generosity, yet if reciprocity is expected it changes the value.

When the cultural value is giving without reciprocity, and everyone participates, it seems that giving comes naturally and reciprocity may simply be a residue from the effort.

Be sure you’re using the correct labels. Generosity does not mean reciprocity. Reciprocity has an exchange expectation.

If generosity is your goal, give without conditions. Most of all, stay consistent and carry out the values that you are suggesting.

Your employee teams will thank you for it.

-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.

13
Dec 17
-

Customer Experience Connections and Moments

Tags : connections customer experience frustration generosity moments

There are many labels for our current business climate. There is the connection economy, the digital economy, and my personal favorite is a label of, service economy. Regardless of the label, real customer experience connections and moments are more important now than ever.

When we think of connection, we often think of social media experiences. Connecting, friending, and following all wrap meaning around the social media experience. Those are really just faux connections though. Yes, they have some importance, but they aren’t the same as making a real connection.

Recently I was returning home after spending more than seven hours driving on the road. It was dark, cold, and I was hungry.

One of my favorite fixes for this is a carryout pizza. Just minutes away, I made the call to the pizza shop and arrived with precise timing.

Rush of Frustration

As I stepped out of my car, a pizza delivery person rushed around me from the side. He was talking to himself, mumbling something about kid’s behavior and their parents, and discipline. He must have just had a difficult delivery.

Although my day was long and hectic, I was tired, and I was hungry, I somehow felt this was going to be an interesting moment.

He rushed into the pizza shop, threw down his pizza bags, shed a coat, and stepped behind the cash register. I stood opposite him, waiting patiently.

He attempted to login and couldn’t get the code right, he was breathing heavy, and was obviously frustrated.

After a moment or two, he put both his hands out in front of him, palms down, and quickly swooshed his arms to both sides in a movement signifying calmness. He took a deep breath, looked up at me and said, “How are you doing sir?”

I said, “I’m OK, it’s OK.”

He said, “It’s been a crazy night, a crazy, crazy night.”

I said with a patient smile, “It’s all just moments. Just moments, it will be alright.”

His eyes shifted to the side in a moment of thought, then his shoulders dropped, he relaxed, he smiled, and we were, connected.

Customer Experience Connections

Sometimes when we say customer experience what we really mean is forming a connection. It is isn’t a like on Facebook, it isn’t a new follower on Twitter, and our network hasn’t just expanded on LinkedIn.

All of those things may cause a rush of dopamine in a technology-connected society. The purchase of a lottery ticket may do that too. The reality of outcomes sometimes makes us crave more.

A true connection is something different, a little more intense, and lasting.

Sometimes one of the best things to improve the customer experience is generosity. It doesn’t matter how your day is going, it matters more when you hold a door for someone, smile first, or make the moment more human.

These connections are valuable. More importantly, they are often repeated and shared.

– 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+

06
Sep 17
4

What About Generous Customer Service?

Tags : customer service free generosity touch points value

The unwritten rule today may be to give as much value as possible. Give, and give, and give, until you feel like you can’t give anymore. Generosity, like beauty, may be in the eye of the beholder. What about generous customer service, do you deliver, who says?

Generous Customer Service

Of course, we have all already figured out that getting something for nothing is probably costing someone something. Most often today, something given as free when it is on the edge of a transaction is really the underlying hope for reciprocation. As both vendor and customer, we understand.

A free baseball cap isn’t really free, it comes with the assumed obligation that you will wear it or perhaps gift it forward. The same is true for the free t-shirt with a business logo, or the stickers, magnets, or wall calendar. Everyone seems to understand, or else they really don’t care.

In our attempt to give a lot, establish the return visit, and create loyalty are we hurting our customers? Is every touch point about giving?

Do You Want It?

It might be the 24-inch long cash register receipt for the purchase of a single item. The request to go online and fill out a survey or get a coupon for a product we may want to buy on our next visit.

Could it be the extra flyers, brochures, and the new catalog that comes in the brown box, did you pay shipping and handling charges? Is free shipping really free? Perhaps but most people recognize that somehow that is built into the cost. It is an attractive gesture though.

What about the club card, the interest free loan, or the buy ten and get your next one free on your next visit?

Is It Generosity?

Are all of these things of value to us, or do we really just want the best price with quality and value that meets our expectations? Do we get what we pay for?

Do you deliver generous customer service?

Says who?

– 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+

06
Jul 17
-

customer service better appreciative strategies

3 Reasons to Make Customer Service Better

Tags : better customer service fair generosity respect

Everyone is a critic. People are often critical about customer service when they are expecting to receive. What if everyone worked to make customer service better?

One of my professional speaking colleagues has a slogan, “Because we can!” Jeffrey Hayzlett, is a professional speaking rock star and I love his slogan.

While I believe the intent of Jeffrey’s slogan to be motivational and inspirational from the aspect of hard work, determination, and relentless pursuit, it might be applicable in other ways too.

Make Customer Service Better

Should our personal and professional interactions with other people have more customer service flair? Can we make customer service better? Sometimes I think so and other times I know so.

Here are three great reasons why we should:

Fair. Sometimes it just seems like life isn’t fair. If we can help balance the scale, right the wrongs and turn things around why shouldn’t we? An even better question might be, why wouldn’t we? If there is a shortcoming, make it better. Make it fair.
Generosity. Certainly the bottom line is important and any business transaction should be two-way, not just one. Can your offer be more generous? Will generosity cause more reciprocation? In a world that would benefit from improved customer service, I think being more generous is part of the process.
Respect. It seems that recently there is a lot of chatter about respect. Respect across the generations, respect in political circles, and certainly respect to our customers. Time, value, and money they are all important and let’s not forget that we should deliver with the utmost respect.

Because We Can

In business, we often size up the competition to see what they are doing. We consider their offers, value, and price. Competition might drive us to do things because we feel that we have to.

What if we did it for a different reason? Imagine if we changed the philosophy.

Should we make customer service better?

I think yes, because we can!

– 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+

Tag Archives: generosity

Sep 21

-

Smart Connections

Jun 21

-

Reciprocity Expected

Mar 20

-

Trusting Matters

Acquiring Trust

Jan 20

-

Giving Culture

Workplace Generosity

Dec 17

-

Rush of Frustration

Customer Experience Connections

Sep 17

Generous Customer Service

Do You Want It?

Is It Generosity?

Jul 17

-

Make Customer Service Better

Because We Can

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