Tag Archives: ideas

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moving forward

Moving Forward, Sticky Leadership Ideas Sell

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We’re moving on, or we’re moving forward. It’s a charge that many people have grown to expect as their team moves from obstacles, setbacks, or even failure. Is this good leadership?

Leadership requires responsibility. It requires action, effective communication, and fosters opportunity.

Change is often based on a decision. Sometimes it is based on a need, an obstacle, or an event.

Revenues falling short, you have a need.

Good momentum, suddenly halted, and you may have an obstacle.

Some unexpected force, an act of God, a stock-market crash, or a pandemic, any of these and many others might signal the start of an event that requires change.

Leaders often come to the table with new ideas. It is considered to be a fundamental part of leadership.

Are your ideas good? Will your idea work? Are you able to get buy-in?

Moving Forward

Whoever made the first donut likely did it accidentally or with purpose. Either way, the first donut, at the time, may not have seemed like a good idea.

We could probably say the same about flavored coffee, the personal computer, or built-in cameras on telephones.

Arguments against, or obstacles in the path, may have been a challenge that needed to be overcome.

It first, it may not have seemed like a good idea. Too expensive, or simply undesirable.

Creating change, or examining a product life cycle, can often be represented on a bell curve. In the beginning, not much is happening, it is hard to gain momentum. After the peak, it is much harder to grab a piece of the market or be successful.

The most difficult challenge may be that in the early moments, a good idea may be a tough sell. No one seems to know if the idea is good or bad.

Leader’s Lead

There are many components of leadership. The idea is that leaders lead forward. They help discover, create, or engage with forward movement.

Good ideas are often a hard sell at first. When a good idea gets sticky, you’ve probably achieved buy-in.

It’s more than just having an idea. Leadership includes the act of making them sticky at just the right moment.

Most ideas are just ideas until they move forward.

Long curves or short curves. Jumping on the curve early has the most advantage.

Belief often conditions what happens next.

-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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idea celebration

Idea Celebration Is Better Than Squashing

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Idea celebration is one way to elevate the good stuff to the priority list. What are you or your team doing with new ideas?

At the start of the brainstorming meeting, someone suggests that no idea is a bad idea. When the chips are down and the next path is hard to locate, you search. If the competition rises up and puts a stake in some new ground you wonder why you didn’t think of it first.

What happens in your team with new ideas?

Idea Celebration

It seems like finding the reasons why it won’t work is the mission objective for some. Every idea is quickly met with the discussion of catastrophes from the past and a clever pitch about the connections to this new suggestion.

Problems are often managed in a similar fashion. For some, it feels more exciting to drown over the impacts of failure rather than spend energy on the possibility of a viable solution.

Solutions are not always perfect. New ideas are not without risk.

What if at the start of the brainstorming meeting there is a focus on celebrating every new idea?

The idea doesn’t always be put to the test at the first whimper of its mention. Perhaps let it simmer for a while, allow it to occupy some space, and consider why it will work instead of why it won’t.

New ideas often gain traction, or they don’t, based on belief.

The group dynamics of belief are powerful. They often grow over time. Some will grow in the spirit of support. Some will grow in the spirit of being against.

Fence-sitters often wait to jump in. They often weigh the risk as being greater for likability than the merit of the idea itself.

Maybe it is time to stop looking for why not and start supporting something different.

It may be an idea worth celebrating.

-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.


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new ideas

New Ideas Are Not Your Normal

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Do you know someone who knows it all? Have you ever been accused of acting like a know-it-all? Are you receptive to new ideas or would you rather stick with the old?

Many people are risk adverse. They’ve tried risk, it is scary and often doesn’t end well. At least, that is what they’ll say.

Assessing Risk

People often weigh risk inappropriately. In the workplace their personal scale is off balance. They weigh the risk of personal discomfort as greater than needs of the team or organization.

When an employee has a great idea, he or she may be hesitant to mention it. If they have some information contrary to the CEO’s beliefs, they avoid the conversation. The risk of personal harm feels greater than the risk of speaking up and helping the organization avoid some certain disaster.

New ideas are often met with negative fantasies. The doom and gloom that you visualize seems far more real than the possibility of a better outcome.

This is often where instincts and gut feel gain traction.

Ideas that are not our own are a surefire way to invoke an assessment of probable outcomes. Some of those outcomes are rooted in negative fantasies. The assumed pending doom feels more real, than the likely actual outcome.

When we lack new ideas or new outlooks, we’re stuck. New ideas are different, that doesn’t necessarily make them wrong.

Getting to New Ideas

Being a know-it-all, or accusing someone of the same is sometimes a hint that new ideas are not welcome.

If everything seems to be perfect, goals are being met, professional growth is good, and the organization you work for is growing then for the moment it is probably OK to steer clear of any new ideas.

For everyone else, new ideas may be exactly what you need to explore.

-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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compelling ideas

Will Compelling Ideas Cause a Shift?

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There are lots of ideas floating around. Easily, more ideas than there is action. The hesitation, fear, and lack of action doesn’t help new ideas grow. Are you delivering compelling ideas? Ideas that are sticky and gain momentum?

Jump on The Box

For some people it is easy to get on the soap box. Hold up a cue card (metaphorically) and someone will jump on their box.

Once on the box, listeners sense the urgency, passion, and may be compelled to jump on board with the idea. They may also find disagreement and want to argue.

The challenge then for the soap box stander is to not only be compelling but also to be charismatic. It is similar to an election. Candidates get on the box. It is the stump speech.

How does this apply in the workplace?

It happens every day. Someone has a chance or the opportunity to get on the box. The messages that we exchange and engage with in the workplace are often followed by action and belief, or not.

Recently, at a speaking engagement someone asked me, “How do you teach up the ladder, get executives involved, and gain buy-in?” I thought the answer was easy, I responded with, “You have to be compelling.”

Compelling Ideas

I love the opportunity to get on the box. Sometimes I have to reel myself back in before I take things too far. Change is often about small doses of a good idea, spread across time. The big picture is just too much, too soon.

Like the closet that needs cleaning, it is easier to do in pieces. When we open the door and see so much clutter, we just don’t know where to start. So, we do nothing except close the door again.

The shift that you want to make may be a good idea. You’ll have to be compelling and maybe a little charismatic. Use the right speed and quantity.

Too much, too soon, and you may end up with the perception that it is a bad idea. Door closed.

-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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idea strategy

Idea Strategy and Keeping The Best

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Strategy is often cited as one of the most significant factors for success. Certainly, strategy is important, without it people and teams tend to hop from one thing to the next often without any focus. How do you manage the best ideas? Do you have an idea strategy?

It Starts Early

It probably starts for us at a very young age. We keep what we want and we throw away what we don’t.

Your mother or father told you to eat your vegetables, but you may have discarded them, hoping to never see them again.

It may have happened with the coolest t-shirt, the hottest sneakers, or even trends with how we style our hair.

We keep what may be popular, what seems to fit in, or what makes a great new statement. Anything else would seem ridiculous.

As grown adults in the workforce we must navigate political climates, generational challenges, and closely monitor our career path. Does this affect what you or the team decide to do about strategy?

Idea Strategy

The choices often become about keep or throw away. It is a debate of the idea, the concept and interpretation of what will work. It may be about what is trending, hot, or the competition is now exploring.

We attend meetings and strategy sessions. Sometimes we leave there thinking, “Didn’t we suggest that during the last meeting?” or “Didn’t we bring up a few months ago?”

When ideas are thrown away, it may only be temporary. Perhaps instead of throwing them away we need an idea strategy. A method to keep them close at hand. In this case ideas are only set aside for this circumstance, at this time.

Is There Proof?

I remember my great aunt in the early 1980’s suggesting she should have kept her shoes from the 1920’s, the style was popular again.

Who would have thought you could grow to love peas, lima beans, and broccoli?

In grade school I could have never have imagined that shaving your head may one day become cool.

For strategy, keep all the ideas close at hand. Even the bad ones. What may be a bad idea today could be the hottest trend tomorrow.

-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, #CustServ The Customer Service Culture, and Forgotten RespectNavigating 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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strategy session

Strategy Session Starts With Bad Ideas?

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In the strategy session you recognize your job is to bring forward new good ideas. It’s emphasized that no idea is a bad idea. The rules state that you should leave your ego and judgement at the door. Does this work?

Creating a new strategy or deciding on the next big move has many potential roadblocks and hurdles. Mostly because many of the frequent contributors have already decided. They have a fixed opinion on the path.

Perhaps the rules should be different?

Roadblocks and Hurdles

If ego, self-deception, and judgement are problematic maybe the group shouldn’t be charged first with coming up with new good ideas. Instead maybe they should start a list of bad ideas.

Get all the stuff that won’t work on the flip chart. Everything that has been tried before but failed. Everything that you know won’t work. Go to the trenches, dig deep, get it all on the chart.

Is this negativity? Certainly, it could be, but bad ideas don’t necessarily mean negativity.

Strategy Session

What if you do what you’ve always done? Just go through the normal routine. The leaders give the rules, the leaders break the rules. New ideas aren’t generated and persuasion for a personal agenda is evident.

The session concludes with nods of agreement and everyone goes back to work. Except, the next day at the water cooler everyone is talking about all the really bad ideas you’re going to pursue next.

Perhaps the best way to get ego out of the way and get to a list of truly new good ideas is to start with a list of bad ideas first.

Crazy? Maybe. If you think it’s crazy let’s just go back to checking egos at the door.

One path is a waste of time, the other, constructive.

-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, #CustServ The Customer Service Culture, and Forgotten RespectNavigating 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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how change develops

How Change Develops and Early Adopters

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Some of the best businesses are not who they once were. They may still offer some of the original products or services but they aren’t the same. Have you ever considered how change develops?

Mention change and people are going to become nervous, uneasy, and likely afraid. Change feels like a risk to most and anything uncertain may create fear.

People often talk about, no risk, no reward, or they may suggest that the acceptance of change is better than staying in the status quo. Certainly, there is often value in shifting our thinking.

Everything Changes

Everything around us is changing. Given a little time, a lot of time, or sometimes in no time at all.

A vacant lot gets a new home.

The video store becomes a small medical office.

The computer system tells us when it’s time to reorder.

Sometimes change is perceived as developing from past failures. In other cases, it may be labeled as required progress. In nearly all cases, it sparks an emotion for someone.

There is a good chance that the emotions are the result of letting go of something that felt stable, dependable, or even desirable. Things that someone probably worked hard to create, establish, and cared for.

We used to have to make a call from a wired phone, percolate our coffee, or get our music on a record, 8-track tape, or cassette. Yet no one really considers early telephones, coffee percolators, or music records a failure. Perhaps they are not even obsolete.

How Change Develops

Change often develops from need, or an idea to improve.

If you’ve been around long enough, things have changed. As individuals, we learned to tie our own shoes, complete our schoolwork, and report to work.

On the first day of at a new job, it is all new. We don’t always know the people, the culture, or even where to find the restroom.

Just because change is different doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth it, that the past was a failure, or a waste of our time.

What feels like progress to some may be undesirable to others but we are not stopping change.

Understand what to hold on to and what to let go of, because things will continue to change.

How change develops may not be as important as the bravery to be an early adopter.

– 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, #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+


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