investment Archives - Dennis E. Gilbert

19
Apr 21
-

Learning Investment, Is That What You’re Making?

Tags : investment knowledge gain learning seminars workshops

Many people invest in retirement programs. Some people invest in real estate. Buy a home and count on its value appreciating. What about learning? Are you making a learning investment?

You have daily, weekly, and monthly bills. Turn on the lights, drive to work, or pay for cable TV? These really are not investments, they are more in line with what you would consider expenses.

While some of those may be consistent with the cost of doing business or earning a paycheck, they really aren’t a direct investment.

Is learning an investment for you?

Have you attended college or some form of specialized training? Did you have to take out a loan, or save really hard in order to pay for it? If so, is it an investment or an expense?

It may depend on what you do next.

Learning Investment

Making a commitment to improving your skills is probably not an expense. It’s not the same as the cost of doing laundry or buying food.

An investment would suggest that you are spending time, money, or the energy to do something or create something that is going to provide a return later. The idea of course is that the return has more value than what it originally cost.

It’s an investment.

When you buy a book, and read it, it might be an investment. When you sign up for a workshop or take a class, it should be considered an investment.

If you join a trade association, a Chamber of Commerce, or some form of professional organization or club, it might be an investment.

Most motorized vehicle purchases are not an investment. They depreciate instead of appreciate in value. The same is true for your electronic purchases, such as your smartphone, laptop, or camera. They may be tools or toys, but they are likely not an investment.

Learning produces or enhances skills. It may add to your competence and your ability to earn more.

You can attend college or go to a specialized seminar. The act of going may feel like an expense. Being committed to learning and using the knowledge gain is an investment.

Learning may be one of the most economical investments you can make.

Do you see it that way?

-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
Jan 20
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Workplace Impact Requires a Commitment

Tags : commitment human capital impact investment workplace

Are you interested in workplace impact? Not just occupying a place and receiving a check, true impact?

Many businesses measure their bottom line by simply comparing revenues and expenses. They can show you, “Here are our sales and our expenses.”

Simple enough.

Yet simple enough doesn’t define the organization. The culture defines the organization and most culture is developed across time and through commitment.

The new hire wonders if they’ll make it through the first day, then they’re happy about the first week, the first month, and so on. What is their goal? Six months, two years, or are they planning to just go with the flow?

How will the organization measure the employee’s success? Is there a cultural fit, mutual respect, and engagement?

Is this person making an impact? They probably know what they cost.

Impact requires a commitment.

Workplace Impact

Your background and expertise aren’t built in a couple of months. You don’t learn everything required for a high school or college education in six weeks.

When you want to really make an impact, you’re going to have to view it across time. Sure, there will be moments of impact. What led to those moments was the result a longer-term commitment.

Businesses with the best cultures aren’t measuring people by what they cost. People are not an expense. They are an investment.

It brings two words to the front of my mind: Human Capital.

Yet, you can’t just say it. You need to live it.

Daily. Across time.

For the employer and the employee.

-DEG

26
Feb 19
-

Time Investment, What Is Your Return?

Tags : investment management time

Nearly everyone is worried about time. A question to consider is, “Am I making a time investment, or just spending time?” Most investments are measured by the value of their return.

Against the Clock

Is there time to stop for coffee, use the restroom before the meeting, and time to process a few email messages before digging into the next project?

We often wonder, how will we have time for family, time to celebrate a birthday, an anniversary, or simply enjoy life?

We struggle for time measured against the clock. Only so many minutes, so many hours, and the disruption of not knowing what will happen next.

There is the race against the navigation system in our car, the sprint to the deadline, or the marathon of the month.

Here are a few questions to consider:

Are you agonizing over what you will accomplish today or are you assessing your investment for this year?
Is what you are working on this week about building something great or really about attempting a shortcut?
How much time will you spend today reliving what happened yesterday instead of applying your energy towards tomorrow?
What lasts longer your celebration of a win or your agony about something that took a wrong turn?
Is there a return on worry, a return on procrastination, or a return on gossip?

What happens during our time?

Time Investment

We can manage our time like a budget. An hour here and an hour there. A few minutes to say, “Hello” to our family, a minute to pet the dog, and a bite to eat while we drive our car. That’s largely about calculating the spend, not assessing the investment.

Minutes or milestones, where is your focus?

When life feels like a stopwatch it may be worthwhile to reflect on your investment. Use a calendar.

-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.

26
Apr 17
-

create your career appreciative strategies

Habits Create Your Career

Tags : career growth habits investment motivation

Chances are good you’ve probably encountered this idea, “To change your circumstances you have to change your habits.” Have you thought about how habits create your career?

I’m fortunate to work with a lot of different people who are all in some way connected with a workplace, a job, or shaping their career. Much of my work is focused on helping to shape business outcomes as compared with individual performance, but I do some of both.

Individual Efforts and Outcomes

Considering individual efforts, I often see frustration from people who are truly trying to make a difference. They aren’t looking for Easy Street and they don’t want a free ride. Yet they often feel stuck.

As a society I believe we are becoming more programmed to hurry up, then wait, and then hurry up, and then wait some more. Things happen fast, the pace is brisk. We feel like waiting for anything, is a waste of time.

The reality is that when it comes to your job, a business venture, or your career, it is still one step at a time. There really aren’t any fast tracks, quick fixes, or short cuts.

Ask yourself, “What did I accomplish yesterday?”

What about last week or last month? Where were you six months ago? And if you’ve been in the workforce for a while, how were you positioned five years ago or even ten?

I’m not asking you to relive everything that went wrong. I’m asking you to consider what things looked like then. Maybe they seemed better or maybe they seemed a little worse.

What is most important is where you are going!

Chances are you’re reading this because you care about your career. You’ve worked hard but there is still more to accomplish. Your career doesn’t just happen overnight, it is based on actions and behaviors repeated over time. The results develop from what you invest in.

Create Your Career

If you invest in reading a book, watching a video, or in some way connecting with new (quality) information and learning about something connected with your career each day you’ll become better. It should be each day, progressively, across time.

Think about what you do and what you talk about. What do you read, write, or send via text. What do your social media interests look like? How are you spending your time?

When you think about what you want for your future it might be helpful to consider the evidence from your past. Who you were a few years ago might not be who you are today. The difference is created by how you’ve spent your time.

Chances are you’re becoming someone. You’re creating something.

Habits create your career.

– 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+

01
Nov 16
4

Becoming A Smart Investment

Tags : employee turnover investment job performance motivation ROI

Many employees hope for an annual raise, or dream of obtaining a job promotion, but sometimes you have to ask yourself, “Am I a smart investment?”

Recently I wrote about the concept of deserving a raise and one of the ideas I offered was related to being a smart investment for the organization. Later a reader asked me about how to become a smart investment and so from my experiences I’m offering a few additional thoughts on exactly how to do this.

Become the go to person. In many organizations your job often becomes what you make it. Of course in unionized environments this sometimes becomes more challenging but in many other scenarios you might have some flexibility within your job role. Extend your hand, offer to help, be the person to fill in for someone else. All of these actions will help you to learn more about the organization and become more valuable. Often after some period of time of effective execution, you become the go to person for nearly everything, which makes you, a smart investment.
Learn more first. There are at least two schools of thought. The first is that you don’t do anything until you’re paid for it, and while that might sound like a respected position to take it may be the beginning of the end for those who act on it. The other school of thought is to learn more and do more first, then once you’ve already demonstrated a higher value the only step that is needed to complete the process is to obtain the appropriate compensation for your knowledge, skills, and abilities. In today’s workplace the earlier mentioned pay first (don’t do anything until you’re paid for it) mentality often becomes a pay never reality and your opportunities for growth will significantly diminish. This will often leave you feeling angry and resentful. Learn more, do more, be more, and then you’ll be paid more, because you’re a smart investment.
Show commitment. Employers have easily figured out that employee turnover is expensive. Once they’ve made a commitment to having you on the payroll you can return the favor by demonstrating your commitment to the team. Employees, who volunteer for extra assignments, are willing to give an extra effort during a tight deadline, and perhaps most importantly demonstrate continued support to the organization will be the most valued. Socially people sometimes have to take a position, it may be a position in life or it may be a position about the organization you work for. Stick up for the organization by developing the attitude of, “I care about this organization and I know they care about me.” This makes you a smart investment.

One important point to make, you may have noticed there is not any reference to playing organization politics, nor is there any reference to being well liked. While both of these concepts may have some validity I would never suggest either as a strategy. My belief is that you must stay true to who you are and while being liked is not a bad thing, in order to have a solid organizational culture we sometimes have to trade being well-liked for being well-respected.

Considering that multiple schools of thought exist on this issue it will always be up to you to decide your best choice of action. Everyone will quickly recognize that being a smart investment becomes a two-way street that requires reciprocity from the organization. I always urge people to give the benefit of the doubt to the organization and to consider that organizations would be foolish to turn their back on you, after all, you are a smart investment.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and coach that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is the author of the newly released book, 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+

31
Oct 16
3

Do You Deserve A Raise?

Tags : investment raise skill building team player

Ask five people if they would like a raise and chances are pretty good all five will say yes. It’s a good bet, but should you ask for one?

Before doing anything, have you considered all aspects of what makes investing in you a smart choice for your organization? Most strong organizations are managing from the bottom line, meaning that they are always looking to improve or appropriately manage their financial position. Money spent is often viewed as an investment, an investment that expects a return. Are you a smart investment?

You can begin by asking yourself a few important questions.

Have you protected the organization? Let’s face it; an organization is about being an organization. While you might believe your department, team, or the entire operation revolves around you it probably doesn’t. You are a part of making everything work and supporting the ebb and flow of the organization. Protecting its brand and image is part of your responsibility.
Have you been a team player? Teams matter, and if you are not supporting, cooperating, and effectively working with other team members this could be a flag to onlookers that you are not so valuable after all. In fact, you could be a worry in the back of their mind. Demonstrate how you integrate with team efforts.
Are you an example for exceptional customer service? Remember that customer service, or what is sometimes being phrased as the customer experience, is critical for every organization. What is surprising to some is that customer service always has an internal component. You must be sure you are a great example of both the internal and external customer experience.
Have you learned anything new? The best organizations offer or in some way support learning opportunities. They recognize that being smarter is one of the best ways to prevent falling behind. Ask to be a part of learning opportunities and to continue developing your skills. Make sure you are always learning something new.
Are you a smart investment? Employee turnover is costly; hiring high end expertise to join the organization from the outside is expensive too. Most employers get an advantage from promoting from within, but they have to have internal candidates who are role models of their [the organizations] future. Be a smart investment for them by continuing to invest in yourself.

There are many factors that can make it difficult for organizations to continue to give raises to each employee year after year, but smart organizations know that they need to grow their best talent. Remember that timing is always critical, and you should consider all aspects of value that the organization brings to you, especially those that don’t appear on your pay stub. Sometimes staying the course even when a raise is not possible will pay off much bigger long-term.

Do you deserve a raise? Perhaps, but let me ask you this, are you a smart investment?

– DEG

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

Tag Archives: investment

Apr 21

-

Learning Investment, Is That What You’re Making?

Learning Investment

Jan 20

-

Workplace Impact Requires a Commitment

Workplace Impact

Feb 19

-

Time Investment, What Is Your Return?

Against the Clock

Time Investment

Apr 17

-

Habits Create Your Career

Individual Efforts and Outcomes

Create Your Career

Nov 16

4

Becoming A Smart Investment

Oct 16

3

Do You Deserve A Raise?

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