mindset Archives - Dennis E. Gilbert

18
Jun 21
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Your Influence Is a Path To Accomplishing More

Does your influence make a difference, or is it all up to fate? Rain dances to traffic jams, partially blocked grocery store isles to customer service music on hold, can you change it?

When you don’t like the weather, what are your options?

Navigating a traffic jam requires a lot of patience, there are only so many places you can go and likely there is no easy way out.

Hating those skinny grocery store isles and displays blocking your path, too bad.

On the telephone, on hold, waiting for customer service to take your call from the queue and yelling, “representative” isn’t going to speed things up or change your fate.

Are you wasting energy on things you won’t likely change?

Your Influence

Use your energy wisely.

Consider what you can change instead of spending your energy on aggravation.

You might be able to influence a mood with a smile. You might be able to change someone’s day with a helping hand, and you might be able to get where you want personally and professionally by using more focused energy.

Can you influence how you’ll do better the next time? What about influencing your own state of mind?

Chances are great that you’ll have a better day when you start recognizing how to best utilize your own energy and how your mindset impacts what happens next.

Reliving a bad experience isn’t going to change it. Learning from it might change future outcomes. It is a form of influencing what happens next.

Some things are within your control, some things aren’t.

-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.

30
Apr 21
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Identity Confidence and Why You Should Have More

Tags : identity jokes mindset psychology of work self-deprecation

Have you assessed your identity confidence? How do you self-describe? Are you confident about who you are?

A dozen or more years ago there was an unpleasant social trend. The trend was to playfully call people a “loser.” Some people even self-identified, “I’m a loser.”

Perhaps it started around1999, when Smash Mouth released their hit song, All Star.

On the surface, it seemed sort of OK. Surprisingly, it was often considered friendly and sometimes represented by holding your thumb and index finger in the representation of an “L” on your forehead. It was a way of identifying, “loser.”

When you look in the mirror, who do you see?

Believe It?

Everyone has good and bad days. Days when everything seems to click. Days that have magical moments and days that seemed filled with disappointment. In a general sense, this is normal.

What do you tell yourself in those bad moments? Do you hear echoes of “loser?”

In the workplace, people often decide on their ability to be more successful based on the stories that they tell themselves over and over.

The same is true for learning or when tested.

I’m not good at math.

I can’t spell.

I’m not a mechanic.

Will you ever really master the requirements of math competence when you consistently suggest that you aren’t good at it? The same is true for spelling or diagnosing why your car is shuttering and stalls.

Identity Confidence

If you tell yourself, you are not a people person, you probably won’t get along well with others. When you suggest you are, “just here to get a paycheck,” or “I never wanted to be a supervisor,” then guess what? Not much will change.

Have you passed on opportunities because of the story you tell yourself? Is that story based on reality or might it be a scar from some playful gesture long ago?

Self-deprecation may seem a bit humorous from time to time. In some cases, it may feel like a reality check. At what point do you start believing it?

Belief is a powerful tool, or a nasty weapon.

-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.

05
Feb 21
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Effort Mindset is Part of Your Language

Tags : culture effort language mindset results

Do you have an effort mindset? Don’t confuse effort with labor or effort with strenuous. More than anything, putting in the effort suggests a connection with the goal.

What is the fastest way to change the concept of what you can or cannot accomplish?

You change your perception of what will happen next.

There is often discussion about winners and losers, about those who did and those who didn’t, and those who had success and those who failed.

Being determined that you can, is much different from creating an expectation that you can’t.

I can’t add that to the report because I don’t have that data.

The team didn’t finish the project.

We didn’t hit the sales goal for this month.

What if you had more time? More time to seek the answers to the questions, more time on the project, or a few additional days to hit the sales number?

Effort Mindset

Deadlines sometimes signal it is over, done, finished. While a deadline is a deadline, it doesn’t mean the goal is entirely out of reach, forever.

In business, everything is a race against the clock.

Sometimes a deadline provides a reason to quit. Once the deadline is approaching or missed, it invites the opportunity to throw up your hands and call it over.

What if you changed your language?

I need a few more data segments and I will have the report ready by the end of the day Tuesday.

The team is totally immersed in the project. The end results will be better than expected.

We didn’t hit the sales goal yet, but by Tuesday we’ll surpass last months results.

Language is a powerful component of both motivation and culture.

How you talk, the words you choose, and the future that you predict may be the cultural shift that you need.

Many people quit because they believe it is over.

Many successful people see things a little bit differently.

They just haven’t finished, yet.

-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
Feb 21
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Negative Fantasies May Be What’s Stopping You

Tags : failure feeling stuck mindset negative fantasies positive

Have you ever slowed, stalled, or stopped because of negative fantasies? It happens to many people and it may be happening to you.

A negative fantasy is the idea that you are imagining the worst possible outcome. Instead of fantasizing about something positive or joyful, you’re imagining what happens next will be something terrible.

Perhaps you have an important meeting this week. Your schedule is tight but you’ve made room and this is your one shot. You may fantasize that your car won’t start, traffic will make you late, or the outcome of the meeting will be the worst possible scenario instead of the best.

You may have negative fantasies about an upcoming dental check-up, a doctor’s visit, or why your boss has summoned you to her office.

Sometimes it happens before a big presentation. The slide deck might crash, you’ll trip over your words, forget what you were supposed to say, or the audience won’t get your silly joke.

It could everything from an image of a rainstorm during your outdoor party to the image that eating one cookie is going to make you obese.

Negative Fantasies

Negative fantasies may be a valuable marker that helps those who procrastinate or take situations for granted. It may help reel them in, keep them grounded, and perhaps most of all, keep them humble.

Too much fantasizing though, and it may derail performance. It may cause unnecessary worry and anxiety. In severe cases, it may cause people to hold back, stop trying, or never take any risk at all.

Risk is a fact of life. Taking little or no risk will hold you back.

Do you feel stuck or stalled? Is time flying by and when you look back, you’re fearful you haven’t done enough or accomplished enough?

Do you ask yourself why?

Your personal forecast of your future may be exactly what is slowing you down.

A positive fantasy seems much more valuable and realistic.

Try 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.

31
Dec 20
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Communication Rhythms May Be Where To Start

Tags : effectiveness focus meeting management mindset psychology of work

What are your communication rhythms? When are the meetings, how long, and how often? Do you call, email, send text messages, or leave post-it notes?

Many workplace professionals express the need for more effective communication. Have you really thought about what you communicate and how it conditions everything that happens next?

It matters for identifying priorities, it affects the sales funnel, the supply chain, and even involves stalled work and dead ends.

Sometimes knowing where to start gets its start by simply starting something. It may be as simple as picking a place and digging in.

A good place to start improving your workplace communication may be by developing a more thorough understanding of exactly how it works and what it impacts.

It impacts everything, but how?

Communication Rhythms

What gets discussed sets the tone, the mood, and the energy. This is the building block for how it works.

Are your meetings spent talking about wrongdoings, shortcomings, and poor behavior? Are they spent talking about why sales are down instead of where the next opportunity exists? Is there an analysis of gossip, rumors, and drama?

Certainly, all of those things are a part of the culture. Make them the smallest piece instead of the largest.

Focus on behaviors that are connected to where you want to be, not where you are now, and especially not where you were last month.

What you talk about, whether you are leading or following will be what develops as the focus. It creates a mindset for what happens next.

If you’re struggling and don’t know where to turn, it might be time to change your rhythm.

Get a new beat.

-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.

30
Oct 20
-

Changing Minds May Be The Secret To Your Success

Tags : change compelling mindset shift

What are you seeking to do next? Are you in the business of changing minds?

When you enter the meeting and there is a published agenda you likely have an idea of direction. Even when you may suggest, “I’ll wait to see what they say.”

Nearly everyone is making choices and decisions based on their frame. They have limitations in various directions. There may be some room to compromise or the parameters may be fixed.

Computer scientists tell us that there are variables and constants. Variables can change, but constants remain the same during any program execution.

When it comes to people what are you trying to change?

Changing Minds

Many people want the data, the research, and the history. They’ll decide about their willingness to shift by looking at the constants.

Not every choice is an exact science. Most of our decisions or choices are connected to an emotion. It may be a belief, but belief often lacks science. It’s missing the proof that logical thinkers need in order to feel.

It seems that when you really want to change minds, you’re going to have provide the data, create a belief, or both.

Changing minds then is a framework of thought. It will always be conditioned how people feel about the situation and sometimes that feeling will develop through the data, sometimes without.

Forcing a change is often not successful because people are taking action against their beliefs.

A compelling call-to-action, something that develops through choice is much more powerful.

Thus, the popular comment, “You can’t change people.”

People change when they’ve made a choice to do so.

-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.

08
Sep 20
-

Mindset Predicts the End of the Story

Tags : mindset pivot strong starts visualize winning

What does the end result have to do with what your mindset predicts?

Everything.

Many star athletes claim that they visualize their success. Fast starts, being ahead at the middle, and strong finishes.

In business, many people and organizations visualize what comes next. Most of the success stories probably don’t start by visualizing hardship or failure.

While what many would label as a positive mindset doesn’t solve all the problems, or overcome every hurdle, it may be the difference between winning and losing.

In any competitive environment, it often feels like a race. A race to be first, a race to endure, and a race of the strongest finishers. Even a race against time, because short bursts aren’t always sustainable.

Visualizing what things look like at the start, the mid-point, and the finish will matter. It will also matter when the measurement is taken. The half-way point, the third leg, or when the clock expires.

Sometimes the biggest challenges are those that you create.

Mindset Predicts

A fumble in the first quarter may be undesirable, but there is still time. When you need a score and fumble with only seconds remaining, all hope may be lost.

Hope is part of mindset. It is why many games are won or lost before the players even take the field.

Winners are sometimes spotted in the first quarter, momentum grows, and a defeat for the opponent is realized.

Perhaps you can’t win on mindset alone, yet it can be the beginning of any defeat.

Story told.

What are you telling yourself?

-DEG

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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.

28
Feb 20
-

Continuous Effort And The Mindset For More

Tags : adversity continuous effort mindset persistence

Let’s be honest, it is easy to get discouraged. Are you persistent and giving continuous effort? Do you have the right mindset?

People often talk about achieving the best mindset.

The mindset that keeps you focused, on-track, and stops at nothing.

The core concept may be that adversity is an opportunity, keep your eye on the prize.

In sports people will often suggest that they gave their best effort. They tried their hardest, used everything they had, and can walk away (even in defeat) proud.

One of the most important aspects of a positive, progressive mindset is that your best effort is always a stretch goal.

You may have given it your best today, yet that is not the same as your best next time.

Adversity has a strange way of halting progress for those who allow it. For those who are really committed to continuous effort and growth adversity is simply part of the process.

Continuous Effort

It is good to leave the playing field feeling like you gave it your all.

The same is true for your next meeting, client engagement, or your attempt to close the sale.

If you weren’t as successful as you had hoped, consider that you gave it your best. The key though, is that you gave it your best effort so far.

Settling for the concept that your best today is the best that you can ever give means your progress will stop. It will never get any better than today.

That’s not you.

With continuous effort and the right mindset, you’ve only just begun.

-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
Jan 20
-

Easy Change May Be Only a Workplace Dream

Tags : buy-in change mindset pivot workplace

Are you expecting an easy change? Are your expectations realistic? What is the biggest challenge?

People are always trying to create buy-in for their point of view or path. They often view their way as the best, the only, and of course, obviously, the correct path.

Being Correct

We see it in politics. One side has a set of values and beliefs, the other side differs.

Businesses spend precious hours debating change.

There are even two sides to probable outcomes from a debate.

One side suggests that a lack of debate leads to complacency, so we must debate. The other side suggests that debates only create winners and losers so be cautious of your approach to entertaining debates among teams.

Who is correct?

Easy Change

The CEO often urges middle management, “Go get buy-in for this change!” How do you create buy-in? Do you tell people what to think?

Leadership may mean telling a story. Bringing the situation to life. Allowing for reflection which promotes experiential learning. This act of telling can be very compelling.

Did someone say it was easy?

Certainly, it depends somewhat on the circumstances. We have a lot of small scale change each day. So small it probably goes unnoticed. It’s the big changes that throw up flags.

Getting buy-in for change often starts with belief. It may be the belief that it is necessary. The belief that it will make things better. In nearly all cases, the best belief is that it will work.

Change gets easier when the path is clearer. The path to any great accomplishment starts with belief.

The hardest part of change may be changing minds.

-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 19
-

How Will Your Story Change? Should It?

Tags : change growth mindset pivot professional

Sometimes, but not always, change is about choice. Decisions you make or actions you take have a way of changing things or keeping you stuck. Will your story change?

Whether it is the end of a year, a decade, or just the end of a current path that you are on, your story is your creation.

Future Connected to Choice

The recognition of choice is often hard to comprehend. As people we often tend to blame people, circumstances, or even the economy. While there may be some truth in all of those, we still have direct involvement through our choice.

When we dig a little deeper, we even make choices about our happiness, sadness, and the energy spent (or wasted) on either.

The stories that we repetitively tell ourselves will condition the choices we make next.

I could never do that job.

The client screwed me on the deal.

Jane got the promotion because she kisses up to the boss.

The story that you allow to play out for your future is connected to the decisions you will make because of your mindset.

Story Change

Do you want your story to change?

Thinking about a potential change and making a change are completely different things. Many people think about shoving a donut in their mouth because of the high caloric content, yet, it doesn’t stop them.

If your story is going to change it is going to be because of your choices, actions, and behaviors.

Knowing isn’t doing. Doing is doing.

-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.

Tag Archives: mindset

Jun 21

-

Your Influence

Apr 21

-

Believe It?

Identity Confidence

Feb 21

-

Effort Mindset

Feb 21

-

Negative Fantasies

Dec 20

-

Communication Rhythms

Oct 20

-

Changing Minds

Sep 20

-

Mindset Predicts

Feb 20

-

Continuous Effort

Jan 20

-

Being Correct

Easy Change

Dec 19

-

Future Connected to Choice

Story Change

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