motivation Archives - Page 3 of 9

07
Jun 19
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Respected Employees are Engaged

Tags : engagement motivation respect self-assessment

Based on data from numerous surveys the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has often reported about the importance of respect in the workplace. Are respected employees more engaged?

Motivation and Engagement

When you start the discussion about motivation, positivity, and employee engagement you often hear about the money factor. Yes, money matters, and no, money is not everything.

The next factor that comes into play is the conversation about motivation being intrinsic or extrinsic. Does it come from within or does it come externally? If you really want to dig deep, you’ll also entertain the discussion point about the fundamental attribution error.

Cutting right to it, if you are a workplace leader you will assume some responsibility for a motivated and engaged workforce. Your team is not just motivated or not. The workplace climate and culture will matter.

Respected Employees

People are motivated by results, by a sense of accomplishment, pride, and how they are perceived by others. These and many other factors are directly linked to respect. There is more to motivation but respect is often overlooked or taken for granted.

Leadership egos sometimes get in the way of respect. This happens when leaders need (and take) credit for the work accomplished by their teams. It happens when the leader flexes her muscle by reminding others about their pecking order.

I’ve turned this organization around.

This is my secretary.

He works for me.

When you start to wonder about worker engagement you should start to question the impact of leadership egos. One of the most important aspects of leadership is effective self-assessment. Awareness is the first step for change.

Does respect matter to you?

-DEG

Do you need help bringing respect back into your workplace? Contact me.

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.

14
Mar 19
-

Bad Workplace Attitudes Lack Purpose

Tags : bad attitude motivation purpose workplace

You’ve probably noticed a bad attitude at some point in your life. It may be at work, in the grocery store, or at the red light. Have you noticed bad workplace attitudes?

There are plenty of reasons why someone may be illustrating a bad attitude. Sometimes it is because something happened outside of work and this person is still dragging it around while on the job. In other cases, it may be connected to purpose.

Why Purpose?

Start a conversation about purpose and some people will perk up, but others start looking at their cell phone.

Purpose is critically important and often misunderstood. It is also linked to bad workplace attitudes.

When the junior executive doesn’t understand why she or he must change the verbiage in the quarterly report, an attitude may develop.

What about the staff member that must drop everything and go make copies for the upcoming meeting?

Does a bad attitude emerge when the project that the team pushed for doesn’t make the budget?

All these scenarios and hundreds of other examples are connected to a lack of understanding about purpose. Often purpose is taken for granted. Many people don’t understand the connection.

Changing Bad Workplace Attitudes

People often connect work with reward. The mindset is, “I do some work and I get paid.”

You can do the same thing with your dog. Teach a dog that when she sits, she gets a treat. I love dogs.

People are not dogs.

When you want to give people energy, excitement, and a reason for commitment and hard work. Give them a purpose.

People who understand why the verbiage in the report matters are energized to make the changes. When they understand why the copies will make a difference, they make them.

A project not making the budget is disappointing, but the team remaining intact to launch something new or different can be great!

-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.

14
Feb 19
-

The Dreaded Performance Review

Tags : mission motivation performance review purpose value

Performance evaluations and reviews are a special opportunity in the workplace. Are they clouded with inappropriate feedback? Are you about to receive the dreaded performance review?

Golden Rules

There are a few golden rules. Sadly, many supervisors don’t have adequate training or preparation to create a scenario where the review helps, not hurts, future employee performance.

Some of the rules are simple. The review should not be about a opportunity to blast the employee for poor performance or shortcomings on goals and objectives.

If this is an annual or semi-annual review those shortcomings should have been addressed long ago.

However, the review should be about goals and objectives. It should include meaningful and valuable goals that are directly connected to the larger organizational mission.

The Agony

Why do people dread performance reviews?

There are probably at least several reasons. Here are a few:

They’ve had a bad experience in the past.
The team is chattering about upcoming reviews and citing how terrible that day will be.
There is little or no understanding of the real purpose of the review so they see no value.
Setting goals and objectives makes them accountable to change.
Their supervisor has identified that reviews are a meaningless waste of time.

You get the picture. One or more of these characteristics have plagued or undermined the true purpose and value associated with performance reviews in many organizations.

Dreaded Performance Review

If you are a supervisor you have a responsibility. You should also have a commitment to the success of every member of the team. Future employee motivation is likely directly connected to the successful performance review.

Consider that your team will react to their review. One way or another. Do you want the next six to twelve months to show positive performance improvement?

Above all, the success (or not) of everyone will largely be based on what happens next.

-DEG

Do you need help with creating a positive culture and experience connected to the employee performance review? Contact me.

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.

14
Sep 18
-

Nomophobia, Workplace Anxiety, and Motivation

Tags : change habits motivation nomophobia pivot

Human behavior is a factor in our workplace every day. Behaviors and habits shape decisions and choices from the moment our eyes open until the moment we sleep. Have you heard of nomophobia?

While I’m not sure, and I’m not confident in the origin of the word, its existence is real. At least as early as 2014, Psychology Today, published an article about nomophobia. In the article it states origins to the year 2010.

Nomophobia

Nomophobia is defined as an anxiety associated with the fear of being without your cellular telephone, or at least without its use.

Many people can probably relate. Forget your phone on your way out the door and you would think you left a pan of bacon cooking unattended on the stove. We impulsively want to run back to change our situation.

Is nomophobia real? Of course it is real. Fear will drive human behavior. Afraid of what we’ll miss, who may call or text, or simply being disconnected from our friends and family will alter our behavior.

As with any phobia, anxiety increases. Desirable performance will likely decrease. What we should be doing shifts, we change. Our human reaction to fear and panic is now in control.

I’ve often wrote about the cautions associated with fear as a driver for motivation.

Do this or get fired.

Sales are down and we’re going to have to cut back.

Next week we are installing a brand new software system.

Fear in the workplace will change performance. It may also change buy-in, communication patterns, and certainly fear will change the end results.

Habits Move Us

People are creatures of habit. The habits that we have every day will drive the outcomes of our performance. Change your habits, you’ll change your performance.

This is true with eating, exercise, and what happens (or doesn’t) for our career.

When something that has become a habit suddenly becomes unavailable, goes away, or changes, there will be a reaction. The ultimate question is, “Will the reaction be productive or counterproductive?”

What you remove may be exactly what was keeping it all together.

-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.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

10
Sep 18
-

Balancing Customer Service or Tipping The Scale

Tags : appreciation balancing customer service motivation value

People often suggest that most things in life require balance. Are you balancing customer service? Does the harsh outweigh the delight?

Doing your best work matters. Doing your best work and being recognized for it may feel like it matters even more. What happens when your best work is criticized?

Show Appreciation

Every day employees, business owners, and people helping other people try hard to create satisfaction.

When a compliment is received, it feels pretty good. A referral, a handwritten note, a smile, a nod, or even an email can make a difference for your day, perhaps your week. If it is really great, it may last a lifetime.

We tend to welcome comments and gestures of appreciation. Without much thought we accept the gratitude, grow through it, and work hard for more.

It makes the effort feel worthwhile. Justifies the labor and is satisfying.

No Appreciation

The other side of the coin is when we put in the labor without recognition. When we hold the door, give the smile, and lend a hand and no appreciation is shown. Nothing recognized, no gestures, and no take away.

It happens when people are judged. When biases lead the conversations, and when what is done well or done right is what was expected and for that, no gratitude.

When the extra effort, or even the required effort goes unnoticed, unrecognized, and underappreciated it feels like our work lacks value. A lack of value makes us question the reasons for the work in the first place. No appreciation, no reason to do the work.

Balancing Customer Service

Lack of appreciation is a deal breaker. It can ruin the moment, the day, and leave a lasting undesirable impression. Good news travels fast, but bad news often travels faster.

For everyone that you serve and for everyone that is serving you, is there balance? Are you balancing customer service efforts? Internal or external, are you providing motivation or disengagement?

If you’re going to tip the scale, tip it by providing more value. It’s appreciated.

-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+

27
Aug 18
-

Pull Customer Service Matters More

Tags : #Custserv customer service motivation pull push

Get the work done. Push it out the door. Sell more, ship more, and grow the business. These all matter but are they push or pull? Pull customer service may be what makes a bigger difference.

What Is Your Plan?

Plenty of businesses and organizations have a decent plan. Plenty of them execute according to the plan and have some success.

It certainly is not always about reinventing the wheel. Sometimes it is about how we care for the wheel.

If you are already bought-in that care is important, especially for the customer experience, does your culture push or pull?

We often talk about push. Push through the day. Push through the comfort zone. Make greater things happen even in the face of adversity.

Have grit, grind through the emotional labor.

These concepts are not necessarily bad, but they are all about the push. And yes, the push can be motivational.

Plan to Pull

What about pull though? What about having a culture of customer service that is so strong the organizational culture creates a pull?

Imagine the outcomes when the service experience is so good that internal and external customers are pulled in. Imagine they are so attracted to the good vibes that they simply want more.

Organizations with pull customer service are not bickering over who does the work. You don’t hear, “That’s not my job.”

Pull Customer Service

In a pull culture, growth begets growth. It is attraction that builds community. Community builds connection. Connections build more pull. Nobody internal or external feels pushed. Push isn’t a motivator, it is all pull.

They sell more, ship more, and grow more without pushing.

The grind isn’t really a grind because it pulls people in. Sure, there may be moments here and there, but the overall feeling is pull.

Wouldn’t it be nice to push less?

-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+

23
Aug 18
-

Project Management Done For Us Not To Us

Tags : leadership motivation project management pull

Many professionals can cite project management on their resume or curriculum vitae. It is often what people do, work together for a common goal. What are your experiences with project management?

Some people want off the committee, they grow tired of the project, the team, the conflict, debates, arguments, and turmoil. It may feel like little is being accomplished and no one knows the goal.

The truth is that project management can be done to us, or for us. How are you managing or leading projects?

To Us or For Us?

When the project is done to us it feels forced. The project is rooted in demand and command, not opportunity. This sometimes works. It is a push style. The authoritarian approach. Today, many would label this old school.

There is a different approach. It is a pull style. It is what draws people in, what inspires them, motivates them, and makes the project a delight.

The project feels like it is for us. The project is an inspiration. Engaged contributors want to start early, work long, and stay late.

Meetings are short and focused, people can’t stand to be away from the work at hand. Not because they hate the meeting, but because they can’t wait to get started.

Vision is shared, contributors are happy, the talk is of success and accomplishment.

Project Management

Does project management appear on your resume? What is your approach to projects?

Considering there are five generations active in our workforce today leading projects can be complex. Getting people on board, bought in, and motivated is critical.

Our highest job satisfaction often develops from respect. Pushed people don’t feel respected. Push implies forced. Push implies done to us, not for us.

Pull on the other hand can be a delight. It feels like it is there for us.

-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.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

17
Aug 18
-

Your Picture, Your Vision, Your Image Is a Thousand Words

Tags : leadership motivation pictures words

No, it is not that selfie you just snapped. What you picture, what you think or say about a picture will create the path that you follow. What is your picture?

Many of us have a camera in our hand or within arm’s reach. We snap photos of people, buildings, animals, and other cool things. Every photo tells a story, but is it a true story?

The Client

A few years ago, I was about to engage with a client and decided to browse their website to learn a little more about them.

Of course, I saw pictures and their logo. I read catchy slogans and about how they please customers. There were testimonials and expressions of longevity.

Then I watched their corporate video. Indeed, it was impressive. In the video happy employees were working hard.

The video included short clips as the videographer toured the facilities. There were drone shots, employee picnics and charity events. There was even a run through the woods to illustrate fitness and stress release.

Later, but before my first engagement, I privately asked my contact if I could ask a tough question. I suggested it would be important for my engagement with them and that it would guide what I delivered.

The response was, “Certainly, yes, please go ahead.”

I asked, “I noticed your video on your website. Is that culture, the culture it illustrates, is that real?”

The next words spoken by the contact were, “Hang on a minute. Let me close my door.”

I don’t think I need to explain what happened next. Honestly, I was disappointed. The video was a masterpiece, but it was more art than it was reality.

Your Picture

As you browse the pictures in your home, the pictures in your social media feed, or the pictures in the customer entrance of your workplace, ask yourself, “Are they real?”

Be honest, it is important for everything that happens next.

There is a good chance there is more work to be done.

-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.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

02
Aug 18
-

Workplace Stories, What Is Your Story?

Tags : communication momentum motivation stories workplace

Conversations are everywhere, even digital text-based conversations. Workplace stories are path setting. What is the story trending around the office, the plant floor, or the job site today?

Much of the World as we know it is based on a story. Not everyone believes the same story, but regardless there is a story.

There is a story behind our evolution, there is a story that grounds our universal coding for years (B.C. and A.D.). There are religious stories. Stories of great leaders, army’s, wealth, and devastation.

Story Incubator

In our workplace, any ordinary day may continue with the same old story. When there is a change, a shift, or the pattern of the environment slides the story may change.

There is the story of who will be promoted and why. The story of the philosophy of the new boss. And even more personal drama such as workplace romances, who is getting divorced, or who has trouble at home.

Any business that has been around for a while may have cyclical shifts in revenue. Some expected, and some perhaps a surprise. In a downturn, there will be stories about what is happening, who is to blame, and the tribe will start discussing who should go.

Many organizations set out to squash the story. Stop the discussion. They’ll attempt to break up small groups and they will disperse hoovering supervisors.

The challenge really isn’t to stop the discussion. The challenge is to change the story.

Workplace Stories

Certainly, there may occasionally be some misfortune, some economic hardship, or drama fueled rumors. There also may be growth and expansion rumors, who is getting promoted, who is getting hired, and who just got a raise.

There is one thing true about all stories. Stories drive our actions and behaviors.

Today, tomorrow, and for the legacy of your career or the organization, have you thought about the effects of the stories you tell? Keep in mind, you’ll be remembered and identified by your stories.

What is your story?

-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.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

27
Jun 18
-

Front Runners Are Hard To Catch

Tags : motivation quit self-efficacy winning

You have lofty goals, big dreams, and a desire to get there fast. Do you have energy and time in your favor, or is it a lost cause? Can you catch the front runners or should you quit?

Unless you are starting something completely new, you were already behind when you started.

You decide to start a coin collection. Someone who has been collecting for years already has some of the rarest.

You want to start a YouTube channel featuring technology product reviews. It has already been done and they have many subscribers.

There is a charity half marathon connected with your employer. You want to be the best competitor in your company. Your coworker started training for it three months ago.

The picture seems clear. Nearly anything you are about to start has already been started by someone else. Does this cause you to think about quitting or does it provide energy to pull you even harder in your pursuit?

Winning From Behind

It has been said before many times. “Winners never quit and quitters never win.”

Certainly not every endeavor, every desirable pursuit, or every notion that you can do something more will work out with ease. You may have accepted that when you started. Is it time to quit?

Hard to catch doesn’t mean impossible to catch. If you quit, starting something new will likely mean that the next thing you start, you’ll already be behind.

Motivation often has to do with self-efficacy. The best way to improve self-efficacy and your motivation is to effectively manage your goals.

Front Runners

If you are going to catch the front runners, your first goal should be to become a runner. Then it should be to become a better runner than you were the day before.

The key is measuring progress step by step, compared to your level, not the front runner. Each successive small win will help build self-efficacy.

Looking to the front of the pack and deciding you’ll never get there is what causes many people to quit.

The first horse out of the gate doesn’t always win. The fastest car doesn’t always cross the finish line. The team ahead at half time doesn’t always win the game.

Good starts matter, but where you start is not where you’ll finish unless you quit.

-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+

Tag Archives: motivation

Jun 19

-

Motivation and Engagement

Respected Employees

Mar 19

-

Why Purpose?

Changing Bad Workplace Attitudes

Feb 19

-

Golden Rules

The Agony

Dreaded Performance Review

Sep 18

-

Nomophobia

Habits Move Us

Sep 18

-

Show Appreciation

No Appreciation

Balancing Customer Service

Aug 18

-

What Is Your Plan?

Plan to Pull

Pull Customer Service

Aug 18

-

To Us or For Us?

Project Management

Aug 18

-

The Client

Your Picture

Aug 18

-

Story Incubator

Workplace Stories

Jun 18

-

Winning From Behind

Front Runners

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