narrative Archives - Dennis E. Gilbert

12
Oct 20
-

Compelling Belief Is Not Necessarily a Fact

Tags : belief compelling facts narrative opinions

Have you been lured in by someone stating their compelling belief? Stated with confidence and vigor, it is often easy to believe.

People have strong opinions about political issues, yet they often can’t cite the framework of their opinions.

People have strong opinions about medical concerns. The 2020 pandemic has been the playing field for so-called experts.

Still other people have strong opinions about community activities, the size and style of your home, or even what you can do with your land.

When someone disagrees, goes in a different direction, or shrugs and walks away it is not necessarily a sign of intelligence. It may be a sign of different values or beliefs.

This is exactly why the narrative matters so much.

Compelling Belief

Doing something right now may not mean it is the wrong thing. It may just be the wrong thing at this time.

Expanding the marketing plan that has fuzzy results only makes sense when you believe.

Stating that the product doesn’t feel right is a belief. It may be factual to someone and understanding the feeling will get you closer to the facts.

Everyone believes something.

It may not be a shared belief because they haven’t heard the story behind it.

Is your story compelling?

The Real Story

If the story behind it is only based on opinions, it doesn’t make the narrative any more valuable.

Stating that you want someone to believe what you believe because it is a fact, may only be a matter of opinion.

It is only compelling when it resonates with the audience.

Uncompelled people may have different facts.

-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.

02
Jul 20
-

Bright Futures Start With Your Story

Tags : culture future narrative stories

Are you a product of your story? The easy answer is, yes. Bright futures start with the story you are telling. Without a good story, the future may be dim.

The interesting aspect of any story is its purpose. We tell stories for warnings, pleasure, humor, advice, branding, fear, and especially to promote change.

Think about your conversation yesterday, and the one you’ll have today. What is its purpose? Is it for preparation, strategy, or change?

Social media tells a story. So does the mainstream news.

Your co-workers have a story, what are they telling?

Your boss has a story, so do the investors.

There is a story at the barber shop, a story on the radio, and a story in your email in-box.

Certainly, it makes sense to stay on top of some news. It also makes sense to think for yourself about the information you receive. Question the motive, the reason, and the purpose.

Everyone claims to want a bright future, yet what is their story?

Bright Futures

Is fear more attractive or interesting than success?

Is anger more desirable than peace?

What is your top story? What are you going to talk about today?

Maybe the story you want to tell isn’t the story that will help create the path to the future you desire.

Whatever narrative you are listening to, or telling, it will have a lot to do with what happens next.

What is your language describing? Does it matter?

Bright futures start with a story.

What is your story?

-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
Dec 19
-

Processing Through The Change Narrative

Tags : change narrative outcomes pivot workplace

Are things always changing or never changing? We often have a perception of change. Your perception of what is happening is based on your change narrative.

In New York City the turnover of the small business establishment or street vendor in SoHo feels like it is constantly changing. And yet, to the unknowing or uncaring, SoHo is exactly the same as it was twenty years ago.

In rural America, farming and agriculture are arguably rapidly changing because of technology, and yet, the urban visitor sees the fields of corn or wheat as a step back in time.

Change is always about the narrative. The perception that is created by the conversation will stimulate the feeling associated with change.

Never changing or always changing is relevant to those existing within that community or system. It is about the narrative.

Your Change Narrative

What is currently happening in your workplace may feel completely different from last quarter, or it may feel exactly the same as five or ten years ago.

It may be better to consider, what image is the communication creating? How are things different today from one year ago, or three?

The speed of change is relative to the feeling about its necessity.

When a business is sold and new ownership takes over everyone is looking for what will change. The anxiety is a form of nervous energy. Quieter, yet hurried.

Quiet because people want to stay low and not attract a lot of attention until it is viewed that attention is important. Hurried because appearing that your contributions aren’t constructive and required is viewed as the first step for losing your spot in the system.

The change narrative surrounds everyone, in every community, workplace, and system. Others may not see it, but is always present.

-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 19
-

Workplace Narrative, What Story Will You Share?

Tags : drudgery narrative optimism stories workplace

Ask anyone about their problems and you’ll probably be engaging in a long discussion. Do you have a workplace narrative? What is it? Is it positive or more of a dramatic drudgery?

As a coach, I hear a lot of stories. Many of them are unhappy. They expose an undesirable narrative and leave a path of doom in their wake.

Your Story

Sometimes we must tell our story to provide clarity to our situation. This is the path to address the need or evaluate the circumstances. The story may have importance for the resolution.

If no one tells or understands the story. The story doesn’t matter. It gets lost, no one cares, and certainly there is nothing to remember. The story is over. It stops, there is no additional focus.

True for stories of drudgery and anger. True for stories of inspiration and optimism.

What stories are you telling?

Workplace Narrative

Are you sharing the story about the time a co-worker stabbed you in the back? Are you sharing the one where office politics left you out in the cold? Of course, we can’t forget the one about your boss delivering unfair treatment, or when he or she gave someone else credit for your work.

These stories are over. They can be retold, repeatedly, but it will never change the outcome of those past situations. Reliving them only keeps people stuck.

In contrast, the stories of passion, purpose, and possibilities can be shared. They too can be told repeatedly. If no one tells this story, it ends, it is over.

Everyone has a choice about their workplace narrative. There is a choice about the type of story you’ll repeat, dramatize, or embellish.

The stories that you repeat become the stories of your life. They may also be a predictor of the future.

Learn from all the stories. Don’t repeat mistakes.

Tell again the stories filled with optimism. Share them with everyone.

-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.

18
Dec 18
-

Consider How You Will Make Your Next Decision

Tags : choices decision doubt focus narrative

We decide on things every day. What we’ll wear, eat, or do. How we’ll interact, if we’ll smile, and if we’ll take out the garage. Bigger decisions feel more challenging. How will you make your next decision?

It may come down to your list. The list you have floating around in your mind.

Our complex brain power often has us evaluating circumstances and situations through two possible narratives.

Good Narrative

One narrative is optimistic. It is the consideration of things that could go right. We reflect on possibilities, good fortune, and that it may just be our time.

We have faith and believe. In this case, at this time, luck just may be on our side. We’re due. In fact, we’re overdue.

We decide that we’ll focus on our advantages, who we can tap in our network, and we’ll see the inspirational stories flash through our mind.

By choice, we will anchor to the positive.

However, there is another narrative. It is the other side of the coin.

The Other Narrative

Any obstacles or past roadblocks will be strongly present in our vision. We’ll think more about a friend who failed, had bad luck, and the hardship and agony of things that don’t work out.

We’ll be reminded of the criticism that was on our performance review last year. The door that slammed before we could enter, and the goofy slip of the tongue that we believe cost us forward momentum once before.

By choice we’ll see the list of all the lucky people. Only we aren’t on it. We’ll choose to recite and focus that their luck is at the expense of our own.

We’ll recall the time that someone struck out at us, gave us the shaft, and made us feel like less.

Next Decision

We decide on things every day. The choices you make today will be linked to your narrative.

When you feel the big decision, have some doubt, or your instincts are kicking in. You’ll think about it over and over again.

Be aware of your narrative. Make your next decision, a good one.

-DEG

Originally posted on December 18, 2018, last updated on November 5, 2019.

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 18
-

Internal Narrative, Working For You or Against You?

Tags : confidence decisions narrative story

Quite possibility, the decision was made because of the observations of the competition. Perhaps, the critics, naysayers, and pessimists had a hand in the outcome. What is your internal narrative suggesting?

The business enterprise, the non-profit, and even the career changer are often driven by the internal narrative. Business or pleasure, people are often good at finding something to either drive change or prevent it.

Emotions or Facts?

Fear and emotions are a good driver. Nearly any decision, any choice has emotion attached.

Sure, we can make business decisions based on the data, the metric, and the CFO’s report. There are factual aspects of the data and outcomes.

Questioning the narrative can be complex. Will sales improve, will the shipment arrive on-time, or will the competition launch before we do?

Data may tell a story but the internal narrative will drive what happens next.

Internal Narrative

Our organizational cultures and our instincts, gut feel, and experiences drive the narrative. In nearly all cases the narrative we see, discuss, and share is reflected in our decisions.

As organizations and people, we may fail to trust, fail to commit, and refuse to spring into action. Why? Largely it is about the narrative.

The narrative has two sides. One of pending doom, or one of pending boom.

Our internal narrative will drive what happens next. It is often working overtime to either cause distress or drive reassurance.

Should you work for the narrative or against it?

Better learn to assess the narrative.

-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.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

Tag Archives: narrative

Oct 20

-

Compelling Belief

The Real Story

Jul 20

-

Bright Futures

Dec 19

-

Your Change Narrative

Jan 19

-

Your Story

Workplace Narrative

Dec 18

-

Good Narrative

The Other Narrative

Next Decision

Dec 18

-

Emotions or Facts?

Internal Narrative

Search This Website

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Blog (Filter) Categories

Follow me on Twitter

Assessment Services and Tools

Recent Posts

Email Signup

Subscribe to newsletter

Contact Info