respect Archives - Page 3 of 4

06
Dec 16
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How To Become More Visible

Frustrated because you feel overlooked? Disappointed because your ideas are not heard or respected? You might need to become more visible.

Your job is important to you and so is your career. It’s not uncommon that people express to me their frustration with visibility. Sometimes there are simple fixes, here are five tips.

Volunteer for projects. When new projects or challenges come to the surface volunteer to take the lead. Keep in mind you can’t volunteer for everything and make sure you can commit yourself to doing a great job. Volunteering for a new assignment during a meeting gives you exposure for about 3 minutes, what you do next (later) is most important.
Contribute during meetings. People can easily forget you are there. Participants become focused on those who are speaking or interacting, especially when you have something valuable to offer. Many people use meetings as an opportunity to point out problems, talk more about possible solutions.
Ask more questions. Questions that we ask often drive focus. Whether this is during a meeting or one-on-one conversations, ask more questions. Many times we want to express our opinion and a great way to humbly contribute a point is to do it phrased as a question.
Show passion. We’ve probably all heard about leaving emotions out of the workplace. While most of us get the point, we also have to consider that emotions drive our passion. Get excited about changes, show enthusiasm for different options, and be willing to get involved.
Dress well. You know the dress for success story and it is not a fable. You should always strive to look your best. Some might argue that dressing differently (odd or strange) attracts attention but you don’t need any negativity from others throwing off your desire to be more successful. In business, dress for business.

Consider these five tips a start.

What about things you shouldn’t do? Here are several:

Avoid gossip. It may give you some attention, but it is the wrong kind of visibility. Gossip is flip-flops at the board meeting. Don’t do it.
Don’t wait for an invitation. You might need an invitation for the meeting, but your opinion won’t always be asked for. Once on the roster don’t be shy about participating.
Don’t blend in. If you are new to the meeting or a group it might be wise to get a feel for how to interact or to understand the flow, but long-term blending in will leave you out.

Visibility is much more of a process rather than a product. Similar to reputation, credibility, and respect it needs to be built.

Think: Can you see me now?

– 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+

19
Oct 16
4

Do You Let Issues Fester?

Tags : feedback leadership procrastination respect supervisory

Are you in a leadership or supervisory role, and if so, are you timely with feedback?

During my career I’ve held several positions where I was fortunate enough to supervise employees who supervise other employees. Although some people dislike the word boss, I was the boss of other bosses. This is not sarcasm or boasting, but simply setting the stage for what I’m about to mention next.

I remember a time when several complaints about a similar issue made their way to my office. Team members knew that I liked customer feedback and they presented me with a scenario that included a front-line employee treating customers in an inappropriate manner. On this given day I also observed a displeasing attitude from the employee they referenced. I have always been a chain of command supporter and I believe that supervisors should have full responsibility and accountability for their segment of the employee population, and this employee was a direct report of my direct report.

A short time later on that same day I offered my concerns about the situation to the supervisor responsible for this area, and the response I received was that it would be addressed shortly. Unfortunately, this is not where the story ends.

Over the course of the next several days additional undesirable interactions with the front line employee and other customers occurred. Upon my later investigation into this problem I discovered that because the front line employees supervisor was “too busy” to address the problem with the employee we nearly lost a very large repeat customer. Some may argue that as the supervisor of the supervisor I should have taken more action. Eventually I did, or should I say, I had to do so, but was it too late?

Timeliness of Feedback

Everyone usually enjoys giving kudos, it is easy to offer praise, bring smiles, and make everyone feel good. Dealing with problem performers is often one of the most procrastinated supervisory duties. The right timing means everything, we can be too early or too late, but in many cases supervisors wait too long.

Procrastinating about difficult feedback situations can cause several problems, here are a few:

More errors or problems occur between the time of the first notification and the corrective feedback from the supervisor.
The effects of waiting cause the employee to be disconnected from the original problem and as a result when finally brought to their attention they lack the understanding of its importance.
Additional employees become involved in poor behavior because they learn from, or role model, the inappropriate actions or behaviors of others.

While these are just a few, they certainly are significant enough to support why timely feedback is so critical.

Festering Issues

When a problem or situation arises and feedback is not timely, the issues can get worse. Often well-meaning supervisors tend to gloss over issues at the expense of a weakened customer experience or increased harmful conflict and negativity within the team. Allowing issues to fester is much more costly as compared to addressing the problems or issues in a timelier manner. In addition to some of the already identified problems, supervisors who don’t take action might be repeatedly troubled by the same (and growing) problems and issues causing a loss in their own productivity and a much higher level of stress since they are repeatedly dealing with the process in their mind, but still failing to take the appropriate action. Poor performance or bad behavior continues and everyone becomes more frustrated. Frustration costs organizations deeply in high anxiety, which reduces productivity, and stifles effective communication.

Back to the presenting problem, was I too late? Yes and no. We were able to save the customer and improve the long-term performance of both the front line employee and that employee’s supervisor. However, corrective action from everyone sooner would have minimized this impact.

Don’t let issues fester. You’ll be doing everyone a favor.

– 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+

17
Oct 16
-

3 Tips For Improving Workplace Respect

Tags : job pool leadership organization culture respect workplace

Show some respect. A phrase often passed around from person to person especially in sporting and athletic events where individuals or teams compete for the highest levels of achievement. Respect has been an issue lately in other areas connected to sports in the USA such as with those attempting to make a statement by not standing during the playing of the national anthem.

What about workplace respect? In a recent SHRM job satisfaction and engagement report released in April 2016, and as noted on their website, one of the most significant contributors for job satisfaction and employee engagement is, “respectful treatment of all employees at all levels.” My experiences in working with many different businesses in many different sectors also led me to the discovery that workplace respect, and what is often labeled as generational differences, are a significant issue for workplace culture and for creating high performance teams. This prompted me to write my fourth book, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce (September 2015). Do I believe workplace respect is a challenge? Yes.

There are certainly many factors responsible for respect, or a lack of it, and while it is easy to generalize, pinpointing a few areas that reach across this wide array of factors I can offer three simple tips.

We all want respect. Understanding that everyone in every generation and across all organizational levels wants respect is perhaps the first step towards creating more of it. What one person feels is ridiculous is another person’s precise meaning of what a respectful environment should represent. We all want it, but we may define it differently. Support each other by being more considerate and respectful.
How we are treated. There is an often shared phrase that has been with us for a long time, “Treat others the way you would like to be treated.” Many people have tried very hard to live life to this standard, and it is a good standard, however, in today’s society there is some belief that this ideology has shifted and a new or better phrase should be, “Treat others the way they would like to be treated.” Of course there are always limitations, rules, or policies that must be adhered to, but this simple concept may make a big difference for gaining more workplace respect.
Give respect first. Simple but effective, be the person who initiates the creation of a respectful environment. Respect must start someplace; why not let it begin with you? Many people describe leadership as leading by example, and I see no reason why being the person who legitimizes respect should elude leadership principles or core values.

Respect is critical for building and maintaining high performance workplace cultures. Organizations with lower levels of respect will suffer from trust issues, chronic communication challenges, and most likely, a lack of success. When organization leaders fail to see the connection that high performance has with respect, they’ll likely continue to search for solutions to a growing list of problems. Many of these problems will often be blamed on poor hiring practices or lack of an appropriate job applicant pool.

Sometimes the best candidates are already with you. You just need more respect.

– DEG

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

04
Oct 16
-

Is Internal Customer Service More Important?

Tags : communication customer service experience respect workplace culture

I believe that we learn the basics of customer service at a very young age. Before we are teenagers we probably know something about friendliness, kindness, and the power of a smile. We may not realize the linkages of our life experiences to business performance, but the fundamentals of customer service are often present. What about internal customer service?

workforce customer service

All grown up and active in the workforce we are often reminded of the need for enhancing these fundamental skills and in our job roles is where it really starts to count. We can recite cliché phrases such as “The customer is always right” or “Customer service is our core value,” and we quickly learn that anticipating customers’ needs before they ask is when we are performing really, really well.

No Rocket Science

In seminars I suggest that there isn’t any rocket science associated with customer service, but there is always plenty to learn. It’s more than just flashing a smile, being polite, and trying your hardest to meet or exceed expectations. I’m not surprised when participants quickly embrace all the fundamentals allowing us to dive deeper into skills related to examining needs and creating those lasting, unforgotten impressions. What does sometimes surprise me is that many people in the workforce don’t understand the need for internal customer service.

internal or external service

What do you think is more important: internal or external customer service?

Internal Customer Service

Internal customer service in its simplest terms is the practice of creating an exceptional customer-service experience–only instead of focusing on the external customer, we are doing it internally with peers, teams, supervisors, direct reports, and essentially everyone. Someone we’ve worked around for several months or several years doesn’t become someone who we should fail to serve, or disrespect, or in some way devalue or ignore. In fact, he or she may just represent the opposite. It seems easy to get onboard (wrongfully so) with the attitude that someone in another department, work group, or different corporate location really doesn’t matter all that much to our personal success; after all, we pride ourselves on putting our (external) customers first.

Communication customer service

Communication or miscommunication is often blamed as the root cause for sabotaging the external customer experience, and, of course, there is plenty of evidence lending support to that conclusion. However, one question worthy of finding an answer to is how the actions or behaviors associated with internal customer service influence the external experience.

Most Critical

Internal customer service is critical for

creating a “do as we do,” not a “do was we say” culture;
discovering problems first before they go external;
ensuring that respect and appreciation are core values;
building foundations for energizing positive experiences; and
uniting the team and creating a focus on the customer experience.

Perhaps the first step for any organization is to identify what internal customers means to its success. While there is likely a general workflow and specific positions or workgroups that are designated for internal support, sadly many employees fail to realize what internal customer service really means. Once the entire team understands and is committed to an exceptional internal service experience, the external experience will have the foundational support necessary to drive exceptional results.

World of importance

In a world of narrow profit margins, competing technologies, and a service economy, your most important product may be your ability to create a positive, lasting, never-to-be-forgotten customer experience.

Is internal customer service more important? I think it definitely comes first.

– DEG

custserv book culture

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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+

22
Sep 16
7

Who is Generation Z?

Tags : Gen z generation z generational differences millennials respect

Millennials get a lot of media attention, but who are the millennials and who is considered to be in generation Z?

Generational differences have a lot to do with stereotypes and bias. Often people make a quick judgment based on perceived age that anyone who is in their mid 30’s or less is a millennial. We see it, read it, or hear it in news reports, professional presentations (excluding those delivered by generational experts), and sometimes in chatter throughout the workplace.

Content marketing organizations and social media outlets thrive on the popular millennial keyword. The truth is, most generational experts agree that there are not three workforce generations, not four workforce generations, but five generations currently active in our workforce.

Okay, but who are they?

Traditionals: Born 1930 – 1945

Baby Boomers: Born 1946 – 1964

Generation X: Born 1965 – 1976

Millennials: Born 1977 – 1994

Generation Z: Born after 1994

While the ranges supplied here seem straight forward, confusion sometimes occurs because the labels such as traditional, baby boomer, and millennial, are not always the same. For example, millennials are commonly known as millennials or generation Y, and generation Z is also known as generation 9/11, or iGen, and others.

Generation Z

While there is much agreement formulated from various sources on the existing (year ranges) frameworks, there is often disagreement as well.

Personally, I believe the last emerging generation, labeled here as generation Z, has the most confusion or disagreement related to framework. During the writing of my book, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce, I extensively considered popular wisdom, web based research, and traditional published works citing various frameworks for each generation.

Generation Z has the most unsettled framework with some people citing the starting year as early as 1990, and others believing it may be as late as 2005. Many current views position it closer to the mid-1990’s and for the purpose of clarity in Forgotten Respect, I used the mid-1990’s as the starting year.

My belief is that three factors are largely responsible for creating a generational shift; they are significant changes in socio-economic conditions, significant technology changes, or unfortunately, times of war. Historically, these factors appear to be consistent across the generally accepted framework, and I offer that my position on this latest generation is still evolving.

Final Word

Generation Z is not another label for the millennials and everyone who is mid to upper 30’s years of age and younger are not all millennials. The millennial generation has an ending year and it is representative of those born around 1990 or slightly later. Those persons currently (circa 2016) filling the space as younger than mid-20’s, born early 1990’s, or later, are Generation Z.

– DEG

Originally published on September 22, 2016. Last updated on April 1, 2018.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

21
Jun 16
3

Generations of Respect

Tags : generations job satisfaction respect SHRM

Some people believe respect is given and then earned, others believe it is earned before it is given. SHRM’s (Society for Human Resource Management) 2016 job satisfaction report indicates that respectful treatment of all employees at all levels is a leading factor for job satisfaction. Are there generational differences when it comes to respect?

Generational Joyful Group

Respect is desirable across all generations, but how we define respect, or what defines respect, may vary as much from person-to-person as it does from generation-to-generation. Here are two simple guidelines for workplace respect across all generations:

Always think before you speak to any generation, including your own. Keep in mind that when you feel threatened or under pressure, your internal fuse will be shorter.
Fear forms a connection to problems, inspiration connects to goals. Avoid communication that enlists fear as a motivator. United groups are respected groups. Consciously or subconsciously creating a divide across any of the generations through fear will always be counterproductive and will feel disrespectful.

One generation is probably not more challenged as compared to another when it comes to respect, although it is commonplace to blame a generation different from your own.

Give some respect.

– DEG

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

26
Apr 16
2

3 Generational Commonalities

Tags : commonalities generational differences respect trust

What is more important our differences or commonalities? There is so much expression about how workforce generations are different; it might be refreshing to understand a little bit more about what they have in common. Have you ever thought about generational commonalities?

Many people agree that there are challenges when reaching across the workforce generations and often we hear about the negativity experienced from baby boomers or the sense of entitlement when it comes to the millennials. Perhaps there is too much energy spent on examining differences. What do we have in common?

Generational Commonalities

Here are three (of many) things all generations share:

Trust – employees of all generations want to feel a sense of trust. When you believe in the people you work with and trust them, your communication and job performance improves. Trust, like respect, often has to be earned.
Respect – everyone wants respect. The trouble spot when working across the generations is that everyone (or each generation) may define respect differently. Sometimes respect is assumed or given, but many times it must be earned.
Change – when you find a group of employees feeling uneasy, nervous, and afraid, you have probably found a team who is experiencing change. This feeling has little or nothing to do with generational orientation, it often comes from what someone feels they have to lose, or gain.

Silver Bullets

While it may be hard to find the silver bullet or quick fix to solving cross-generational conflict, a focus on differences tends to increase the visibility and opportunity for negativity. On the other hand, when we focus more on our commonalities we might discover that we have deeply rooted mutual goals. Better understanding of common goals can unite people. It may also help to eliminate barriers that keep teams from achieving high performance.

What would you rather do, chronically discuss differences, or unite your team and achieve excellence?

Choose excellence.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker, 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+

15
Dec 15
-

Your Gen X Boss

Tags : baby boomers Gen X leadership respect

There is so much chatter about baby boomers and millennials that the other generations almost appear silent. Gen X workplace professionals are rapidly occupying more of the formal supervisor space and this shouldn’t be a surprise. Many exhibit an excellent combination of youth and maturity, curiosity and experience, while also being well educated and technology savvy. Perhaps the perfect combination to lead employee teams.

Success in life as well as in business often develops through great relationships. So if you want to build your relationship and earn respect with your Gen X boss consider these three tips:

Be appropriately assertive. Gen X doesn’t like to waste time and there is no point in wasting any with fluffy conversation unless you want to impress them with a new advertising campaign.
Become comfortable with giving and receiving direct communication. In addition to any frustration Gen X professionals feel about time it should be no surprise they like their communication to be direct. It may be considered disrespectful for you to think they can’t handle tactful and direct approaches to communication.
Respect is earned, not given. They may be somewhat undecided about what long term means to them, and earlier generations often stereotype their commitments as being short. Consider that they may want to prove their ability to stick things out and never quit or back down. The Gen X leader will earn your respect. Those who honor and exemplify this spirit will forge stronger relationships with them.

Generational differences are real, but remember that they are symptoms of other common challenges such as communication and organizational culture. Building a great relationship with your Gen X boss may start with respect, but that is certainly not where it ends.

– DEG

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

01
Dec 15
-

5 Tips for Leading a Multigenerational Team

Tags : generational differences leadership respect trust

You cannot lead across all generations with the do as I say, think as I think, work as I work approach. Like it, or resent it, leadership today requires careful consideration and an in-depth understanding of multigenerational approaches for creating buy-in, establishing credibility, and effectively managing communication.

As if that is not enough, creating a trusting environment with universal principles that are inclusive of every generation is a must. Below are five tips for leading across all generations:

Illustrate loyalty. Many believe there is a lack of commitment to longevity by the more recent generations. In contrast, those same (more recent) generations believe the short-comings on commitment and loyalty are illustrated by old-school leaders who are frustrated with new school ideologies. Bridge the gap by providing evidence of loyalty, commitment, and opportunity across all generations.
Provide opportunities for learning. College or no college, illustrate your interests in advancing the team through books, seminars, or videos. Everyone knows that learning improves performance. Old school or new school, experience or formal education, learning has been tested, and it has passed the test every time.
Think across the boundaries. Open-mindedness is a value and belief system for many leaders. Be willing to stretch across formal frameworks and leap hurdles in the spirit of moral or social responsibility. People representative of any generation will likely thank you for it.
Solve it with technology. Whatever stands in the way of progress, solve it with technology and let go of any workflow traditions that don’t include state-of-the-art approaches.
Demonstrate that you value knowledge. Many people from any generation may realize that their experiences are not always in perfect alignment with the job. For this reason placing a value on knowledge—not experience—should be the focal point.

Perhaps the most important element of leading across all generations is the ability to illustrate and live by a culture of common focus, not a culture of a focusing on differences. Generational differences limit team effectiveness, commonalities bridge gaps. Make your approach one of mutual respect with a focus on what everyone has in common and never forget that generational differences represent a symptom of a greater problem, and are likely never the root cause.

– DEG

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

03
Nov 15
-

Millennials This, Boomers That

Tags : communication generational diversity respect

Many believe the generations are to blame. Some are convinced that cross-generational workplace communication simply does not happen. Still others believe that when people stop trying to change things and adapt to the tried and trusted method everything will work out for the best.

If you listen you can’t miss it in the news, millennials this and boomers that, millennials want it all, and boomers just want to retire without any more change or hassle. However, generational differences are not the root cause, they are simply just a symptom. Here are three important guidelines to help reach across generational frameworks:

More communication is not necessarily better communication. While every generation might occasionally feel that insufficient or not the right communication is occurring, it is the quality and not the quantity or volume that sets good communication apart from bad.
Trust is always a factor in every workplace generation; that means it is a commonality. Perhaps nothing affects communication more than trust does. It takes time to build it; be patient, and don’t underestimate its value.
Each generation has its own unique framework and will listen and communicate through filters. Don’t try to change someone else; change the way you respond and interact to make your communication clearer.

When we focus on differences, we’ll get just that, differences. Focus on commonalities, reach across to a generation different from your own, and keep in mind success will come from a focus on how a generation different from your own wants to be treated. We are often taught to treat others the way we would want to be treated. That isn’t the secret formula for reaching across the generations. The secret formula is to treat each generation the way they want to be treated.

There is a difference, it is sometimes called, respect.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker, 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 DennisEGilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

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No Rocket Science

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