risk Archives - Page 3 of 5 - Dennis E. Gilbert

28
Jun 18
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Should Commitment And The Handshake Return?

Trusting relationships are often cited as the path for mutual success. In a World of hustle and bustle, everything digital, and artificial intelligence should the handshake return?

Many people strive to become trusted by fitting in, finding agreement, and playing the right kind of politics. It is a surface trust, a trust that often ends in a letdown, and one that only matters if both parties have a need.

In highly political workplace currents people strive not to stand out, they hunker down, and don’t bring any unnecessary attention to themselves.

Doing the opposite may threaten the status quo, upset organized labor, and get you shunned from the group. The underground consensus is, get along with the crowd to get ahead.

Commitment is Risk

Trouble often develops because the mutual need doesn’t last. The handshake is missing. What is good in the moment may not be good for the rest of the day.

Colleagues let colleagues down, they drop balls, don’t pick up their toys, and they kick down castles in the sand.

Clients and vendors are for purpose only. Win at all costs, cut everything until you win, keep winning.

Trust is about a promise, so is a handshake. When we trust, promises are kept, commitments are honored, and people do what they say.

Often our clutter is because the handshake is missing. More email messages to confirm, more phone calls to ensure its real, more anxiety because no one knows for sure.

Handshake Return

Should the handshake return? Should everyone be more committed to doing what they say and saying what they’ll do?

Making a promise you’ll keep is risky. Something better may come along. A better deal, a new opportunity, a cause for your promise to be broken.

When winning at all costs is what matters the most, the handshake feels like it carries too much risk. The extra effort and commitment required make it easier to skip or be forgotten.

Bring back the handshake.

-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+

12
Jun 18
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Backwards Thinking and Turning Things Around

Tags : backwards planning risk thinking turning things around

Some people believe in doing it backwards. The thought is, “I will do it when…” In business this may be backwards thinking and you may discover things are more effective done a different way.

We will train our workforce when we are not so busy.

We will upgrade our computer system when we get a few more customers.

Our building will get remodeled if we hit our goal this year.

All these things and many more are quite possibly critically important. Important for customers, for scaling, and even for employee morale.

Trouble Spots

One of the trouble spots is that business owners, the CEO, and the board may not always believe in these investments. It often feels a lot safer to do it later. Do it when the time is right.

Unfortunately, some of the greatest opportunities pass by when the organization is not prepared.

Customer service and leadership skills don’t hold an organization back, improvements help build the organization up. Software and hardware upgrades, the same is true. Building size, condition, and ambiance, always make a difference for employee morale and customer comfort. In some cases, it depicts the brand.

Things are easy to suggest waiting for. Will the organization be ready when opportunity knocks?

Backwards Thinking

Being frugal is important and often smart. In business though, you sometimes must leap while you are looking, and you must build the airplane while you are flying it. It is part of the risk assessment and the cost associated with getting the timing just right.

The hospital doesn’t build an addition only when the rooms are full. The restaurant doesn’t get fresh lettuce only when they run out, and the car dealership doesn’t sell their entire inventory before getting more on the lot.

Are you tempted to wait? Backwards thinking may be something worth evaluating. It may be what is missing. Turn things around.

-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+

26
Mar 18
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Brainstorming Session and You Have a Seat at the Table

Tags : brainstorming leadership problems risk

Many engage in their job role hoping to get a seat at the table. They often wish for the chance to participate, to tell their story, and offer their idea. Have you been invited to the brainstorming session?

Seat at the Table

We know how to act when we’ve been invited to the birthday party, a holiday meal, or even when we are out for dinner with a few friends. We grab a seat at the table and we prepare to eat.

Many people take this opportunity to eat as much as they can. It is a feast. People dive deep and sometimes eat more than what they probably should, but it is not just another meal it is an event!

Chances are good that they have considered many items on the menu. Perhaps, they have even tried a few items that they were unsure about, perhaps something completely new or different.

When you grab that seat, you have an idea what is about to unfold, lots of eating. If you aren’t prepared to eat there really isn’t much reason to have a seat at the table. In fact, you probably shouldn’t take a seat at all.

A similar scenario exists in the brainstorming or problem solving session. If you are not going to dive in deep, if you refuse to consider things you haven’t tried before, or if you believe you are already completely full, don’t take a seat.

Big Problems

Most problems an organization faces that require a brainstorming session are big. If they were small and simple they would have already been solved.

The thought is that big problems require big solutions. Ironically, many of the problems that most mainstream businesses face today are not as big as they appear.

Brainstorming Session

How to ship on time, how to reduce the friction of the customer journey, or the risk associated with forecasting the ROI of the marketing campaign. All of these things are often only limited because someone is in the way. They are occupying space. They have a seat but they aren’t eating.

Many organizations get stuck, stalled, or stopped by someone sitting at the table who believes a roadblock or the status quo is better than the open road.

If you are invited, grab a seat, but only if you intend fully participate.

– 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+

21
Feb 18
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Using Your Critic To Guide Your Inner Compass

Tags : compass critic innovation risk

What guides your inner compass? What moves you more, the compliment, or the feedback that suggests improvement? Perhaps it should be some of both.

Recently I was using an experiential learning activity with a small group of people from many different parts of the United States. During the activity debrief I said, “compass” and one of the participants from the Chicago area said, “Wait, say that again.”

Unsure of what he was referring to I asked, “Which part?”

He politely said, “The word compass.”

There was a difference in our dialect. I didn’t notice, but he did. He pronounces the word different from me, more of “come pass.” He wasn’t trying to be a critic, but he did notice something different.

Blend In or Be Different

People often fear being different.

In our workplace, we are often taught to adapt, to blend in, and to be a good fit. Certainly, this has tremendous value. After all, the CEO insists on the hiring manager finding someone who will fit. I am not suggesting that is a perfect plan, but it does often happen.

Since we want to fit, we adapt, we learn that we should blend in. We believe we should be what the organization needs and not who we are. This isn’t necessarily bad, in fact, it is the norm. However, when we give the critic inside ourselves too much power we may lose.

Risk Assessment

There is risk involved. We may risk politely speaking up in a meeting, risk sharing our knowledge, ideas, or suggestions.

It is the critic we once heard, the person who corrected us. Corrected our language, our thoughts, and guided us to a way of doing things.

This is certainly important in society. It guides social norms and keeps in check what is right from what is wrong.

Does it also stifle our true abilities? Will it slow innovation and limit our contributions?

Inner Compass

Our inner compass is powerful, but you are still in control. What guides us is important. The trick is to know when to follow your inner compass and when to choose a different path.

Right from wrong, morals, and ethics, are probably good reasons to pay close attention to true North. Your creativity, ideas for improvement, and the chance to make a positive and impactful difference, you may want to consider a little freestyle.

Your critic is only as powerful as you allow.

– 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+

05
Jan 18
-

Do You Use Customer Service Best Practices?

Tags : best practices customer service design innovation risk

Organizations everywhere are trying to build their brand. Their image, reputation, and the work that they do are possibly the result of years of innovation. Has your organization considered customer service best practices? How will you build your brand?

In society, we are always using best practices and lessons learned. The same is often true for businesses and even to some extent our government.

Refining Products and Services

General Motors, Ford, and even Tesla use best practices. They are building and refining designs that may have started more than 100 years ago. Part of their mission is to improve the product, even the nuts, bolts, and welds. They strive to improve the reliability, durability, and power.

We can’t forget about comfort, safety, and the feeling of the ride. The features and systems that make the automobile what it is today are largely based on best practices developed across time. Engineers and experts learn from years of trial and error.

Best practices and lessons learned hold tremendous value. This is true in building science, agriculture, and even in technology management. We make things better, stronger, and more efficient. In part, because we’ve learned from the past.

Innovation and Design

We can’t ignore the other side of following best practices. This side goes to the innovators, risk takers, and all of the artful approaches for something new.

The risk is different for innovation. The costs are sometimes higher; the time to bring it to market may be longer. Even this work is based somewhat on what has come before it. It is different because it pushes beyond the limits of past experiences.

This form of exploration considers trends in style, taste, and even color. It doesn’t always follow. It often intentionally goes a completely different direction.

Customer Service Best Practices

The best practices that you put in place to build your brand are important. Your culture of customer service and creating the best customer experience should build on lessons learned.

Additionally, the best will consider how to go beyond the norm. Beyond the norm considers how direction will be set and how to risk developing something new, something more efficient, and most of all, tasteful.

The most important part of best practices is that they are always evolving, it is innovation after the learning.

You can ignore the past if you wish, but nearly everything we build is based on an earlier idea that has been modified.

– 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+

20
Oct 17
-

Fear become habit appreciative Strategies

Can Fear Become a Habit, Should It?

Tags : fear growth habit motivation risk

Workplace motivation is stimulated by many factors. Leaders in the workplace are striving for good habits that have positive reinforcement so that success is achieved. Fear is an emotional response and is often an inappropriate motivator. Can fear become an inappropriate habit?

Fear is powerful. There really shouldn’t be much confusion about that. We see fear in action as a motivator all the time.

A storm is coming, better get to the store.

Get the flu shot; you don’t want to get sick.

I’ve heard sales are down, make sure you look busy.

All three of these examples may have relevance and the intended action may even be a good idea, but what is the motivator? Yes, exactly, it is fear.

Facing the Truth

Sometimes facing the truth can be fearful, but often fear will cause action. It is an emotional choice. We may confuse it with a business only (no emotion) decision, but it is still about fear.

Fear isn’t always a bad motivator. Sometimes we have to face our fears in order to achieve more. When we risk little or nothing about the same amount of growth will occur, little or none. Risk involves fear.

Fear and Growth

Admitting the risk, accepting the fear, even saying it aloud may not be a bad thing. Writing it on the white board during the meeting may be exactly the point you need to make. Groan through it or grow through it, warriors on your team will choose growth.

Scaring people into performing with threats is probably never a good idea. Facing fear for growth is powerful.

Should Fear Become Habit?

Moderation may be the key for success. Telling yourself or your team repeatedly to be afraid may make fear become a habit. It may signal the habit of, never leave the comfort zone because it is far too scary. This is likely a habit you’ll want to avoid.

Be brave, speak of the challenge, accept it and grow. Fear as a habit will likely leave you behind.

– 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+

13
Oct 17
-

How Change Develops and Early Adopters

Tags : change failure ideas progress risk

Some of the best businesses are not who they once were. They may still offer some of the original products or services but they aren’t the same. Have you ever considered how change develops?

Mention change and people are going to become nervous, uneasy, and likely afraid. Change feels like a risk to most and anything uncertain may create fear.

People often talk about, no risk, no reward, or they may suggest that the acceptance of change is better than staying in the status quo. Certainly, there is often value in shifting our thinking.

Everything Changes

Everything around us is changing. Given a little time, a lot of time, or sometimes in no time at all.

A vacant lot gets a new home.

The video store becomes a small medical office.

The computer system tells us when it’s time to reorder.

Sometimes change is perceived as developing from past failures. In other cases, it may be labeled as required progress. In nearly all cases, it sparks an emotion for someone.

There is a good chance that the emotions are the result of letting go of something that felt stable, dependable, or even desirable. Things that someone probably worked hard to create, establish, and cared for.

We used to have to make a call from a wired phone, percolate our coffee, or get our music on a record, 8-track tape, or cassette. Yet no one really considers early telephones, coffee percolators, or music records a failure. Perhaps they are not even obsolete.

How Change Develops

Change often develops from need, or an idea to improve.

If you’ve been around long enough, things have changed. As individuals, we learned to tie our own shoes, complete our schoolwork, and report to work.

On the first day of at a new job, it is all new. We don’t always know the people, the culture, or even where to find the restroom.

Just because change is different doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth it, that the past was a failure, or a waste of our time.

What feels like progress to some may be undesirable to others but we are not stopping change.

Understand what to hold on to and what to let go of, because things will continue to change.

How change develops may not be as important as the bravery to be an early adopter.

– 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+

29
Sep 17
-

What Customer Service Anchors Are You Using?

Tags : anchors brand customer service data risk

I really like the metaphorical use of the word anchor. Actually, if you consult a dictionary my use may not be metaphorical. We often anchor mentally, emotionally, to data or other types of input. Our thoughts directly connect to our decisions, which connect to our actions. Do you use customer service anchors?

Have you thought about things that you anchor to personally or professionally? What anchors does your department, your team, or the organization use?

Anchors and Decisions

Anchors have a lot to do with our decisions. We may consider what we have to gain or what we risk losing. Often these decisions are connected to time or money.

When we speed on the freeway, we’re taking a risk. The risk often isn’t measured by considering safety it is measured by the consequences of time and money. We may speed because we believe we can arrive sooner, and we make the choice about the risk of receiving a ticket. The citation costs us money.

The customer service that organizations deliver is rooted deep within the internal operation. It may exist in engineering, research and development, or in the manufacturing process. In service only organizations, it exists in the timeliness, attention to detail, follow through, and client outcomes.

Organizations are often not doing well with walking the talk. They may actually believe that they have a culture of customer service, until their continued struggle for growth, or even to sustain, makes it obvious. The customer experience is never what you say it is, or even what you design it to be. Ultimately, the customer decides.

Customer Service Anchors

When you have processes and procedures that are driven by people who will make decisions and choices based on their thoughts and assessment of risk, you have to consider their anchors. What customer service anchors are affecting your operation?

Here are few possibilities to consider:

Mistakes. A mistake is made. Is it a big mistake or a little mistake? Does it, or will it affect the customer? Will the customer notice?
Quality. The produced product is close; redoing it will cost time and money. It’s not perfect, will we ship it anyway?
Questions. A customer may ask if it will solve their problem. The true answer is unknown. The sale is important. What will you tell the customer?

While some of these are rooted in ethics and integrity, they are all likely a product of the organizational culture. Employees often learn to anchor to the data they encounter from the environment in which they work. This is rooted inside the organization and is reflected in the reputation of the brand.

What customer service anchors are happening in your organization?

– 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
May 17
-

5 Reasons Leadership is Patient

Tags : change fear leadership patience risk

Fast-paced is used to describe the action of many businesses today. In a fast-paced, no wait, needed it yesterday world the best leadership is patient.

Other Side of Fast

We often skip or completely forget about the other side. The side where values and traditions shape the culture for what might be known as the long haul. Certainly, you have to survive the short term to make the long haul but without a healthy culture any future might be questionable.

One of the finest qualities of the best leaders might not be their exceptional pace in the face of pressure. It might be their innate ability to understand the value patience.

Leadership is Patient

There are many reasons that the best leaders value patience. Here are five of my favorites:

Shared effort. When we recognize that buy-in is created by shared experiences the value shifts from fast to patient. A team of eight shouldn’t be a working team of five while three observe. Shared effort means everyone is engaged.
Enrollment. A team isn’t a team without enrollment. Moreover, enrollment is necessary for culture. Individuals enroll to participate. Participation and patience means they’ll stay.
Reduces fear. Poor leadership assumes that one of the biggest motivators for fast is fear. Leaders who are patient understand that the closest hurdle isn’t the last one. Sprinting between hurdles is important but there is more than one leap.
Far sighted. The future of the organization means that there is a future for the tribe. Individuals are best motivated through purpose and they’ll care more about the outcomes when they understand the vision for the future. Patience creates a future.
Doesn’t blame. Blame is the game for fast stops or crash, then burn. Having patience to process through trouble spots and learn from those experiences means that there really isn’t much room for blame.

Patience might feel more difficult, even risky. It isn’t for the short run, it’s for the long haul.

Long hauls require the best leadership of all.

Leadership is patient.

– 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+

14
Apr 17
-

How Do You Build Confidence?

Tags : belief building confidence courage risk

Many people feel that they struggle with confidence. Alternatively many people recognize that they have fears. While facing your fears might be more about courage developing more confidence probably helps reduce fear. How do you build confidence?

Confidence might be considered when you have to face adverse conditions. It is necessary when you’re selling in a vertical market or when you’re rolling out a new marketing campaign. It is necessary to face the unknown, leave a good impression, or tackle a big project.

Belief

Have you ever considered that confidence might be more responsible for risk management as compared with courage?

Some people will suggest that confidence is about first believing in yourself. If that is true, where does that belief come from? Do you build belief and then build confidence?

Here is what I believe.

One of the secrets to building confidence doesn’t come from someone telling you to have belief. Sure someone telling you might help but it isn’t as tangible as learning to have belief.

Build Confidence

Learning to believe comes from doing things that you can believe in. When you do work that you can believe in you’ll start to build confidence. This is important because it is different from doing something that is evaluated by others, it is evaluated by you.

When you are the one to see and feel its worth you recognize your value. You can confirm its worth. Chances are good then that you’ll have the confidence to do it again. Perhaps this time you’ll do it bigger or better.

When you develop confidence the challenges you face feel less risky. When you perceive less risk not only does it suggest that you have more confidence it means you need less courage.

Looks Easy

This is how rock stars make things look easy. This is why experience is as important as education.

It’s easy to tell someone to believe. The real challenge is learning to believe in you.

How do you build confidence?

Perhaps it starts by doing work that you can believe in.

– 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+

Tag Archives: risk

Jun 18

-

Commitment is Risk

Handshake Return

Jun 18

-

Trouble Spots

Backwards Thinking

Mar 18

-

Seat at the Table

Big Problems

Brainstorming Session

Feb 18

-

Blend In or Be Different

Risk Assessment

Inner Compass

Jan 18

-

Refining Products and Services

Innovation and Design

Customer Service Best Practices

Oct 17

-

Facing the Truth

Fear and Growth

Should Fear Become Habit?

Oct 17

-

Everything Changes

How Change Develops

Sep 17

-

Anchors and Decisions

Customer Service Anchors

May 17

-

Other Side of Fast

Leadership is Patient

Apr 17

-

Belief

Build Confidence

Looks Easy

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