stuck Archives - Dennis E. Gilbert

21
Apr 21
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Escape Stuck and Change Your Future

Are you able to escape stuck? Have you ever had difficultly letting go of something that you know needs to go?

It might be anything. A pair of old shoes, jeans you wore a decade ago, a bad habit, or even a relationship. Are you holding on to something that you should let go?

Perhaps the opposite of change is the status quo. It is a place where most people like to hang out. It may feel safe and comfortable. Habits are hard to change. Good or bad, habits can become very sticky.

While it might sound silly, a few years ago I had to let go of an old washing machine. It was hard to see it go. We’d been through so much together. Our relationship lasted more than 20 years.

Now I’m stuck with a 1999 Chevy Tahoe. A lot of miles and the rust is tearing it down, but I still don’t want to let it go.

Sometimes we want something new so bad it is easy to break free. Throw it in the ground and bury it, done.

In other cases, we hold on too long.

Escape Stuck

Fear may be part of the problem. The unknown about what is next and what will be different. It’s true for so many things.

Yesterday in a seminar there was some discussion about leadership and culture. A participant expressed boldly, “It’s not the 1990’s anymore!” To me, it was an interesting perspective. I feel like I cut my management teeth in the 1990s and I’m proud of that, yet a workforce generation or two removed and it appears unwanted and not worthy.

At the same time. I came to realize that I’ve changed. I don’t suggest the same things that I use to offer as consideration for a solution. I would never suggest some of the behaviors or cultural attributes that seemed normal back then.

Are some businesses and organizations stuck? Are the people?

You may be more stuck than you realize, or you may be letting go and you don’t even notice it.

If you are still moving, you must not be stuck.

If you are stuck, now is the time to get something moving.

-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.

06
Oct 20
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Changing Methods Means You’ve Learned

Tags : approaches methods pivot stuck success

Has something you’re doing changed? Do you believe that changing methods is a good idea or should you stick to doing exactly what works?

Same old, same old.

It’s a popular phrase and one that is often thrown about the workplace to indicate that people are bored and the energy is stale.

Persistence matters for success. Giving up easily or constantly swapping to a new path may not only be exhausting, it may mean that you lack focus.

On the other hand, sticking to the horse buggy may not only mean a traffic jam for everyone else, but it may also mean that you’re stuck.

Things that have been around for hundreds of years have changed. They may serve a similar purpose but they are probably not exactly the same.

Food, shelter, transportation, they are always changing, and these are just a few of the essentials.

You must change.

Changing Methods

Do you want to repeat the same mistakes over and over? Of course not, so you change it up. Does it interest you to read more, listen more, and watch more so that you learn more? Hopefully, it does.

Everything you do, for work, for pleasure, and for survival and success is based on a repetitive pattern of learning and growth. Staying the same really won’t take you very far. It feels safe and comfortable, but at the same time, it means you’re stuck.

Your job or occupation has changed, maybe noticeably or perhaps ever so slightly.

The business or organization that you work for has changed. The job roles have shifted, and future success will depend upon a fluid approach of learning and changing.

The moment you decide you’re done learning is the same moment you’ll start to decline.

Have an open mind. Change your methods.

-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.

11
Sep 19
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Stalled Career And What Will Cause Movement

Tags : career logic risk stall stuck

Career, work-life balance, and the daily grind, are things feeling a bit stalled or stuck? It may seem easy to self-assess and tell yourself, “I’m not sure about my options.” The feeling of a stalled career is common, mostly because people apply simple logic.

The logical examination considers all of the valuable reasons you are where you are. It considers the ease of the norm, the status quo, and perhaps the safety of no risk.

Feeling Logical

The norm feels comfortable. You know the routine. You’ve grown to appreciate and quietly value the repetitive nature of things being just the way things are. Mostly, you know what to expect, and often, when to expect it. That’s normal.

The status quo shields you from change. It is based on your expectations. Expectations of a secure job position, an annual salary increase, and accrued vacation pay. Work life exists during mostly fixed hours, and you are comfortable steering around long weekends, vacations, and holidays.

Your mind will convince you that this is logical, it makes sense. You can’t do this, or do that, because of the risk connected with a decision.

Sometimes you feel forced to make a move, or sometimes unfortunately your services are no longer needed and a new direction is required.

Regardless of the circumstances people still often feel stuck. Stuck because any other move has already been evaluated and the only choice is to stay right where you are.

The suggestion sometimes is that people will only change when they get miserable enough to make a move. Do you really want to be that miserable?

Stalled Career

I often ask people, “What are you going to give up?”

When our days and our time is completely filled, we have to give up something in order to do something new. Logically, this doesn’t always resonate, mostly because if you are truly stuck it is often hard to see what you can give up.

If you are going to get things moving again. If you’re going to get out of your career stall, you’re going to have consider doing something different.

Different is scary, not always the most logical, or it may seem unreasonable.

In many cases it is not a matter of different knowledge, it is a matter of old knowledge applied differently.

No movement guarantees one thing, you’re stalled.

-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.

24
Jul 19
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Career Stall: Feeling Stuck and Letting Go

Tags : career change risk stall stuck

Have you reached a career stall? Have you found yourself wondering why, how, or where to advance?

Choices and decisions we make often become a habitual part of our life. This is what keeps us stuck, stalled, or stopped.

While there are potentially hundreds of variations or reasons why someone may feel stuck, the good news is there is something that can be done to get unstuck.

Uncertainty is Scary

Uncertainty may be a leading cause of being stuck. Feeling unsure about the future keeps people in their comfort zone.

The comfort zone is the norm. In a groove, even a mediocre groove, often feels better than the potential doom looming outside of the groove.

Outside the groove can be scary. Some may quickly say that fear keeps people stuck. Probably true, it can and it does.

Good Sized Ego

There are other things that keep people stuck.

One is ego.

Ego is not necessarily a bad thing. Another way to describe ego is confidence. Feeling confident and accomplished, some people allow their ego to keep them from seeking professional help.

Ego has halted many careers, one way or another, and it is sometimes connected with costs.

I shouldn’t have to pay for help. I’m a problem solver.

Weighing Costs

Perhaps you can navigate your situation to become unstuck, after all, you are plenty smart enough.

Is there a cost associated with not paying for help?

Keep in mind that cost isn’t always what you pay, sometimes cost is about time lost, missed opportunities, or mistakes.

How long will you stay stalled, stuck, or stopped?

Career Stall

When you have a full plate, a full day, and the clock is ticking, you have to make room for something different in order to create change. Otherwise, you are in a perpetual state of being stuck.

You may need to let go of your ego, habits that are tactical instead of strategic, or change your view on risk.

What is riskier? Staying where you are at for the next three to five years of your career or trying something different? Sometimes we weigh risk incorrectly. We weigh it for safety instead of opportunity.

What will you let go of?

-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.

10
Jul 19
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Wait, We Haven’t Analyzed Enough

Tags : choice cost data decision stuck

One person always wants to decide fast, quick, and hurried. Another wants more time, more data, and additional input. Have you analyzed enough?

It seems that there is always more data. We can ask a few more people, research some old work, and attempt to benchmark the industry. Does it really matter?

One trouble spot is that more data isn’t really what people seek. They are seeking more certainty, less risk, and the fear of a bad decision.

Wait for What?

Procrastination on a decision can still be a decision. “I’m making the choice to not decide, yet.”

A delay sometimes feels safer. The feeling is that you can’t be criticized because you didn’t decide, only if you do decide and you’re wrong.

You weigh the risk of the decision on the cost of being wrong instead of on the cost of time or the cost of being stuck.

It is the fallacy of critical thinking. No choice is a safe choice.

Analyzed Enough

The reality is that time is often not on our side. Patience is important, but time always keeps moving.

A decision or choice not made may allow the window to close, or worse, the competition jumps through leaving you behind.

You can spend a lot of time reviewing the past. Reliving the mistakes from before and feeling stuck about the action you should take next.

Experience suggests more watching, listening, and learning, yet time can’t wait.

Change needs motion. Motion means you are not stuck.

If there is a change you need to make, today may be a great day to start.

-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.

07
May 19
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Information Flow Means Momentum

Tags : communication information flow momentum stuck

The static organization is stuck. They may appear to just be stalled, yet soon they will be falling behind. Information flow helps keep the organization alive, breathing, and moving, what are you sharing?

Direction of Momentum

We have some choices about what we share. Here are a few of many possibilities:

Intelligence research on the competition

New age marketing and the video bait click

The shipping record that was broken last month

The newest large customer and what they’re about

What was learned at the recent conference

The blog that provided an inspirational message

Recent resumes and who is interested

Why this year will be better that last year

Identification of commonalities in our teams

Insights for new methods or for refreshing old

Every day what is shared happens by choice. It is culture driven, sometimes conscious, sometimes not so much.

When you are building an organization, information flow means something might be happening. Will it be productive conversation or something that slows things down?

Momentum can build both ways. Information keeps organizations from becoming stalled or stopped. Do you have good information flow?

Information Flow

Considering what you choose to communicate each day, which direction are things most likely headed? Reliving past bad experiences doesn’t have much value. A lesson learned is good, tragedy emotionally repeated, not so good.

Communicate organizational values, beliefs, and stretch goals. Communicate inspiring stories, winning moments, and positive insights. Replace stories of doom and gloom with something new and refreshing.

Static and stuck is a choice, it’s not an inheritance, irrevocable trust, or voodoo spell.

What you say next will determine where you are going.

-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.

20
Mar 19
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Leadership Habit 42: Navigating Leadership Opportunity

Tags : leadership opportunity status quo stuck

One day you are rolling along and things seem to be going well, then you hit a roadblock. This is both the challenge and opportunity of leadership. How are you navigating leadership opportunity?

Change is a process. When we consider employees who are facing a change, that is the external event. How people transition through a change event is an internal process.

Is it possible that people and teams get stuck in the transition? Yes, they sometimes hit a wall or encounter a hurdle that appears too tall.

It may appear easier to just hunker down in place.

Stuck in Status Quo

In a very natural way people often try to protect the status quo. Their thought is, “Don’t change a thing, protect and defend, it took a lot of effort to get here, let’s keep it this way.”

This isn’t the challenge of leadership.

Getting stuck, or especially staying stuck, just doesn’t seem like leading.

In leadership seminars I sometimes witness the frustration of middle or front-line management team members feeling sandwiched. Stuck between process and policy.

They are often almost desperate to find a way to navigate the challenge of productivity while also staying in their lane and coloring inside the lines. In some ways they may feel hypocritical and forced to play politics.

Leading offers new opportunity.

Leadership Opportunity

An opportunity to lead, to find a way, create a path. Not a path of destruction but a path that leads out of stopped, stalled, or stuck.

When roadblocks, obstacles, or adverse conditions occur, this is the time for leadership.

It is easy to observe and say, “Yup, we’re stuck.” The challenge is navigating the situation differently to breakthrough or break free.

-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.

11
Jan 19
-

Do You Have a Culture Pivot or Are Things Stuck?

Tags : culture marketing pivot stuck

Businesses and individuals alike often set out on a path for change. When things aren’t working the CEO may decide the organization needs a culture pivot. Is something broken or what is prompting the shift?

Perhaps it is too much shifting, or maybe things seem to be stuck. What is happening at the root?

Symptoms, Causes, and Marketing

There may be many symptoms of a culture problem for your organization.

A feeling of being stuck, stalled, or stopped is one of them. You may also wonder why clients aren’t engaging, products aren’t resonating, or the leadership point of view isn’t persuasive anymore.

Much of what happens in organizations or what moves them into action happens because of marketing. Certainly, there is external marketing and advertising. Internally and externally we can consider personal marketing, influence, and persuasion. Is anything working?

What will make your desired culture pivot a success?

Culture Pivot

When you want change yet things are staying the same, you have a problem.

How much time and effort are you devoting to working on a solution? Often, when things are stalled, it is feels easier and safer to just go with the flow. Then you’re stuck.

The culture pivot you desire is likely attainable. Root causes for being stuck may vary, but repeating what you’ve always done likely won’t get things moving again.

What are you doing to market your pivot? What will make clients engage? If engagement isn’t happening, perhaps you aren’t marketing effectively.

Are employee teams bought in? Are you persuasive? Do they believe you? What evidence is shaping their actions, behaviors, and beliefs?

If your quest for a race to the top feels more like it is heading for a race to the bottom, check your marketing.

-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+

14
Aug 18
-

Mindful Decisions When The Decision Really Counts

Tags : decisions future mindful past stuck

Businesses and individuals alike struggle with decisions. Whether you have the tea berry ice cream cone or the chocolate isn’t a huge decision. In life or business though, decisions are often tougher. Are you making mindful decisions?

Past Reflections

The first and perhaps biggest trouble spot with decision making is the reflection on the past. In business it may be sales data, customer returns, or other services or product quality issues.

In our personal lives it often comes down to reflection. People tend to dwell on or obsess about how their vision of things should have turned out, but didn’t.

In either case reflection on the past is okay. It may help to validate our future decisions. The problem becomes when you can’t make future choices because the past is crippling your clarity.

Granted the past may not be what you expected, what you wanted, or a fulfillment of your dreams, but a constant focus on it will keep you stuck.

What Is Gone

It often comes down to time, money, and resources spent. Things that feel wasted, lost, and can never be replaced. Admitting the reality once, is fine. Dwelling on it is a waste that keeps you from moving forward.

Instead of a focus on the unchangeable do something about the future. It won’t be comfortable, because what you thought you was the best direction is gone.

Don’t expect the future to be perfect either. There will be trouble spots, risk, and most of all, discomfort.

What you must decide is what choices you will make with options that are available. The past is not an option.

Mindful Decisions

Imagine if you arrive at the rental car counter late, your choices may be limited. There is no benefit to focus on the ride you wish you had. Focus on choosing the ride that makes the most sense from those available.

Otherwise, you can walk, Uber, or rent a bike.

Can you make a mindful decision? What are the best options in front of you?

Never stay stuck, and stop looking back. Choose one and go with it. Move forward.

-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
May 15
-

Push or Shove

Tags : accomplish goals coasting push stuck

Easy feels safe, comfortable, and desirable, but most people who have it easy aren’t accomplishing much. It is easy to grab an ice cream cone, zip through a drive through restaurant, or simply hang out at a job that doesn’t challenge you.

People who push for nothing typically stand for little, because that would be too hard. When you are at a job that feels easy, you’ve peaked. You may ride that peaked position for a while, or a career. You may slip back, slip up, or slip away, but you’ll never beat that peak unless you push for more.

Moving forward isn’t always easy, coasting seems more logical, but you’ll only coast one way, downhill. At the bottom your momentum will stop. No more coasting and nowhere to go. It’s harder going uphill, you have to push a little more, care a little more, and desire a little more.

If you are coasting, stopped, or stuck, and no one is pushing you, give yourself a hard shove.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a keynote speaker, corporate trainer, and consultant that specializes in helping businesses accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. Reach him through his website at http://DennisEGilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

Photo Credit: Horia Varlan (Flickr)

Tag Archives: stuck

Apr 21

-

Escape Stuck

Oct 20

-

Changing Methods

Sep 19

-

Feeling Logical

Stalled Career

Jul 19

-

Uncertainty is Scary

Good Sized Ego

Weighing Costs

Career Stall

Jul 19

-

Wait for What?

Analyzed Enough

May 19

-

Direction of Momentum

Information Flow

Mar 19

-

Stuck in Status Quo

Leadership Opportunity

Jan 19

-

Symptoms, Causes, and Marketing

Culture Pivot

Aug 18

-

Past Reflections

What Is Gone

Mindful Decisions

May 15

-

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