success Archives - Page 5 of 6

17
Mar 17
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5 Reasons Over-Commitment Might Be Hurting Your Career

Tags : career coaching over-commitment success

Most people in the workforce want to give their job and career the best they have to give. They work hard, smart, and are committed. Can trying to do too much be hurting your career?

During my career I’ve run into a lot of interesting things in the workplace. At first glance, situations which are almost unbelievable. People sometimes say that love is blind. People who are trying really hard to be impressive in their job might sometimes have blind spots too.

hurting career

Just like too many donuts, hot wings, or trips to the Chinese buffet, over-commitment might be hurting not helping your situation.

Hurting Your Career

Here are five reasons:

Can’t do everything. Many people are trying to impress. They raise their hand to take on projects with no real consideration that they might be taking on too much. This also sometimes happens when people are bored with their duties. They volunteer for other assignments making them too busy for their regular duties.
Connects you with weaknesses. Just because you like to do it doesn’t always guarantee that you are good at doing it. Many people like to sing in the shower or at the karaoke bar. That doesn’t mean they should quit their day job. In the workplace people connect you with your work. If your work isn’t the best, what people might see is incompetence.
Working twice as hard. You might have to work twice as hard or twice as long as someone with the natural talent or skills to do the same work. Certainly if it is an interest for you and you’re willing to work hard at it, you might be able to achieve success. Just make sure you’re making the most of your natural (or developed) talents and abilities.
Defensive positions. I can’t even begin to express how harmful it might be to take on work or assignments just because you want to block someone else from doing it. This is competition gone too far. Sometimes people will volunteer for roles or tasks simply because they don’t want someone else to have an opportunity to shine. Terrible.
Poor response times. Communication challenges might be the root cause of nearly every workplace problem or issue. It is also responsible for a lot of missed opportunities, mistakes, and poor customer service. When you’re over-committed you’re likely coming up short on call backs, email, and follow through. It’s probably also hurting your professional relationships.

Do Great Things

Caring about your career is excellent. Striving to do a great job is excellent. Offering to help or get involved for the greater good of the organization, excellent.

Being over-committed for any reason might be one of the biggest blind spots impacting your career success.

over-commitment

It doesn’t make you look good, it makes you look bad.

Your biggest struggle might be finding the right balance without crossing any lines.

Have you ever felt over-committed? Could it be a blind spot that is hurting your career?

– DEG

Originally posted on March 17, 2017, last updated on October 22, 2018.

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

28
Dec 16
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Is It Worth The Risk?

Tags : change failure progress risk success

Talk is easy. There are a lot of people and organizations that talk about change, but change requires risk. Do you believe change is worth the risk?

Many people operate in their safety zone. They never get too close to the edge, color outside of the lines, or risk something that they feel they might later regret.

Perhaps one of the most interesting things about change is that by its very nature it requires risk. Staying the same feels comfortable, largely because you believe you already know the outcome, but outcomes change too.

People and businesses often believe that they want change, that they need different outcomes. They want something that works better, lasts longer, or is more efficient. All of those are noble thoughts and those who turn thoughts into action believe that they are ready for change.

Might the question then become, “How bad do you want it?” or for others perhaps, “How bad do you need it?”

Being worth the risk is often measured after the fact. It is measured in success or failure and is seldom measured for the performance against risk. Should it be?

A business might run one advertisement, on one television network for one month, or they might spring for a 30 second spot during the Super Bowl.
An employee might speak up adding one suggestion to solving a problem in a staff meeting, or they might spend additional hours at the office developing a corrective plan of action and then present their idea to the Board of Directors.

We’re often taught or reinforced with the concept of taking a risk which results in success is good, but a risk and then failure is bad. The trouble with this mind-set is that makes people risk adverse.

It makes them risk adverse since they often feel they can’t be wrong if they stay within the safety zone. Their confidence is higher for actions which occur within the zone.

Do you believe that change is happening all around you? Do you believe that change is happening every day? Do you believe that some of this change might be considered good, and that some of it might be considered bad?

If you agree that it surrounds you, then you can probably also agree that problems change too, and that changing problems require different solutions, and that new or different solutions require taking additional risk.

If you agree with all of that, then you might also agree that the value of risk should not be expressed as good or bad, it should be expressed as progress. Largely because a risk that results in change is progress.

It’s always progress as long as you are moving forward with your successes and learning from but not repeating failures.

Is progress worth the risk?

Some believe it is, do you?

– 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+

05
Oct 16
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Are You Pushing or Being Pulled?

Tags : focus marketing pull push success

There are a lot of people working really hard. There is a good chance you are one of them. There are also a lot of cliché’ phrases, idiom’s, and meme’s floating around social media channels about working smarter and not harder or how if you love what you do you’ll never work another day in your life. There is certainly some value to those, but have you considered the aspect of push or pull? Marketers will quickly associate with the concept of push versus pull marketing, but we’re not talking about marketing here, at least not specifically.

Some time ago, and unfortunately I cannot recall who to credit with this idea, I heard an analogy that really stuck with me related to push or pull.

Imagine a twelve inch long piece of string on a flat open space such as a desktop or table. Now imagine that you want to move that piece of string across this space. If you place your index finger on one end of the string and attempt to push it across the string will likely bunch up, twist up, or otherwise not cooperate. Instead imagine if you place your index finger on one end of the string and pull the string across, the string would likely straighten out and follow the path of your finger pulling it. So what is better, push or pull?

I believe in hard work, I believe it is a testament to achieving something greater, something worthwhile, and something you can be proud to have accomplished. While not everyone agrees with this philosophically, I’m a believer. If you’re with me on this, you’re working hard too, but what about this push or pull concept?

It’s really exciting and quite simple. We may often push so hard that we become frustrated, burnt out, or worse, we start to disengage. We may begin to focus on the short-comings and develop self-limiting beliefs that stifle our opportunities and short change our success. Push often makes you feel tired, worn out, and unexcited. That is why I believe pull is so much better. When you become so compelled, energized, and excited about achieving your next goal, it draws you in and pulls you to your destination.

Both approaches have some value, but most likely one of them has more advantages.

Which approach will you use?

– 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
Sep 16
2

Is the Fear of Success Real?

Tags : confidence failure fear leadership success

Nearly everyone recognizes the idea of being afraid of failure. Some people are so intent about never failing that they always play life extremely safe, never really taking any risks. Other people love the idea of risk and don’t worry much about failing. They recognize the possibility of failure but only at a level that keeps them pushing towards the pursuit of their goal. They also accept the idea that sometimes failure does occur and they are prepared to manage it.

On the other hand, there are also people who fear success. Sometimes when the suggestion of a fear of success emerges, people struggle to form the connection with success and fear. Is the fear of success real?

Fear of Success

Like its opposite partner, the fear of failure, the fear of success comes in various levels and for various reasons. Based on research and my experiences working with people, especially in coaching roles, here are five of the most common factors associated with having a fear of success.

Maintaining a higher standard. The fear is that you’ll be unable to keep things up at this level. Because the standard will have become so high you will forever have to work that much harder. It feels easier to stay where you are comfortable.
I’m not worthy or don’t deserve it. Self-esteem and self-efficacy are the two most important building blocks for self-confidence. If you’ve been told many times that you’re not worthy, or you can’t do it, or that it’s impossible. You may believe you are not worthy or that you don’t deserve to achieve your goal or obtain a higher level of success.
I’ll lose friends and create enemies. Envy from others can be a major setback for those who have achieved more success. People may resist the idea of becoming more successful because they fear losing friendships or creating enemies.
Success requires great risk or luck. Many people don’t like the feeling of risk and believe that they are never lucky. Luck and risks are very different, but some believe they are unlucky at everything because they “never win.” The idea is the more successful I become the more my fate rests in risk or luck, so I’m afraid to become more successful.
I don’t like being in the spotlight. This fear is rooted in the idea that the spotlight makes the person uncomfortable, if you don’t like to draw attention to yourself or your achievements you may try avoid excelling at anything or everything.

Surprising to some, the fear of success is real. While it is often deeply rooted in other unrelated circumstances or situations the fear may be enough to make people consciously or subconsciously avoid any scenario that may position them for additional success.

Do you fear success?

– 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 DennisEGilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

09
Aug 16
2

Knowing What Counts

Tags : confidence success winning

A lack of effort is often not the reason for coming up short, but a lack of confidence might be.

Confidence probably plays a bigger role in success than effort ever will. Effort matters, it matters a lot, but the problem is that many people work very hard only to come up short.

Consider a world class athlete who fears their ability to overcome the next obstacle to achieve excellence. Do they perform with the same conviction as a similar athlete who is more confident? Consider your next sales meeting with a client, a presentation to peers or the board of directors, or that important conversation you have scheduled with your boss. The moment you doubt your ability to deliver and the moment you allow that doubt to creep into your performance is the very moment you are not at your best.

Fake it to make it may work, but then you really haven’t brought forward the real you. Why? Because you still have doubt.

Confidence sells and confidence wins, it isn’t built by doubt or by reliving failures, it is built by counting your wins.

– DEG

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

22
Mar 16
1

Taking The Lead On Tough Choices

Tags : choices persistence success

People often wonder how to discover the key for success. They don’t always understand the discipline or the motivation involved. They second guess the purpose and the effort. They sometimes underestimate the commitment and the tenacity that is required.

Business Discussion

Most of your personal or professional growth will not come from luck, fate, or coincidence. When was the last time you heard someone, including yourself, say:

I don’t want to go to work today, but I don’t have a choice.

Working on this special project is killing me, but I don’t have a choice.

Learning this new software is ridiculous, but there is no choice.

Typically we do have choices, what we sometimes lack are easy choices. You hold the key; you don’t have to discover it. You just have to use it. The greatest success stories develop from a commitment to a choice, a choice someone may have felt was not their own. Why, because it was tough.

Tough choices don’t make you powerless, they make you powerful.

But remember, it is still your choice.

– 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+

23
Feb 16
2

3 Lessons From The Intern

Tags : generational differences life lesson patience success

Comedy about business has had its share of success. We can consider the wildly popular television series, The Office, and depending on your taste the 2013 movie, The Wolf of Wall Street. Today, perhaps different from any other time in modern history, we have five generations active in our workforce and it is great timing for the business oriented comedy, The Intern.

Life is full of lessons, and for some humor may provide the thread for the needle to sew up some of life’s best. I watched The Intern this past weekend and here are three of many lessons I patched together:

Sometimes your future is not as important as the right now. Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro) is interviewed by a millennial human resources manager and is asked about where he sees himself in ten years. Ben, a seventy year old internship candidate doesn’t understand why where he sees himself when he is eighty years old really matters. Good point.

Often we frame our thoughts to position us at a better place in the future. We imagine ourselves becoming more accomplished, successful, and valuable, but the other side of this thinking is that right now may be the most important time of all.

Patience is just as important as speed. We live in a fast-paced, stopping for nothing world, and there is no denying the value of speed. Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway) is a fast-tracker millennial whose startup e-commerce business is growing at an almost out of control pace. Her meetings are scheduled in five minute intervals, she rides a bike around the office to save time, and her family life is desperately being challenged by all of the pace and pressure.

Sometimes though not everything is about speed, it may also be about patience. Practicing patience is a relationship and team building skill. People, teams, and businesses who make the time to embrace a core value of patience will often have more stamina to get through the rough spots. Take nothing for granted, especially your time—have patience.

Never forget where you came from. We’ve probably all either heard this or have said it. This insightful mantra is often used to cause reflection on remembering those persons or situations from which you came. The idea is to remember that while you may now be more successful or more accomplished than in the past, don’t forget those people or circumstances associated with where you’ve come from. Great point to remember.

There is another side to this though, sometimes we forgot about our accomplishments and we live feverishly chasing the next sale, opportunity, or job promotion forgetting all that is good about what we’ve already accomplished. In the movie, Ben invites Jules to remember that she is the person who created this thriving business as she struggles with a tough decision about hiring a CEO. Remember who built you (you did), always count the successes (focus on successes, not on short-comings) no matter how small.

A comedy may not be your favorite genre but if you are interested in taking a break from the intensity of navigating the five generations active in our workforce today you can find some valuable lessons through humor by watching The Intern.

– DEG

Photo Credit: Image from YouTube Official Trailer.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

04
Feb 16
-

Leadership Required?

Tags : confidence critics leadership success

Arguably leadership approaches may be different in good times versus challenging times. Many would likely agree that it is easier if the obstacles are fewer and the barriers are smaller. When you consider economic conditions, changing government regulations or even declining interest in a product or service, leadership may be required.

People may take for granted the definition of leadership, they may make assumptions about the requirements, and they may not realize the tenacity required to perpetually move an organization forward. They may praise and publicize the good times and try to hide or minimize the bad.

Leadership has challenges and it is about navigating the calm and the stormy, the easy and the hard, but it is always about rising to the occasion. It seems that changing conditions will bring out doubters. Critics will appear when there is progress. Envy will show up when there is success, but nothing will appear when an organization is stuck.

When is leadership required?

Now.

– DEG

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

27
Oct 15
-

Bike’s Lessons

Tags : life lesson persistence success

Many people know how to ride a bicycle, and they are taught at a very young age. People ride bikes for pleasure, exercise, or transportation. They are economical, long lasting, and low maintenance. You can ride it, carry it, or stow it on the back of your car. The cost of entry is typically low, but elegance or high performance costs more.

Old School Vintage Bike

The lessons about bikes are many and not just brought to life by their value, appeal, or popularity. When we ride a bike we learn about efficiency, energy, and momentum. We learn about rest, maintenance, and safety. We learn about judgment, respect, and sharing.

We learn that stopping and starting is harder than staying at a study pace. We learn that there are different ways to get to the same destination, and the fastest way may not be the most economical or the most enjoyable. We learn that if we don’t know when to stop we may get out of control. We learn that balance requires movement and that sitting still for too long will cause you to fall. We learn that you can coast downhill, but if you’re looking to go up, you have to use more energy and pedal harder.

Did you ever think you could learn so much from a bike?

– 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+

06
Oct 15
-

Get Started

Tags : boredom career success

You have the motivation Monday crowd and the opposite. You have the days you are energized and feel good about your work and the days that you don’t. Some people wonder what is missing, others believe they are missing the point.

Motivation is sometimes associated with energy. It is the idea that those who are excited are also the most motivated. This prompts some people to believe that motivation is only intrinsic, that it comes from within, and if you don’t have it within you, then you just don’t have it. Few see motivation as a commitment, but those who do, and those who are, also appear more successful.

Many people go to work every day and find the motivation for a task. They unlock the doors, they process email, they take calls, make calls, sell products, attend meetings, brainstorm, analyze, build something, and learn something. More important than the task is the motivation to start it, live it, and finish it. After a whole lot of tasks, or the repetitive nature of tasks, some find boredom.

Minus some holidays and vacations most people will report to work well over 10,000 days during their career. Many people with a career of more than 10,000 days will achieve over a million dollars in earnings. Most people never believe they can become a millionaire, yet depending on the definition, many will.

Every day people will do something—or they won’t.

When you start counting your success, you’ll be more motivated.

Get started.

– 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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