work Archives - Dennis E. Gilbert

21
Jul 21
-

Project Work Will Put You In The Lead

Tags : boredom initiative leadership project work

Are you ready to work? What about being ready to learn, contribute, or go the extra mile? Project work may be exactly what you need to create more success.

We might call work, work, but project work has a slightly different feeling. Thinking of work in terms of a project assumes that there is a beginning and an end. It is more than an ongoing effort with little urgency and a boring trudge that never ends.

Job Roles

Front line job roles often suggest they need self-starters, people who are motivated and people who show up both physically and emotionally.

Since it may not be described as a management role, it also implies that successful employees will receive direction from a boss or other colleagues.

Some people expect this style of leadership. They arrive, but they don’t start until they are given direction. Some roles this is appropriate for, but for those seeking more things are going to have to be different.

Should you start a project?

Project Work

One reason some employees never appear to be in any hurry is because there is always tomorrow. Tomorrow they’ll do the same thing they are doing now and the same thing they did last week.

No rush, no hurry, just another day on the never-ending project.

Workplaces often need more. They need people who not only accept direction and complete assigned work, but they need contributors.

Employees might consider how they can give more instead of doing less.

What if you took a risk to make a reasonable suggestion? A suggestion delivered with tact and respect not grumbling or aggression, might that make a difference?

Imagine if you bought a book that connects with your job duties or industry sector. Imagine what you might learn and how it may help you accomplish more.

What might happen if you asked about the possibilities of workshops, seminars, or other learning events.

How would things change when you do more for the customer, your team, or to benefit the organization?

When you think about it as a project it doesn’t have to be boring work that never ends, or a painful trudge day-in and day-out.

Have a goal, make the start, finish the project and then start another.

-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.

04
Mar 21
-

Energize Daily, Life Is Like a Battery

Tags : balance efficiency energy life work

An apple a day? Do you energize daily or just go with the flow? Are you conscious of how you spend your time?

Not everyone makes their own schedule, especially as it relates to workloads on the job, but have you considered what you do and when?

I’m a morning person. Not everyone is, but I happen to be. I’ve also used it to my advantage across my career.

I could force myself to stay in bed and wait on the rest of the world to get up, but what would I be missing?

A better life I believe.

Most people can adapt to one way or another. People who work third shift for years have a tendency to want to stick with the program.

What about you? Have you adjusted your biorhythms to adapt or are you more leaning towards what seems to come naturally?

There are certain things I feel you have to do so that you get the most of your day.

For example, much of my college experience was as a non-traditional student. In order to keep doing some of what I wanted, I needed to get up at 6:00 AM on weekends to study. It worked for me. That way around 10:00 AM I could actually do somethings that I really wanted to do. Discipline and persistence got me through it.

When are your batteries fully charged?

Energize Daily

When it comes to your work or your career how are you working? Are you taking advantage of when you have the most physical energy versus when you have the most mental energy? Are they at the same time or at different times?

The same is true for when you exercise, do household chores, or shop for groceries. It might also be true for when you pay the bills, chat with friends, or catch up with social media.

Gaining high-efficiency and effectiveness comes with being strategic about managing your time.

If you really need to concentrate or brainstorm, considering doing it when you have the most mental energy. If you need to do something physical, try to schedule it when you have the most physical energy.

For your life, or in your job, are you taking care of your energy?

Life energy is like a battery. It works best when its fully charged.

-DEG

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

18
Jan 21
-

Targeted Work Is Always Better Than None At All

Tags : audience niche products satisfy work

Do you do targeted work? Meaning work that is for a specific audience or customer. What if you did nothing because you couldn’t satisfy everyone?

It happens often. The quest to please everyone is often stronger than the quest to please a few. Many people struggle with trying to please.

Is it a sticking point for you?

A chocolate frosted donut won’t please everyone. Should you have no donuts on offer at all?

The same is true for pink cell phone cases, orange pickup trucks, and black coffee. Not everyone wants those things. Should you not offer any at all?

It is a simple case really. For every niche or specialty, you’ll find someone not satisfied. They don’t like or appreciate what is on offer. They would sooner refuse the offer and walk away than take it as is.

You don’t have to satisfy everyone. The cost of trying to do so often makes people retract which leads to satisfying no one. It’s a cost you shouldn’t bear.

Targeted Work

In the workplace it is true for the products and services you provide. It is true for how you communicate with the team.

When you provide training or give a talk. You provide too much information or details for some, and not enough for others. Your sense of charm or humor will entice some, and turn off others.

It likely doesn’t mean that your products and services are without value. It doesn’t mean that the training or pep talk shouldn’t be given.

Being a contributor requires risk. The reward is that you’ll satisfy someone.

It seems like a far better outcome when compared with satisfying no one.

-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.

25
Mar 20
-

Work Mode May Condition Work Mood

Tags : leadership productivity role model work work mood

Are you in work mode? Do you have your, “get things done” game face on?

Many things will condition what happens next for your productivity and effectiveness.

In case you haven’t realized it, there has been a disruption in what we do and how we do it. The disruption is based on an external event, and for many people, stress, worry, and anxiety have spiked.

Some people are still actively reporting to work, some have paid time off, and many have been furloughed or cut loose as a statistic of the disruption.

Maybe you’re working from home (WFH), and perhaps that is a brand new twist.

Work Mood

Are you able to get into work mode? What does it have to do with work mood?

We’ve probably all identified someone by their mood.

He is in a bad mood.

I wouldn’t go near her office today.

When he sees the results he is going to flip out.

Today and every day we all have an opportunity to condition our behavior and attitude. Certainly, external stimuli can add to the pressure for high performance, yet, the choice remains yours.

Work Mode

Getting into work mode is a responsibility. It is part of the job commitment for leaders.

What choices are you making about your work mode?

Don’t become one of the negative external events for your work team. Whether you are working remote or face-to-face, get yourself positioned for the proper work mood and share it. This is work mode.

Every day is a good day to be a positive role model.

-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.

16
Dec 19
-

Convenient Work, Is This What You Do?

Tags : convenience jobs technology work workplace

Modern conveniences have made many things, well, more convenient. Is your job becoming more about convenient experiences? Is convenient work what you do?

Many people wonder about the future of machine learning and A.I. (artificial intelligence). Will my work be eliminated or will people embrace newer forms of technology?

The easy answer to both is, “Yes!”

Embracing Technology is Convenient

Certainly, there will be resistors to technology change. However, when technology changes make things easier or more convenient it is likely that people will participate.

The Keurig coffee maker is one about convenience. It has been popular and embraced by many. Not everyone, but many.

Streaming video for home television entertainment? Embraced.

The smartphone. Embraced.

It doesn’t take long to recognize we’ve shifted to areas of convenience.

Modern travel is a great example. You could take a train from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to San Jose, California, but why would you?

You could write down directions to get a hotel two States away when driving in your car, or you might use a navigation device built into your car or through your smartphone.

Traveling by air you can print your boarding pass, or utilize a QR Code on your phone. Once on the ground at your destination you can hail a cab, schedule a Lyft, Uber, or perhaps a shuttle. Most will do this with a smartphone app. The more information you provide to the app, the better your experience will be.

Convenient Work

There are at least two sides to convenience. There is the side that makes it better for you when you participate and there is the side that means someone else may be getting squeezed out of the picture.

Receptionists were once popular. In fact, some could earn a decent living and meet a lot of people in the process. Today, many of these jobs have been eliminated or minimized by technology.

In many places the same is true for the toll both clerk, the gas station attendant, and the store checkout cashier.

Is the work that you are doing replaceable by technology? Will technology change our lives?

Yes!

Jobs will change because we’ll participate. We’ll participate because it is convenient.

-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.

19
Sep 19
-

Doing Responsible Work and Making a Difference

Tags : excellence freedom job responsibility work

Often the first step in the argument is the assignment of blame and the question of responsibility. Being a great employee, boss, or owner, often requires doing responsible work and serving as a role model for future efforts.

Are you a freedom seeker? A set your own schedule and do your own thing kind of person?

The Illusion of Freedom

Did you show up for work on time? Prepare for the meeting, arrive a little early, open your mind for the possibilities? Are you holding yourself accountable or expecting accountability only when someone asks?

People dream of being their own boss. They consider the idea that entrepreneurship or leading the team sets them free. Free to do as they please, when they want, and they’ll decide how fast it will happen.

Largely the work of this type of dreamer is an illusion. Often it is illustrated by get rich quick and get freedom now schemes on social media. Strategies that are more pyramid in nature or cloaked in the multilevel marketing philosophy. Buyer beware.

Responsible Work

The work of successful freedom seekers comes with a catch. The catch is that they are more responsible and accountable than ever.

An employee who sets their own schedule or who maps out their own job is not only responsible for the work, but they are on the hook for the outcomes too. Self-designed and self-managed means even greater proof of performance.

It is also true for the entrepreneur. Every customer has some demand, expectation, and specialized need. There is not one boss, but many.

Making a difference and doing responsible work go hand in hand.

The assumption that there is freedom from a strict schedule, the micromanaging supervisor, or forced overtime is often an illusion.

Success comes with a commitment to excellence. Success is an opportunity that you create.

That always means doing responsible work.

-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
Sep 19
-

Leadership Work And What Many Avoid

Tags : authoritarian ethics leadership responsibility work

Do you like the idea of leadership? Does it get you motivated and positively fired up when you think about leading others? Leadership work may not be as easy or pain free as you think.

Leadership seems really attractive on the surface. Being the boss, having people look up to you, getting the recognition for team accomplishments. Some will quickly jump to the idea of increased pay. These and other aspects attract many.

Certainly, leadership is for everyone. Things like money and fame are not a requirement. Neither is having formal authority, yet it is often assumed.

Work Avoided

Workplace professionals will often mention to me that they dislike dealing with people issues. This is a significant part of leadership. It is not just about a title or some fame and glory, no matter how big or how small.

Leadership is people work. If you have formal authority, such as having direct reports, it means dealing with job performance, hiring, and sometimes firing.

Many so-called leaders don’t like that part. They don’t like the responsibility of managing others. As a result, they tend to avoid the people issues.

Others just hand out commands with great expectations. Reality is often in question.

This is exactly how we get what people often label, “poor leadership.”

Leadership Work

Leadership work takes guts, determination, and a commitment to excellence. It means doing the things that many others don’t like doing. It means working with people, not a dictatorship or authoritarian approach.

If you think leadership means you’re the boss and you tell others what to do, you are mostly wrong.

The true work of great leaders is as much artful as it is pragmatic.

-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.

31
May 19
-

Does Workplace Thinking Still Occur?

Tags : cognitive energy respect work workplace thinking

Trying to think through the best path to close the customer deal is exhausting. It is too hard to remember the entire product line. I can’t forget to leave for the meeting at 2PM. Are you committed to workplace thinking or would you rather just brush it off?

Physical work can be tiring, so can intense mental effort.

When we listen to all the problems, the issues, and the drama, we may grow tired. Tired of thinking, tired of worrying, and tired of working.

Workplace Thinking

What we do cognitively can be exhausting so we sometimes brush it off. We ask questions, because we want quick responses that don’t require us to think.

Does Part A fit with Part B or do we need to sell Part C too?

What is the policy on blue jean Fridays?

Does our insurance cover a specialist without a referral from our regular doctor?

Likely, someone will answer. Sometimes people are too tired or lazy to find the answer for themselves. Certainly, helping seems like the right thing to do.

Our memory is important, and sometimes requires energy.

Remind me to lock the door before we leave today.

Don’t let me forget to send that customer order before 3:00 PM.

I have the meeting on my calendar for next week, which day is it?

Tired of Thinking

Our workloads, physical or cognitive, can tire us out. Some people will push harder, own the situation, and be considerate of the load on others. Yet others will try to dump that load on someone else.

We live in a World of creating more ease. Staples has an EASY button. We can order McDonald’s through an app, and we can watch our floor get vacuumed by a Rumba.

Does workplace thinking still occur? Do your teams have the energy, consideration, and respect for others, or are they just dumping work?

-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.

12
Dec 18
-

Two Career Paths, Which Is Yours?

Tags : career choices job path work

If you had a choice which path would you choose? It is a question that many of us ponder each day. Not always consciously, but we’re working on it in the background. There are at least two career paths, which one are you on?

Sometimes the problem is that there is a goal in mind, but the path, plan, or process remains elusive.

Become the manager of the department.

Get the advanced degree in my field and pivot.

Find a job doing the work I love.

Two Career Paths

The first path is simple. Put in some effort, land a job, do the work, and see where things go. Sometimes this is a career. It is easy to go through the motions each day.

Good effort at work. Enjoy a little free time here and there. Spend time with the kids. Have a hobby or take a vacation.

It isn’t your dream job, but it is work. It doesn’t pay what you want, but you are surviving. Suddenly weeks turn into months and months to years.

It’s a job and you’re doing alright. Life rolls on.

The second path is different. It has purpose. It may include a journey down the first path, but there is a different kind of objective. The objective is to use the first path to get to the second path.

Career Strategy

If you have a goal, you need a plan. When you have a goal and a plan, you need to execute. As you execute you must compare outcomes to timelines and milestones. Adjust, and move forward. Failure to do any of this puts you back on the first path.

Many will suggest it all depends on how bad you want it.

I would suggest that the recipe for success also includes commitment, discipline, and self-confidence. You’ll need to add in accountability and belief to get the best flavor.

You can let your career happen to you, or you can make your career work for you. Neither choice is wrong. Just remember, it is a choice.

What path are you on?

-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+

19
Nov 18
2

The Proud Career and Work That Moves Us

Tags : career lifetime money pride work

Some people, perhaps most people, spend a sizable chunk of their lifetime building a career. Some shift, change, and pivot, and others stay nearly the same. Are you building a proud career or one that just gets you through life?

First, let’s not confuse pride with money. Yes, there is an intersection where the two lines meet, but for many, money is not the sole (or soul) reason behind your career.

We all need money. We need it to exchange for food, clothing, and shelter. Sure, we may like more of it to buy more resources, toys, and extravagant lifestyles, but even people with gobs of money aren’t always happy.

Tenure

Since I’ve been around for more than half a century, like Farmers Insurance, I’ve seen a thing or two. People spend a lifetime chasing money and they die spending very little while still worrying if they have enough. Your lifestyle and your career, is your choice.

Money is important, but let’s remove it from this discussion. Set it aside, at least for a few minutes.

What happens when we work to become an improved version of who we already are? Imagine what it means to be more balanced, more grateful, and more giving.

What would happen if you spent your time differently, doing more things that matter, changing the results for others, and becoming uniquely you?

Can you see a different or better person than you are right now? Are you creating a proud career?

Proud Career

When you look back will you be happy with what you’ve built? Proud of the contributions you made? Will you be leaving a legacy for others to build upon?

Will you spend forty or fifty years working, or living while you work?

What matters most for your family, friends, and your life? Your money or what you’ve become?

Yes, you’ll need some money, but pride should be about your life and your people, not a paycheck.

You only get one shot. Check for confusion. No regrets.

-DEG

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

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

Tag Archives: work

Jul 21

-

Job Roles

Project Work

Mar 21

-

Energize Daily

Jan 21

-

Targeted Work

Mar 20

-

Work Mood

Work Mode

Dec 19

-

Embracing Technology is Convenient

Convenient Work

Sep 19

-

The Illusion of Freedom

Responsible Work

Sep 19

-

Work Avoided

Leadership Work

May 19

-

Workplace Thinking

Tired of Thinking

Dec 18

-

Two Career Paths

Career Strategy

Nov 18

Tenure

Proud Career

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