07
Oct 21
0

Webinar : Creating a Motivational Climate

Tags : employee teams motivating employees motivation workplace culture

Webinar: Creating a Motivational Climate

Starts in:

Positive reinforcement is powerful. It’s more powerful than punitive actions or behaviors that zap energy and create divides among team members. Workplace leaders are serving as role models, sometimes when they don’t even realize it. Properly driving motivation and inspiration can refresh teams and build a high-energy culture. This program will help participants connect with the elements necessary to inspire team motivation and spread that energy across departments creating a stronger commitment with a mission-centered purpose.

Dennis E Gilbert

This two-hour webinar-style event will help you:

Learn more about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation factors and how to put them to work for your workplace culture
Better understand motivation styles and how to energize sluggish performers
Build on engagement principles and avoid being labeled as an over-bearing taskmaster
Develop awareness of communication signals that you send and reengage disconnected team members
Increase team morale and improve group cohesion

Where: From your own device. For best results, you’ll utilize a webcam-type device (w/microphone and speakers) to connect to the seminar.

When: October 7, 2021, starting promptly at 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Eastern U.S. timezone) 2-hour session. (Log on ten minutes early!)

Who: This seminar is appropriate for team leaders, committee leaders, supervisors, managers, directors, and executives. Anyone with the responsibility to lead or manage the work, productivity, and motivation of employee teams.

What past participants are saying:

“This [Creating a Motivational Climate] webinar was great! I’ve attended quite a few seminars across the years and this one really resonated with me. It surprised me and what I took away from it. I know is going to make a big difference.”

Lori Ofner, Senior Director of Human Resources, RCN

“The Creating a Motivational Climate program helped me identify the factors that motivate my team and learned ways to engage my employees. This program has made a positive impact on my business.”

Elizabeth A. Turner, G.M., Peckville Self Storage

“This program was more than I expected. The Leadership Engagement Principles we explored as part of the program will help me to make a big impact with our team.”

Sherry Paulhamus, Production Administrator, (Gas & Oil Sector)

Excellent webinar for both in-person and remotely managed teams.

This virtual (Zoom) seminar will be presented by business consultant and national level speaker, Dennis Gilbert.

Dennis Gilbert

“I delivered my first live, online virtual training program in 2009. Much changed since then, and the content and delivery is now better than ever. Make no mistake, this program is not a freebie teaser. It is a specially developed live virtual training (webinar) that is jam-packed with tips, techniques, and most of all, value.” – Dennis

Cost: ~~$149~~ now only $109 per participant

(Discount ends September 24, 2021, at 11:59 PM)

Register now for $109 ~~$149~~

Register Now

Thanks for looking and for supporting small businesses!

23
Jun 21
-

Golden Rule, Has It Shifted or Changed?

Tags : belief golden rule workplace culture

A better question might be, “Should it?” Nearly everyone is familiar with the golden rule. Most people will suggest it represents treating others the way you would like to be treated.

Some people connect the golden rule with religious sentiments. Regardless of where or how you see the connection, has this rule changed?

Is treating others the way you would like to be treated still a good approach?

What are the expectations of others, are their expectations similar or different?

Everyone wants respect, but how is respect shown or illustrated? Is it being left to your own outcomes or is it getting a helping hand from someone else? Could it be based on your values and beliefs and if so, are those values and beliefs shared or mutually agreed upon?

The golden rule is tricky. On one hand it seems to make sense, yet, on another, it may not be a good rule.

Everyone Wants

Most people want, expect, or at least appreciate, being treated with kindness. I’ve seen a t-shirt or bumper sticker with the expression, “Mean people suck.” Of course, a bumper sticker isn’t any form of scientific measurement or evaluation, but they do sometimes resonate with others.

People want a chance to express themselves, they want to be able to voice their opinion without consequence or retaliation.

Most people want a chance to prove their value or worth. They want to contribute and in times of doubt, be given some leniency.

In short, they want a chance to live life as they see it.

Golden Rule

Does this all fit into the golden rule?

Not really.

The golden rule is based on your own values, beliefs, and opinions. Those are not necessarily consistent with others position on life.

Maybe the golden rule should be tweaked a little. Maybe it should be a little more of treating others the way they would like to be treated.

Freedom of choices or expressions. True freedom of speech, not just what fits a certain guideline. The benefit of the doubt, or acceptance of differences.

It seems like a simple rule. The golden one.

Yet, it may be much more complex than most people recognize. It often fits when it fits, and doesn’t when it doesn’t.

-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
Mar 21
-

Reasonable Work Always Sells Better

Tags : psychology of work purpose reasonable workplace culture

Are you creating reasonable work? Do the employees and the customer find value in the output? Some things sell themselves while others never sell at all.

Many twenty-year olds are not focused on retirement savings. It doesn’t really matter to them, yet.

What is missing is the link or connection to why starting early might matter later. There are plenty of people in their 40’s and 50’s that aren’t really into it either.

Is it reasonable to do it early and most of all to consider that showing up late to the concept is better than never showing up at all?

What’s the Purpose?

The company or organization you work for has a purpose. It has a mission statement, even if it is somewhat informal. There is a reason why it exists.

Someone wants to buy the output, someone values the service, or both. Connection for the customer and connection for the employee is the image of a great organization.

The effort has reason and value.

Why Care?

Connecting people with your idea matters most when they see the value. It is true for the customer and it is true for the employee.

A product or service without value won’t be very successful with sales.

Employees who see little value in what they are creating will resort to only working for the paycheck. Disrespected, neglected, or driven by fear, the only value they may find is in the money that helps them provide for their way of life.

Their focus is the paycheck.

Is that reasonable?

Reasonable Work

The equation is simple really.

A connection with purpose creates engagement.

On either side, a product or service without a connection to purpose won’t get noticed. It won’t sell or scale, and most of all, the people behind the behind the production could really care less.

Producing reasonable work, work with reason, is the key for building a sustainable workplace culture.

If it doesn’t work, it won’t matter.

-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.

17
Feb 21
-

Team Culture, How Are You Involved?

Tags : culture leadership organizational culture workplace culture

What happens inside the organization? Not what is the public perception, what is the internal vibe? The climate inside develops from team culture.

The team has arrival times, break times, or perhaps different, they skip breaks and look busy at all costs.

There might also be the language of the culture. Words chosen, repeated, and inside jokes about behavioral aspects of the people. What gets the boss fired up, who are the weirdos, and who will never go anywhere within the company.

You can’t rule out the price of admission. Joining the culture has a price. It has a predetermined minimum requirement. In some cases it is an education requirement, a box checked, or a resume that illustrates years of experience.

Joining is about adoption of the culture, yet each person contributes. Some for, and some against.

The culture is about what people within the organization do. It’s behavioral and it’s published.

Team Culture

Newbies join, others exit. The newbie doesn’t really bring in many outside ideas, their job is to conform and adapt.

This is how it’s done around here.

You’re not paid to think, you’re paid to work.

Don’t make waves, no one around here really cares.

The CEO is often asked about culture, or voices an opinion of how it should change.

Culture develops from stories told, yet at the same time is unlikely to be defined by a single story represented as a future forecast.

Shaping culture isn’t a task. It’s not a job duty.

Culture is created by the people. People in agreeance, people in dissonance. All aspects of social interactions are inclusive. The people decide. Knowingly or unknowingly, they’re involved.

All-Inclusive

The best way to examine the culture is to understand the focal points.

Are the focal points based on clock watchers? Is it the language that seems to take center stage? Does quality matter and how well respected is the employee population or the customer base?

Every business or organization is going to get more of what they focus on. Focus develops from messaging and observable behaviors.

People are part of everything that defines the culture.

You are involved.

One way or 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.

29
Jan 21
-

Old Photos, Bicycles, and Workplace Culture

Tags : efficiency history nostalgia workplace culture

Do old photos catch your eye? Are you a bicycle enthusiast? How could this possibly have anything to do with workplace culture?

Old photos are often cherished. A family portrait, an old black and white picture album, or even a photo of someone completely unknown. There is imagination, a story we tell ourselves, and some wonder of what it must have been like.

It’s a piece of history.

The roots of the modern bicycle date back to 1817. It was a means of transportation, less energy to get people farther, faster.

Then it was motorized in the late 1800s and very early 1900s. Once motorized there was no need to peddle. Comfort improved, so did speed.

The evolution took us from walking to leisurely rides by the 1920s and ’30s, and as the decades rolled forward there were even more improvements.

An invention that once served a purpose for low-cost transportation, became leisurely and sophisticated.

Today people ride bicycles mostly for exercise or sport.

What do old photos and bicycles have to do with workplace culture?

Old Photos and Bicycles are Culture

Culture is built on values and beliefs. It’s part of the language, the brand, and what people see.

Within any culture, the story is both real and imagined. Often there is innovation and redesign. Enhancements are welcomed to reduce effort and produce more of the same across a shorter period of time.

Most of all, there is history.

Metaphorically every workplace has an old photo. A story and imagination of how it once worked. It provides meaning, symbols, and stimulates espoused values.

Every workplace metaphorically has a bicycle. Something that was built and changed everything, effort improved, more done with less energy. Yet remnants of the bicycle often remain or are brought back, even if only for the art or the exercise.

Old photos and bicycles exist in every workplace culture.

What is your old photo or bicycle?

Should they stay or go, at least for right now?

-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.

14
Jan 21
-

Problem Solution Is a Choice You Make

Tags : conflict contributor positive workplace culture

Are you searching for the problem solution or are you a contributor? When it comes to human interaction in the workplace you have a choice.

While conflict is a normal part of people working together it is how you manage conflict that has the most impact.

Everyone entering the workplace, every day has a set of values and beliefs. They have aspects of their workday that serve to energize or else derail performance. Everything from personal drama to what you are wearing could spark negative emotions.

Largely it all circles back to workplace culture. Culture starts with leadership. It is especially present in communication and the established values and beliefs.

Culture is not really about the furniture and fixtures. It is not about the lighting or the color of the walls. These are more part of the environment than they are culture.

What is the nature of addressing differences in your workplace? What role do you play?

Problem Solution

It may sometimes feel like someone is out to take away your energy. You feel singled out, profiled, and placed in a frame. Your values and beliefs are disregarded, placed in a box, and shelved.

The most important thing to remember is why you are there. Everyone has job responsibilities and it is best to stay focused on the expectations of your role.

Unless you are employed in a political job, or in a news media organization, your job is probably not about politics. Similar comparisons are true for religion or even family values and traditions.

Each person’s day is filled with moments. The day is also filled with decisions. When the tension is high and it feels like someone is attempting to sabotage your experience you have a choice.

Your attitude towards what happens next starts with a decision. Will you further ignite the problem or are you interested in being part of the solution?

Having a goal of being a part of the solution starts with a focus on creating and exploring possibilities. When you are working towards making things better there is much less room for making things worse.

-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
Dec 20
-

Shared Reality Is a Good Place To Start

Tags : complaining reality team victim workplace culture

Most workplaces quickly realize that their continuance is based on a shared reality. In your team, does everyone understand this concept?

It’s often easier and feels more trusting to keep the focus more individualized. It also appears as somewhat selfish.

People often talk about the simple concept of win-win. Yet in reality, many team members are only focused on a stand-alone win. The stand-alone win is problematic for the team because it isn’t about the team. It is about every person for themself.

In low trust environments, gossip is sure to ensue. Along with gossip often comes blaming and complaining.

Being your own advocate is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, sometimes it is the only way to survive a difficult situation. At the same time, does this course of action imply negligence to an otherwise shared reality?

Shared Reality

The person proclaiming to be the victim is not always the only victim. The frequent complainer and blamer is not the only person affected. Outcomes of what happens next are shared when everyone is in it together.

Insisting that you are being singled out for schedule changes, forced overtime requirements, or curt conversations with the boss is probably unlikely.

Victimhood and chronic whining may work initially but the long-term consequences are not desirable.

Better is finding a way to work together to improve flaws in the process.

Complaining, blaming, and whining do little to solve a problem. They largely only prolong a festering of the symptoms.

In a team, everyone is involved. It’s a shared reality, or it isn’t a team.

-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
Jan 20
-

Winning Vision for the Work You Do

Tags : ethics integrity leadership vision workplace culture

Nearly everyone believes they have a winning vision. Except for those who willingly admit that they really don’t have a vision at all.

Organizational or career vision often comes in two distinct flavors. Short-term or long-term. Sure, there are variants of either and some visionary behaviors may exist somewhere in the middle.

What is your vision and is it winning?

Short-term vision

On the short-term side people strive to win at all costs and do it as quickly as possible.

They’re often looking for the shortcut, the corners to cut, and the fast track. This angle exists, sometimes, but it also has residues or side effects from the behavior that drives it. Often, it is analyzed (or scrutinized) through the continuum of ethics.

More pressure driven by short-term goals or immediate gratification push people towards the high-risk side of ethical behavior. Trust is tested or harmed and the underground climate often appears more corrupt than it does transparent.

Long-term Vision

The other side of course, is a longer-term path. This path also recognizes the constraints of time, but on this path, time is viewed as more of an asset than it is an expense.

This scenario often wins because it is more patient and calculated with less irresponsible risk. Urgency is as much about doing things right as it as about how long it takes.

This climate is typically well respected and is tastefully seasoned with integrity.

Winning Vision

Fifty-two sprints are not equal to a marathon. The thought may be, what we can do fast must be better than what we can endure.

It’s unlikely.

The vision you have for your career, your team, or the entire organization will have outcomes based on the cultural aspects created by leadership.

How do you apply cultural values to your vision?

You can lead. There is still room for more leadership.

-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
Oct 19
-

People Centered Approaches Build Better Culture

Tags : organizational culture people centered psychology of work workplace culture

What is the best leadership style? Will a people centered style will outshine other approaches?

The contrasting views of leading are enormous. I am sometimes amazed at the pockets of people and businesses that are struggling with organizational culture.

The struggle is often that so-called leaders, self-proclaimed leaders, inspire a culture focused more on self than the people within the workplace community.

Sometimes it is about the question connected with the golden rule. Do we treat others as we would like to be treated? That’s the rule, right?

A better question is, should we treat others as they would like to be treated?

It’s a rub, I know. Yet, how should workplace leaders navigate our socially challenging times? A time, when it often seems like argument is the only path for communication.

The answer not only connects to the psychology of work, it connects to the fundamentals of the leadership approach.

People Centered

Today, people centered approaches are building positive cultures. In contrast, self-centered leadership approaches build an environment of us against them.

The struggling organizational culture attempts to accomplish their goals through push. Push is a short run game.

The cultures that will survive the storm are more pull oriented. Create a compelling reason for why and we’ll follow.

People centered approaches create community. They create a belonging. People want to join and be a part of what is happening. Loyalty is easy. Retention numbers are favorable.

Don’t confuse bright lights and freshly painted break rooms as a shift in culture. Sure, a good environment matters, but environment is not the same as the culture. People will work in a dungeon if they feel that there is something there worth working for.

People centered is not self-centered.

-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
Oct 19
-

Cultural Deception and Why You Still Have a Chance

Tags : leadership low unemployment organizational culture workplace culture

We often try to find a place to put the blame. It’s the economy, it is low unemployment numbers, or it is the younger generations. Cultural deception is problematic and it may be part of your struggle.

It is easy to agree with or make assumptions that are consistent with what we wish is the truth. The danger of false perception and self-deception are problematic. In some cases, the more experienced we get the more these issues raise their head.

Here is a newsflash. In a strong economy with low unemployment numbers the best employees are going with the best employers.

Cultural Deception

Does a strong economy with low unemployment numbers impact businesses and organizations? Yes, of course, yet consider that the people are working somewhere. Why aren’t they working with you?

Many people then shift the conversation to pay, benefits, and flexible work schedules. Again, these situations are a reality, and how does your organization measure up?

Have you ever have discussed the aspect of, “paycheck only” employees? Those people who only come to work for their paycheck?

Certainly, money matters and it is important, but if your employees seem to be in this category you have a problem.

There is a simple truth. When employees don’t feel that the organization cares about them, they in turn don’t care about the organization.

Why You Have a Chance

Your opportunity is to see culture through a different lens. Gain understanding and wisdom about the psychology of work. Manage to the metric that employees are an asset, not an expense.

When you hire a person to do the work of a robot and expect that you can coerce the employee to commit to the organization you are likely wrong.

If you hire an employee to pack the box with widgets for eight hours a day and go home only to come back tomorrow and do it all over again, you hired a robot. Hire that same employee and invite them to help you find a better way, and you just hired an engineer.

Which culture will create more loyalty?

You have a chance. The question is, “Will you take it?”

-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.

Tag Archives: workplace culture

Oct 21

Webinar: Creating a Motivational Climate

Jun 21

-

Everyone Wants

Golden Rule

Mar 21

-

What’s the Purpose?

Why Care?

Reasonable Work

Feb 21

-

Team Culture

All-Inclusive

Jan 21

-

Old Photos and Bicycles are Culture

Jan 21

-

Problem Solution

Dec 20

-

Shared Reality

Jan 20

-

Short-term vision

Long-term Vision

Winning Vision

Oct 19

-

People Centered

Oct 19

-

Cultural Deception

Why You Have a Chance

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