workplace Archives - Page 5 of 14

17
Jan 20
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Beyond Monochrome It’s a Different World

Tags : collaboration conflict monochrome workforce workplace

Do you see everything in black and white? Is the light on or off? Is it day or night? Once we’ve moved beyond monochrome things quickly become much more subjective.

In the mid-1980’s I was a computer programmer. Jokingly, I often ask people to not hold that against me. Largely, I loved my job. In the future, my path became much different.

Much has changed since my monochrome coding days.

Simple as Black and White

Back in the day you wrote code mostly using either Amber or Green monochrome screens.

The ability to understand how to make a single alphabetic character or numeral appear on the screen was a big accomplishment. When you could write code to draw a box on the screen you had highly advanced skills in the audience of most people.

While things seemed more complex, they were actually simpler. Choices were limited and people readily accepted the ability of the technology to do volumes of work previously unable to be accomplished in a timely manner by human personnel.

There wasn’t the argument over which tone of blue you were using. Nobody wanted their picture cleaned up before using it in the software application. Security was only about not giving someone your password. Simple.

Beyond Monochrome

Today it is a lot more complex. Everything is much more subjective.

This change is probably good, yet it is not without controversy. The improvements help bring our World to life, provide more meaning, and add more value.

It all costs. It costs us to learn the important skills of collaboration and conflict management. We have to communicate better, be more efficient and at the same time discover deeper forms of patience.

Opinions are often offered, not out of an attempt to be difficult, but because we have options.

Monochrome feels nice until we experience and appreciate life on the other side.

-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 20
-

Repetitive Workplace Problems and Solving Them

Tags : persistence problem solving risk root cause workplace

Problems always exist. In part, that is why we have supervisors and managers. Are you suffering from repetitive workplace problems?

One aspect of leadership is that sometimes supervisors and managers think that they shouldn’t have any problems. The view is that more advanced roles are the luxurious ones. A place to get comfortable, relax, and enjoy.

In you don’t realize it by now, that is a myth in most organizations.

Repetitive problems probably exist because they are hard to solve.

Hard to Solve

Hard to solve doesn’t mean impossible to solve. It does probably mean that the solutions aren’t obvious, aren’t easy, or require additional risk.

Most problems are quickly addressed through experience or theory. People learn to spot resolutions based on previous similar scenarios. They apply their knowledge and expertise and the problem gets resolved.

We solve lots of problems every day. Sometimes we don’t even realize that we are doing it. Yet, the lingering or repetitive problem nags at us.

Repetitive Workplace Problems

You attend the meeting, intending to solve a problem. The team gets sidetracked, the discussion becomes about obstacles, hurdles, and why things won’t work.

Maybe the problem definition is not clear. Maybe you can’t seem to get to the root cause, or perhaps you need more data or information before applying your expertise.

Don’t procrastinate about the problem. It is likely going to require some risk.

Get to the root cause.

If you don’t solve the problem at the root, it may repeat. When you don’t clearly understand the problem, it may continue.

When you get to the root and are willing to get a little uncomfortable and risky, you may discover a new path to problem resolution.

Otherwise, you may stay stuck.

-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.

13
Jan 20
-

Work Habits Help You Get Ahead

Tags : contributions focus habits workplace

Have you examined your work habits? Not the special things that happen once in a great while, but true habits?

Society is often focused on the shiny object. The person with the highest score, the prettiest face, and the most notable position. Similar to how things often go in our workplace too.

Chasing Shiny Objects

Winners are important, but sometimes the person in the spotlight is not the only person working hard. Discouragement may come to mind when everyone other than the shiny object person gets the spotlight.

It’s important to consider because only a select few get the spotlight, yet the work contributions of the many have substantial impact.

Lots of students play high school sports, only a few go on to professional sports success. There are plenty of engineers, attorneys, and PhD’s, yet only a few may be highly recognized or achieve the headliner of, “Award Winning.”

You don’t have to be a farmer to have a patio garden. You may build a dog house but not be a carpenter. Driving to work every day doesn’t mean you’re ready for the NASCAR circuit.

Work Habits

As the supervisor, manager, or team leader in your workplace you may not get as much bling as the CEO or President. The same is true for every employee. Yet, your contributions every day will matter.

The work you’ll do today and every day across time adds up. It adds up for your career, and it adds up for the success of the business or organization.

Doing what you do matters. Doing it consistently across time matters even more.

When you want to get ahead, achieving the shiny object may not be the best focal point. Recognizing the outcomes from your efforts and contributions across time may be very rewarding, without even without the bling.

See it for yourself.

Help others do the same.

-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
Jan 20
-

Workplace Calamity Should Be Avoided

Tags : calamity focus metrics systems workplace

Smooth sailing is what most people desire. Things are a lot more productive without workplace calamity. Are things going smooth?

I believe it was Franklin D. Roosevelt who said, “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”

Of course, we can find a lot of metaphorical truth in that statement.

Yet, what we typically try to construct are processes and systems to keep things calm.

Many years ago, there was a warehousing and manufacturing buzz term, “just in time.” It is still true today, only today it is often considered a common sense practice.

As an example, just in time inventory helps keep costs lower and efficiencies higher. Having only what you need when you need it makes sense.

In practice it is a system. A design that will keep everything running smooth.

Systems don’t always fit every scenario, but they often work well for operations.

Workplace Calamity

People factors can wreak havoc on systems. Assuming that the decisions, emotions, and experiences of people will fit nicely into a tight system can be a big mistake.

However, having a frame or guideline can still be helpful.

Systems, metrics, and measurements are helpful for keeping many things in check.

One of the biggest benefits to a good system is that it makes things easier. It keeps the sea’s calmer.

When you step outside of the system, and this happens often, it rocks the boat a little bit. The waters are not so calm. Things blow up, get embellished, and often become far more dramatic.

The key then, or so it seems, is to keep the calamity out of our workplace. It won’t be effortless, but it will be worth 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.

09
Jan 20
-

Workplace Impact Requires a Commitment

Tags : commitment human capital impact investment workplace

Are you interested in workplace impact? Not just occupying a place and receiving a check, true impact?

Many businesses measure their bottom line by simply comparing revenues and expenses. They can show you, “Here are our sales and our expenses.”

Simple enough.

Yet simple enough doesn’t define the organization. The culture defines the organization and most culture is developed across time and through commitment.

The new hire wonders if they’ll make it through the first day, then they’re happy about the first week, the first month, and so on. What is their goal? Six months, two years, or are they planning to just go with the flow?

How will the organization measure the employee’s success? Is there a cultural fit, mutual respect, and engagement?

Is this person making an impact? They probably know what they cost.

Impact requires a commitment.

Workplace Impact

Your background and expertise aren’t built in a couple of months. You don’t learn everything required for a high school or college education in six weeks.

When you want to really make an impact, you’re going to have to view it across time. Sure, there will be moments of impact. What led to those moments was the result a longer-term commitment.

Businesses with the best cultures aren’t measuring people by what they cost. People are not an expense. They are an investment.

It brings two words to the front of my mind: Human Capital.

Yet, you can’t just say it. You need to live it.

Daily. Across time.

For the employer and the employee.

-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
Jan 20
-

Workplace Timelines Create Accountability

Tags : accountability priorities timelines workplace

It is often easy to shout out the timeline. Are workplace timelines creating accountability or hindering productivity?

Depending on the work, timelines are either set or contingent upon availability or demand.

Workplace Timelines

Management sometimes sets the timeline. It may be based on historical performance, benchmark data, or even just management expectations.

In other cases, timelines are conditioned by availability or need.

Restaurants are busy during a breakfast, lunch, or dinner hour, but not so much during other times.

Personal tax service businesses have a peak time of the year.

In manufacturing or assembly businesses, efforts often depend on first things first, each step of the process relies on the step before.

In healthcare or firefighting, the timeline may be conditioned by an emergency.

For some businesses the timeline is conditioned by a project specification. Project managers assure the process is happening according to spec.

In all cases, accountability is often a concern. Matrix management or cross-functional teams often leave accountability in the hands of the employee teams.

What makes a difference for accountability?

Driving Accountability

There are two schools of thought.

The first is that management sets all timelines and provides oversight to ensure all responsible parties are held accountable.

Another is that management asks responsible parties to provide the timeline and then provides support and oversight to the process.

Are the timelines reasonable? Will the work be completed on time?

When the responsible party chooses the timeline and everyone agrees that it is reasonable there is little room for excuses.

Perhaps the quality, accuracy, and completeness of the project will depend on who sets the timeline?

-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
Dec 19
-

Processing Through The Change Narrative

Tags : change narrative outcomes pivot workplace

Are things always changing or never changing? We often have a perception of change. Your perception of what is happening is based on your change narrative.

In New York City the turnover of the small business establishment or street vendor in SoHo feels like it is constantly changing. And yet, to the unknowing or uncaring, SoHo is exactly the same as it was twenty years ago.

In rural America, farming and agriculture are arguably rapidly changing because of technology, and yet, the urban visitor sees the fields of corn or wheat as a step back in time.

Change is always about the narrative. The perception that is created by the conversation will stimulate the feeling associated with change.

Never changing or always changing is relevant to those existing within that community or system. It is about the narrative.

Your Change Narrative

What is currently happening in your workplace may feel completely different from last quarter, or it may feel exactly the same as five or ten years ago.

It may be better to consider, what image is the communication creating? How are things different today from one year ago, or three?

The speed of change is relative to the feeling about its necessity.

When a business is sold and new ownership takes over everyone is looking for what will change. The anxiety is a form of nervous energy. Quieter, yet hurried.

Quiet because people want to stay low and not attract a lot of attention until it is viewed that attention is important. Hurried because appearing that your contributions aren’t constructive and required is viewed as the first step for losing your spot in the system.

The change narrative surrounds everyone, in every community, workplace, and system. Others may not see it, but is always present.

-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
Dec 19
-

The Workplace Popularity Myth

Tags : best in class career popularity small pond workplace

Do you believe that workplace popularity works? Does popularity really matter?

Connect to one person, in one topical area on Instagram and then heart a post. Next, you’ll be amazed at how many additional people want you to follow them.

Somehow, I’ve become connected with topical areas that really don’t interest me that much. To be honest, I’m not sure how that happened.

In Search of Viral

Popularity seems like a big deal. It is a big deal for going viral. It is the picture, the video, the blog or podcast. Lots of people wanting to go viral.

There are a lot of kids playing football, baseball, or soccer in high school. A subset of those kids go on to play the sport in college. A smaller (much smaller) subset make it to the professional sport. Then a few of this very small set actually get paid really big money.

On a smaller scale the same is true. If you work in a one-hundred-person company you may be able to be one of the top three in sales, or engineering.

Is this a good place to be or should you strive for something much bigger?

Workplace Popularity

In a crowd of one hundred, you may be recognized as a best in class. Are you popular? Yes, maybe.

Things change though when you attend the national conference. Now, you are just another attendee, unrecognized as a best in class.

It seems that in today’s World too much emphasis is being placed on being popular. It is a race to clicks, likes, and recognition. Gaining you what? Popularity?

Only a very few of even the most popular will go on to something bigger.

For your career, or small business venture maybe it is better to stay focused on the smallest viable crowd. A crowd where your efforts and rewards are earned and matter more.

The big fish in the smaller pond.

Growing authentically is more powerful than dubiously.

-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
Dec 19
-

Workplace Curiosity and Why You Should Have More

Tags : curiosity engagement productivity success workplace

Do you have workplace curiosity? Is the culture creative, interesting, and inclusive? Are there good listeners?

Have you ever felt so busy that you completely miss something happening right in front of you? You are concentrating so hard that you don’t even notice?

That could be a very positive and intense level of focus. It could also be a signal that you to dig a little deeper in your patience reserves and pause for long enough to notice.

Work and Curiosity Matter

Businesses are about work. They work to create a product or service that is attractive and compelling to their audience. They may also serve society or do something for the greater good of mankind.

Yet, work is still about work. There is a job to do and it is always measured against time.

Productivity, efficiencies, and profit matter. So does your organizational culture.

Are you genuinely curious about what is happening in your workplace?

Workplace Curiosity

I’m not referring to drama filled destructive behaviors, political views, or what happened last year. I’m referring to curiosity about the work at hand, the difference to be made for the customer, and the things that could improve efficiency while also creating more opportunities.

Some of the best cultures have the most curious listeners. Those that listen with their ears, head, and heart. Hearing is not necessarily listening. Listening needs intellect and it needs heart.

Are you engaged with what is happening around your workplace? Do you listen for understanding and not to refute? Are you appropriately generous with your time?

Workplace curiosity doesn’t kill the cat, it builds the culture.

Be genuinely curious.

-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.

Tag Archives: workplace

Jan 20

-

Simple as Black and White

Beyond Monochrome

Jan 20

-

Hard to Solve

Repetitive Workplace Problems

Jan 20

-

Chasing Shiny Objects

Work Habits

Jan 20

-

Workplace Calamity

Jan 20

-

Workplace Impact

Jan 20

-

Workplace Timelines

Driving Accountability

Dec 19

-

Your Change Narrative

Dec 19

-

In Search of Viral

Workplace Popularity

Dec 19

-

Work and Curiosity Matter

Workplace Curiosity

Dec 19

-

Embracing Technology is Convenient

Convenient Work

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