doug smith training

How do you feel when someone hides the truth? I've worked in organizations that had upper management who, well, kept secrets. They knew about major moves. They planned major changes. But, they didn't tell us what was going on. The truth can rattle your feelings, but how can you deal with it if you don't know it. Successful supervisors know that their team members need to know the truth. What to expect. Hiding the truth is temporary at best, because the truth will always bubble to the top. It will always emerge. Why not bring it out sooner, with integrity, honesty, and grace? A hidden truth is not very helpful. Real truth sees the light of day in time to shine value on the people involved. Go for the value. Shine your light of truth. -- Doug Smith

What's wrong with performance evaluations? Evaluation. We are all constantly evaluated. Judged. Scored. There are surveys after nearly every transaction. On the phone, online, even in person -- people ask for your feedback but hope against hope it's all good -- 5's on a scale of 5 or 10's on a scale of 10. Why? Because none of us enjoy being judged. Yet, we all make mistakes. None of us are perfect. We all carry around our broken pieces. We might even have moved on from those broken pieces and changed enough to avoid repeating mistakes. We do learn how to make customers pleased. We do learn how to provide our boss with what she most wants. The broken pieces remain. Judging us for them does not fix them. Judgement does not fix the broken pieces. Time, growth, compassion, and learning fix the broken pieces. Healing takes time and care. Judgment gets in the way. Send your inner judge out of the room for an hour. You'll be finally free. Yes, you do nee...

One of my favorite quotes comes from Susan Scott and her essential book, "Fierce Conversations" when she says "let silence do the heavy lifting." So often we are uncomfortable by silence. We feel the need to fill the silence with something, anything. Silence is a valid response. Big work can happen during that silence. Higher quality thinking can be encouraged, nurtured, and born during meaningful, patient silence. I work to be silent when my words would wound another. Instead of blurting out that response, I work on the pause. Silence. Instead of getting even with a better dig, a sarcastic reply, I work on the breathing. The pause. The silence. Pause. See what happens. Let that happen. Breathe. Silence is a valid, useful, rich response. Honor that silence. -- Doug Smith

Do you remember your first day as a supervisor? How many questions did you get? It seemed to me that the questions were endless. Little questions about technical details that were easy to answer, and big questions about vacation time and doctor appointment time that required some thought. Hundreds of questions. If you knew how many questions you were going to receive you might have asked to be paid piece work: by the question. But, do supervisors need to have all the answers? Some answers, yes. Important answers, yes. But one of the biggest lessons I learned early on as a first time supervisor was this: anyone could ask any question -- as long as they also had an answer in mind. It might not be the right answer. It might not be my preferred answer. It might not even be an answer I would immediately approve. But by coming to the boss with a question AND an answer, it was often much easier for a team member to get what they really wanted. And guess what? Eventually, they d...

How does your team handle change? Front line supervisors sometimes run into frustration implementing change. People resist. People forget. People may fail to change in the direction they need to change. As a leader, you can help. Provide all the information that people need to embrace the change. Train on any new processes, new procedures, new skills, and yes -- even new attitudes that you want. The courage to change is both developed and earned. Find ways to earn that change by being the type of supervisor who is both tough and tender. Tough on the tasks, tender on the people. Change requires both. Show your leadership courage, with the compassion it takes to stay patient, and watch that change appear. What change are you working on today? -- Doug Smith

It's not always easy. It's not always what you'd rather be doing. It just happens to work: Work on your goal even when it's not easy. Especially when it's not easy. What goal are you working on today? -- Doug Smith

What are you afraid of? Everyone who is honest is afraid of something. It could be that performance interview. It could be that presentation. It could be standing up for your team members when your own boss is being unreasonable. We're all anxious about something. Some days, it feels like a whole list of fears. Breathe. Relax. Let it go. The fear is your signal. The fear is your signal that you have a chance to show your commitment, show your passion, show your resolve. And...importantly, to show your courage. Successful supervisors speak and act with courage. Start there. -- Doug Smith Interested in developing your front line leaders? Bring our two-day workshop Supervising for Success to your location and see immediate improvement in your supervisors. Contact: doug@dougsmithtraining.com