The Positive Choice

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Leadership carries many responsibilities. One of them is the responsibility to improve things. People, products, processes -- none of these are perfect. As leaders, we can help them get better or we can keep them right where they are.

Given a choice why not allow things to get better?

-- doug smith

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Opportunity Uncovered

Life is opportunity. What we believe can uncover -- or cover over that opportunity. What you believe is up to you. -- doug smith

Human Change

Change is hard for some people, whether that means adjusting to change or driving change, the change comes hard. For others, it seems easy because they don't stop to consider what their change initiative will do to others. Either that, or they don't care. That feels easy at first -- push hard enough and your opposition will move. Drive insistently enough and people will toe the line. At first. That degree of change will also spark resistance. It will make enemies, active as well as passive aggressive. The change slips in and then falls apart. That's not what anyone wants. The reality is, if you want to change people, you need to consider those people. Ask them. Work with them. Get them involved and listen to their feedback. It's more work, and it produces more lasting works. One person's disruption strategy is another person's aggravation. Aggravate people enough, and they will find ways to push back. What's your secret to human change? -- doug smith

Healthy Goal Focused Habits

Successful goals are supported by productive habits. Some productive goal-achieving habits include: Working on your goal everyday Scheduling time to work on your goal Breaking your goal down into smaller, easily achieved tasks Telling other people about your goal What other productive habits do you use? -- doug smith

Routine Benefits

Do you have a regular morning routine? Setting a routine that establishes good habits is a great way to continue your grown, energize yourself, and get each day started right. Only you can determine what should be in that routine -- some people are heavy on exercise, others in medication, prayer, or contemplation, others in reading, writing, whatever sets you up for success. It takes discipline to get a healthy routine started. Distractions happen. Once the routine that works for you is in motion though you'll find it easier and easier to stick with. Once you realize that it works, why would you ever stop? You could probably measure this level of success. Plenty of people do. This is a case where the metrics don't matter as much as the intangible results -- clarity, composure, centeredness, even comfort. The comfort of a regular routine is an unquantifiable bliss. What's your morning routine? -- doug smith

In Front

Problems bring pain. Maybe it's physical, or emotional, or logistical-- as long as the problem is there, so is that pain. When we solve the problems in front of us we can put the pain behind us. -- doug smith

The Joy of Small Goals

No one needs to convince you that big goals are important to your success. One of my favorite bosses had an expression she used cheerfully and often: "Go big or go home." Small goals matter, too. They build practice. They build skills. They create great habits that lead to completing your much larger goals. Small goals, once achieved, are great sources of joy. What small goal are you working on today? -- doug smith

Only Goals That Matter

We're all busy. No one can do everything. Creating meaningful goals matters in order to use our time and resources responsibly. Even when the intention is good, a bad goal is a burden. Unless the goal is important, is is worse than unimportant, it is a distraction. You don't need more distractions, do you? -- doug smith

One Kind of Choice

It is not always the answer, but surprisingly often it is: It's easier to hire a motivated worker than it is to motivate an unmotivated one. That's not the end of the story. It could be great hiring advice though. Whatever the technical skills are for people you are interviewing to hire, be sure to ask some questions about motivation that can't be answered with a yes or no. Questions like: When were you the most motivated in your life? What kinds of work motivate you? What's your approach to a work day when for one reason or another you don't feel very motivated? If you had been here for one week, what would we see that shows us how motivated you are? Start there, and follow-up with more questions. Give each candidate time to convince you whether or not they will bring motivation to your organization. You can teach people almost anything, but it's always easier if they are already motivated. -- doug smith

Something Good

You don't always find what you're looking for but if you keep looking you'll find something good. -- doug smith

Strong Self-Esteem

How do the people on your team feel about themselves? How about you? How do you feel about yourself? Self-esteem matters. The way we see ourselves influences the work that we do. If you want healthy, vibrant, vital work from your team, why not make sure that the way that they think about themselves is strong? There are few things stronger than healthy self-esteem. To strengthen self-esteem among your team members: Appreciate good performance by providing specific compliments Spend time talking one-on-one with team members just to let them talk about what interests them Smile The list is longer than that of course, but start with those three things and you'll like the results. And that is good for YOUR self-esteem, isn't it? -- doug smith

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