doug smith training

A great person, who used to be a friend of mine, once wrote a song called "Slow Down and Enjoy The View." It was a wonderful song but at the time, neither one of us really had much to slow down from. We had time, we had music, we had friendship, we smiled all of the time. Then we got busy. Life got busy. Work got busy. Does it ever feel to you like you're just too busy? Even in the middle of a crisis, it can feel like there is too much busyness to take care of business.  The other day I was taking a walk and after several minutes realized that I was hardly experiencing the walk at all because I was thinking so intently about work. I physically stopped in my tracks, took a deep breath, and started walking again. It was time to slow down a moment, see what was around me, and breathe again.  Slow down.  When I worked at GE we had an expression, "sometimes you've got to go slow to go fast," and while that meant something slightly different than simply slowing do...

Do you ever ask yourself "what's wrong with that person?" It can be difficult to see why someone else can't just do what we did to succeed -- because they aren't us. Maybe they'll need to do it their way. -- doug smith

A good goal can survive setbacks. Stay relentless on your plan. -- doug smith

Is there something on your mind that you are not talking about? Do you need a conversation with someone but keep avoiding it? It's tough, isn't it? The conversations that feel like the toughest only get tougher the longer they are delayed. Talk about it. Talk about it now. -- doug smith

We are all deeply flawed people constantly choosing between improving or deceiving.  You are not fooled when you improve. No one else is fooled when you don't. -- doug smith

Faked respect is worse than no respect at all. -- doug smith

Have you ever worked for a perfect leader? Me, either. And neither am I a perfect leader. We can't be perfect, yet we can work to be on the work toward perfection. It's a road we'll never finish. I've been blessed to work with many great leaders, none of them perfect. But, some people have not been so lucky. Some people seem to have worked for a long streak of frustrating leaders or bullies. Maybe some of those people are headed for (or already on) your team. The news is good, though. You can greatly influence their future experience, even if you were previously less than what they needed in a boss. It's a new day. It's a new time. You can be a new, improved, effective, attentive, high performance leader. Start today. Be the leader you always wished you had. Someone else is wishing for that, too. -- doug smith

Do you know how powerful your goals are? The best goals spark curiosity, which inspires creativity, expanding possibilities. -- doug smith

A problem might be showing us a new way to see a situation. It could be discordant without being destructive. Some things looks problematic because they're difficult, or unexpected. Centered problem solvers take the time to breathe and to view the problem objectively. What's really going on? How much is situation and how much is perspective. Inquire into what is going on. You might be surprised. -- doug smith

It's tempting. It seems so easy. A little hiding here, a little running there and who would notice? You'd know. You'd feel it. That ache would still be there to solve that problem before it unwinds you. The problem with running from our problems is that they are usually attached. Rather than run, why not solve that problem? -- doug smith Leadership Call to Action: What problem have you been avoiding? Today, do something about it! Things you could do right away: Convert your problem statement into a goal Talk with a friend about it Make an appointment with a professional about it Draw a root cause mind-map to uncover the root cause Silently write a list of one-hundred ways to solve your problem The possibilities are endless. Do something.

What are you afraid of? We're all afraid of something. Some of us are afraid of many things. It makes sense to be afraid when danger threatens your physical or emotional well-being. If your life is in danger, deal with it promptly even if that means running away. Could it be that our fear centers are over-working? Is it possible that we avoid too many things that need a healthy supply of confrontation? High performance leaders confront their fears. They face into the risk knowing that they will grow in the process. It takes practice. It takes building muscles over the years and continuing to learn long after you think you know all the answers. That's just the beginning. Fears are there to warn you AND to challenge you. Can you handle this? Are you ready for this? Are you going to let this turn into an opportunity or a stalling game of keep-away? Challenge your fears, don't worship them. You're bigger than they are. -- doug smith Leadership Call to Ac...

Do you like to dance? Do you skillfully combine the carefully practiced steps that let your partner know where you are going and let you flow effortlessly with other dancers? Do you respond to dancing nuances, new leads, new ideas for leads? It takes more than a life time to master and yet your ability to execute on the physical requirements of the skill and knowledge you acquired diminishes as you age. Is that the end of your dancing? The creative muse can keep its distance, like a stranger dancing with you for the first time, scoping you out. In the more than a life time that it takes to fully actualize your creative muse your physical (and perhaps mental) abilities may slow and degrade but the dance is most decidedly not over. The true dance has just begun. Flow with the one who brought you, go as far as you can with what you still hold and then dig, dig, dig, until you've dug a new way, a new dream, a new way to dance. Build more time, energy, skills, knowledge, d...

Are you in good physical shape? Do you know how it feels when your muscles are strong, exercised, and flexible? Have you felt that way today? You play the major role in determining the fitness of your muscles. Left ignored and under-utilized, the muscles become less effective. Neglected long enough, they can even atrophy. The creative muse likes activity. It conditions, like a muscle, under exercise and nutrition. It responds with ever greater efficiency and effectiveness the more that it is exercised. Have you exercised your creative muscles today? -- doug smith

Keep writing. Keep painting. Keep drawing those wonderful sketches. Keep dancing. Sing every day with your heart ablaze. Keep stoking the fires of your dreams until the light is so bright that you warm others with its glow. Keep on creating, because creativity changes everything. -- doug smith

Where do you look for your own creative muse? It may be there. It may sometimes hit you exactly as you expect or precisely as it has before. It may also surprise you by hiding out in the least likely places -- in your own back yard, at a volunteer community service project, at the local fire station, in your public library, in your local hardware store, on a farm, anywhere and everywhere you can think -- and catch a new spark, a new connection. You can find the creative muse communing with the unexpected. Are you ready? -- doug smith

What are your "office hours" for creativity? Are some times of the day better for you than others? Do you enjoy periods of creative peak activity when you might work creatively for extended hours? That's OK because your creative muse works overtime. No time and a half or shift differential is needed, either. Just keep your focus, keep moving on your creative impulses and your muse will tag along. No questions asked, no explanation necessary, no deposit no return. -- doug smith

Have you ever excused yourself from creating because you weren't in the mood? Have you ever talked yourself out of an important piece of work or creative activity because your mood was all wrong? How did that feel? Did it help or hinder your mood? Creativity likes all moods. The creative muse doesn't care about your mood swings. It won't run and hide from you just because you aren't feeling at your best. The creative muse can help you with that. So what if you're not in the mood to create? Create anyway. Make something. Design something. Paint, play, write, tune, dance, cut-and-paste-something -- just go ahead as if the mood were optimal and guess what? Your mood will mysteriously rise to the occasion. Do something really great -- create! -- doug smith

Corner Office Collage: Corner Office,  (c) 2007 douglas brent smith

Some positive phrases to energize you and your creativity: I can always think of a creative and interesting new idea My creativity makes travel a pleasure Using my creative skills helps me to do a better job People respond favorably to my creativity We all admire creative risks and it's good that I'm courageous My creativity is an always available resource My creativity makes problems easier to solve Today I will develop my creativity Creative Reflections: When was the last time you took a creative approach to a routine situation? How did it turn out? What are your three best creative opportunities for today? What will you do that's fresh and new about them today? What will you do first? -- doug smith

It's In The Water One of my favorite creative outlets is making collages. I've been doing it for as long as I can remember. Most of them are done on 8 1/2 by 11" notebook paper, frequently as a page in a journal. This one, for instance, is page 199 of my journal #39, Creative Play (2006-2007). You can spark your own creativity by making a collage. All you need is a healthy supply of magazines, paper, and your favorite glue (I use good old-fashioned white Elmer's glue.) Allow plenty of time -- it's not unusual for me to take all day on one collage. I find it meditative, relaxing, and inspiring. Many ideas float to the surface once you've smoothed the waters in a calm search for interesting combinations of images. Give it try. -- doug smith