doug smith training

Some of us like to analyze. Some of us like to act and let someone else analyze. Solving problems takes a balance. The most brilliant analysis producing the most wonderful ideas is all useless until someone acts. Some problems encourage eternal analysis, but that does not mean that eternal analysis is best. Some analysis is best accomplished with action. Think carefully, of course. Act boldly, also of course. -- doug smith 

Goals are important but require action. No matter how much you want a goal, until you start working on it the goals just sits there.  Everyone has goals, but some people haven't committed to them. Some people haven't worked on their goals. What are you doing today to work on at least one great goal? It's not too late. It's never too late. Let's get started! -- doug smith

Sometimes the most powerful question you can ask is "what is my goal on this?" -- doug smith Results can get scattered. Intentions can get confused. When I find myself wondering what's going on, what am I doing, or what others are doing, I pause long enough to ask, "what is my goal on this?" When we know what our goal is we can follow the plan that we have set in order to achieve that goal. We can press on. We can stay relentless. Even when things are so chaotic that they appear to be out of control, we can focus on a goal and take the steps necessary to get back on track. The right goal corrects a lot of wrongs. The right goal gets the job done. What's your goal today? -- doug smith

What could go wrong? When you're working on an important goal, it's worth asking that question. The journey toward achieving that goal could be littered with little problems, big problems, nasty problems. Things come up. What's your risk strategy for dealing with those problems when they do? Do you have a plan B? (which in this case might be another goal, perhaps calibrated a little lower.) Do you have help in the wings ready to rescue you if you need it? Expect problems, because expecting no problems is a problem. Problems come whether you like it or not. -- doug smith

What do you dream about? For years I dreamed about starting my own training company. I yearned to set my own hours and choose my own topics. So I set a goal to do that. Are your goals pointing you in the direction of your dreams? If you complete all of the goals on your list today, would your dreams come true? Possibly not. That's OK. But, are they moving you in that direction? What do you dream about? What occupies your mind? Given three wishes, what would they be? You know how to turn a wish into results: make it a goal. Set an action word, result, and deadline. And then get busy. You do want your dreams to come true, right? -- Doug Smith Are you interested in how to achieve your goals? Contact me about scheduling or attending our next How To Achieve Your Goals webinar.

How are people doing at meeting your expectations on your goals? Once people know my expectations, they do a much better job at meeting them. I've learned not to make anyone into a mind reader, because no one is any good at that. Setting expectations is critical. Communicating those expectations is necessary. Acting on those expectations sets the important example for others to follow. The world responds to action more than expectations. Actions make your intent undeniable. Actions show your resolve. Actions get things done. Action propel others into actions. Act relentlessly on your plan, and your plan will achieve your goals. --  Doug Smith

Have you identified everything that might slow down your progress toward your goal? When it comes to achieving our goals, things that can seem neutral might actually be barriers. Things like a co-worker who doesn't care about our process changes. Things like a set of resources that are more dynamic than reliable. Things like shifting organizational goals. Anything that doesn't contribute to your goal has the potential to slow it down. Do you have a risk strategy for emerging barriers? Should you? -- Doug Smith Front Range Leadership:  High performance leadership training doug smith training:  how to achieve your goals

Does your most important project include a financial business case AND a compelling story? I've noticed that project leaders tend to forget one or the other. You need both. Why? Because half of the world is laser-sharp focused on the financials while the other half cares about the financials but needs a compelling story. A compelling story is the cool reason why you are doing a project. It's the people side. It's the part that when the project is finished makes you and your constituents feel warm and fuzzy. Maybe you're not a warm-and-fuzzy kind of person. I'm not. But, I've learned that the chances of sustaining support and achieving the project goals improves dramatically when the project includes both a business case and a compelling story. The business case shows the financial impact of your project on the organization. It shows how will your project improve your results in any of these areas: Revenue Expenses Customer Happiness Team Member ...

Do you like to keep score? We've got dozens of ways to track our progress on our goals these days. Web and mobile applications for charting our exercise progress, our goals results, our action plans. If it works for you, go for it. I'm a score keeper. Competitive by nature, it takes a bit of an effort to reign that in for the sake of cooperativeness. It's possible, it just takes a conscious effort. Keeping score can get in the way. But, keeping score can also prod me forward. Keeping score let's me know how I am doing in connection with my goals, and in a sense, who I am becoming. We become the result of our goals. Achieving them gets you one result, missing them gets you another. If keeping score motivates you, by all means keep score. What works for you? -- Doug Smith