doug smith training

Why would anyone resist solving a problem? As frustrating as that feels, there must be a reason. Even when it is counter-productive. Even when it makes no sense at all -- people will stay stuck in their problems and avoid anything that resembles a solution. Maybe they're sure it will work out on its own (it won't). Or, maybe in a tough case they unknowingly are addicted to their pain, that cycle of bringing up what hurts even though it hurts and eventually even because it hurts. It's familiar. The chemicals do their dance of doom and the darkness feels almost comforting. I'm familiar with that pattern, that rut, that doom. It wasn't judgment that pulled me out. It wasn't force. It wasn't even an intervention. It was slow, steady, patient, loving conversations.  Talk about it. Listen. Empathize.  Some people won't want you to solve a problem. It's worth finding out why. Just imagine the possibilities! -- doug smith  P.S. I'm not a therapist (altho...

  Every problem contains a promise.  That promise is a solution that leads to improvement, that leads to satisfaction, that leads to success. It's not guaranteed, of course, but the promise is there. Why hide from it? The promise of a problem sparks the seeds of success.  Find the promise, it will pull you toward the solution. -- doug smith

  As a recovering perfectionist, I've tried to make peace with temporary solutions. I do still want everything to be perfect (and to STAY that way) while also learning that even my best ideas are transitional at best. Things will change. I will change. You will change. Our ideas and solutions will also need to change. If we can stop thinking that solutions are final our problems won't seem so troubling. Because whatever we don't solve NOW can still be solved later.  What do you think? -- doug smith

Does it feel like you're collecting problems? One thing leads to another and before you can resolve one issue another pops up?  It's like being in the middle of a movie when you just keep falling deeper into one hole or trap after another. There is usually more than one solution to any problem. If it feels like you're just collecting problems, try collecting solutions instead. You can't have too many solutions, so be generous with your generating. -- doug smith  

Is there a problem on your mind? Has it been bothering you lately? If you're thinking about a problem why not think about solving that problem? It might not be easy. It will be worthwhile. -- doug smith  

  Talking about what you want will do more to solve a problem than talking about what you don't have. Shift the focus and open the door to more than a thousand possibilities. -- doug smith

Solving problems can be challenging, especially when we're not even sure of what we want. How can you know what the solution is supposed to look like when you only focus on the pain of the problem? Get past the pain. Get past the problem. Knowing what you want from a solution is the first step in getting it. Set a clear, honest, noble goal and the rest gets very much easier. -- doug smith

If that problem has been around awhile, if that problem is cagey to the point of making you scratch your head, you might need many solutions. Many ideas. Creative, centered problem solvers stay with the process long enough to develop more solutions that any one problem needs. The gold is deep. Keep digging. -- Doug Smith

Do you enjoy thinking? I do: really deep, sometimes troubling, always exploring thinking about new ideas, new concepts, and ultimate changes. Not all the time (there IS work to be done!) but whenever possible. Those long moments waiting in line at the airport. That time between ordering a meal and having it arrive. Driving across Wyoming or Minnesota. Thinking. It's good for me and I'd like to think it's good for you, too. Think in different ways. Think without judging. Think creatively so that whatever emerges you are open to the difference. Think individually. Think collectively. Think expansively. Think. There are some great answers to be found there. What do you think? -- Doug Smith Front Range Leadership:  Training Supervisors for Success  doug smith training:  how to achieve your goals

Have you ever offered the best possible piece of advice to someone only to see them fail to implement that advice? You knew it was fool-proof. You knew it would work. What were they thinking? What were YOU thinking? I've done that many times. My head can produce lots of creative ideas with the clarity it takes to get right to the heart of someone else's problem. Except, they don't see it that way. They may make a feeble or half-hearted attempt at the solution, but it's not their idea and they don't see how it will work. So it doesn't. Yes, as leaders we do need to coach and counsel and help people to come up with great ideas for solutions. Yes, we do need to collaborate creatively in a centered manner that allows our great thoughts to be heard AND their great thoughts to be appreciated. That's how we get to the agreements that lead to robust, workable, effective solutions. The problem with giving someone else the solution to their problem is that the...