doug smith training

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

Can you think your way to success? Is positive thinking enough. Optimism is great, but you've got to mix in plenty of action to achieve your goals. You've got to do something. As a chronic thinker, I am sometimes prone to procrastinating on what matters most. That's not a good idea and I do not recommend it. I've learned that even if the first halting steps are incorrect, some motion is better than stasis.  But thinking about success helps. It can get you unstuck. It can fill you with optimism. And that I do recommend. Thinking about success usually comes before achieving it. Just do something, too. -- doug smith

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

Feeling stuck? Open up. Quicken your pace. Get bold. Set a goal that gets you going. A bold goal prods action. Why wait? -- doug smith

Do you tell people about your goals? When you do, it helps you clarify what you want. It also builds in a bit of accountability. If I tell my best friend about a goal, she is definitely going to check up on me to see how that's going. I'd better get it done. If I am hesitant to tell her about a goal, it could mean that I'm not yet taking that goal seriously. Or, maybe it's not yet clear what the goal should be. Take your time enough to get your goal right. If you catch yourself changing your goal when you tell people about it you should probably change your goal. You might as well work on what is important to you. -- 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

Situations, processes, designs, conditions, relationships -- so much up for grabs. Working together to solve a problem fixes far more than just the problem. Why not work together? -- doug smith

Are your goals worth your time? Find a goal that makes you tingle with anticipation. That's the kind of goal that's worth your time. -- doug smith

Do you get stuff done? At the end of the day, isn't that what leaders are paid to do? Oh sure, to do that means you must communicate effectively, build cohesive teams, solve problems, and improve performance. That's all part of the job. But mainly the job of leadership is to get stuff done.  High performance leaders find reasons, and ways, to get things done. How are you doing? -- doug smith

It's not easy for me to admit when I'm wrong. It's even harder if I don't see that I am, yet somehow...later on, my perspective shifts and I see what the other person must have been seeing differently. That's one reason I've learned to pause before defending a message. I'm still working on it. We usually do have a moment to pause and think thru our response. What if you are wrong?  When we are wrong and we admit it, we can usually recover the damage that might have been done. We can, with dignity and respect, restore the relationship to what it was before we said what was wrong. It's a big if, it's a might if, and it's an if worth considering. It hurts to admit you're wrong, yet when you're wrong it hurts more NOT to. -- doug smith

When faced with a series of choices, how do you decide? Do you allow your goals to provide you with a sense of direction?  Well-written, strongly considered goals do not waste your time - they save you valuable decision-making moments by fixing your direction. Faced with a dozen doors, any one of which could be (and would be) fascinating, you choose the door in the direction of your goal.  That's why it's so important to take your time about your goals. To head consistently in the right direction, to make the best choices, let your goals be your guide. The most powerful goals are nonnegotiable. The time to negotiate your goals is before you commit to them. Once the commitment is there, act relentlessly on your goal.  -- 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