doug smith training

  Whenever I feel myself getting defensive, and whenever I catch myself defending a point I haven't even completely thought thru yet, I realize that what I need is to stay curious. Quiet. Open minded. In discovery mode, not defending mode. There's plenty of time to defend later. The impulse to argue is your signal to stay curious. Mine, too. -- doug smith

  Is it annoying when someone brings you a problem? Sometimes they catch us by surprise. Usually, it's in the middle of something else that's already important. There it is, a problem. We could resist. We could avoid. Or, we could engage. It's up to us. Think of someone who brings you a problem as a new collaborator. -- doug smith

  Are you bumping up against tradition? As leaders we are often breaking barriers. We're constantly knocking down walls. Sometimes, we're stepping on toes. We change things because that's what leaders do but it does matter how we change. Are we graceful, or clumsy? Are we considerate, or brutal? Are we deliberate, or chaotic? Change is necessary because it's where growth happens. Doing that change we can forget about or even demolish tradition. "If it mattered we'd keep it," right? It matters. How we handle tradition tells our team how we will eventually handle each and every one of them. What has been placed there before us has been trusted to us. We can improve it, always. Must we ever destroy it? Seldom. Ignore tradition and you'll lose stability.  Lost stability and there's no telling where you'll end up. We can drive change and still honor tradition. That means learning more about both. -- doug smith

How many people have tried to sell you stuff today? Six? Sixteen? Sixty-six? It's a lot, isn't it? Some days it feels as if everything is a sales pitch. Buy this, try that, sign-up for freemium but get ready to pay. It's good for you, it's what you need, it will bring you friends and fun. I know, I know, I know. We're all in sales. I sell stuff, too. I do better if people sign up for my courses. I make more money when customers supplement their learning by buying materials from me. I sell, I sell, so who am I to tell? I get so weary of people trying to sell me things that I almost stop selling things myself. But, I do find myself selling less these days. I'm not criticizing sales. I have a son who is an absolute ace at selling insurance and he does very well, and well -- people DO need insurance. It meets a need. But, we don't think about it, we don't address the need, unless someone tells us about it. Unless someone sells us something. How do we make pe...

  How far afield have you ever gotten distracted?  Have you ever gotten so far distracted that you forgot who you are? Not literally who you are, but rather who you are supposed to be in your work. Your role, your vision, your mission -- your PURPOSE for working. Presumably who you ARE is safely lit in your heart. It's in our work that we can get confused. At least, that's true for me. I've at times taken assorted bunny trails down jobs that were not suited for my purpose. I did them, whether it was as a favor, or out of a desire to serve, or to simply earn some money -- but I could always feel, in those times, a gentle tug telling me "hey, this isn't you..."  Like a small cat patting me on the head when I shouldn't be sleeping. Like a small puppy tugging on my pants leg when I should be outside, moving around...that gentle but irritating feeling that there is better work ahead, but what I'm doing is getting in the way. It's easy to do. Life will l...

Do you like tests? I'm not wild about them. I'd rather write a paper than take a test. I'd rather read ten extra books than take a test. I just don't like tests. But...we do need some kind of test to prove that we've learned something. It could be demonstrating the skill, the way that a fire fighter has to be able to demonstrate connecting the hose to the fireplug. The way that a carpenter might have to demonstrate cutting the proper length of wood. It might be the way a pianist must perform a recital after hours and hours of practice. You might think you know something completely, but it's not as valuable as it is when people can see the results. You probably haven't truly learned something until someone else sees you do it. Are you learning? Are you practicing? Are you putting that practice to use? -- doug smith

How does it feel to firmly believe that you're right about something, only to discover that, no, you're not? I hate that. Whether it is assuming that one terrific interview means that I've just hired a superstar (sometimes yes, sometimes NO) or assuming that a good kiss starts a great relationship, assumptions have often gotten me in trouble. Assuming that someone (or even a group) agrees with you, just because they don't object. Maybe they do, and maybe they don't. Assuming that customers will buy your product or service because it's just so fabulous. Are you sure? Assuming that you've got it all figured out because of your depth of experience. What about the unexpected? I caution you about all of these assumptions because I've made them all (and more.) I'm not perfect, but I'm learning. Assumptions are risky. Unless we clarify our assumptions we could be deceiving ourselves and not even know it. We wouldn't want that , would we? -- doug smi...

I don't have it all figured out, how about you? Every day there is more to learn. I do my best to anticipate what I'll need to learn next, but some things emerge by surprise. Some things reveal themselves as lessons to be learned right in the middle of the lesson. Sometimes we don't know what we need to learn until we start to learn it. Whats's the answer? Keep learning. -- doug smith

  How is your sense of direction? By that, I mean -- do people know where you are directing them? Are you providing the vision that pulls people toward higher performance?  High performance leaders make the map to their plan extremely clear.  Doubt causes delay. Certainty creates energy. Make your message clear. -- doug smith

Do you stand tough? While high performance leaders must be open to being influenced, we must also know when to stand tough. Temptation can be all too easy. Charismatic foes can be all too manipulative. We need a careful blend of boldness and precision -- of analysis and action. If you are too easily swayed you are easily played. Stop. Breathe. Think. Act. -- doug smith  

Our time on earth is short but our footprints are deep. -- doug smith  

Are you facing any difficult choices? Every time we figure out the choices, the ground shifts and the mood changes. We weigh evidence against evidence, idea against idea, and constantly refresh the goal.  Of course it will change. We're going, changing, shifting creatures, all in search of better ways to do what we already do and new ways to do something better. We have so many choices and we also have so many strategies available to pursue those choices. Is it dog eat dog? Is it one great collective? Is it something else? How do we know when our high ground is high enough? How do we know if our ethical foundation is strong enough to withstand the winds of temptation and opportunity that assail us? We do our best. We keep learning. And we choose wisely. When we can choose love, we can choose wisely. Choose love. -- doug smith