doug smith training

"Why don't people want to work today?" It's a question I've heard many times. The frustration is real -- it feels harder than ever to find people with a solid work ethic who are willing to do the work it takes to get stuff done. They are there -- but it can be frustrating when we're confronted with people who won't do the job they are paid to do. I like to tell people that I've never had a job that I didn't hate at first but then eventually grow to love. Every single job is tough when we're first learning how to do it. Motivation, behind the monetary reward, is often hard to see. But the rewards are plentiful once you find them. The rewards of working with great people. The joy of finishing what you started. The warmth you get from carefully and completely serving a customer. People who don't seem motivated simply have yet to find the joy in work. Instead of getting frustrated, what if we showed them how much joy the work is already providi...

Have you ever had a great thought that somehow escaped you and never found any traction? It's common for me to think I have a great idea (thinking about the thinking!) and then just letting is fade away like some mist on a foggy day. Where's the motion? Where's the action? Philosophy has to move from the head to the hands to do any good. Do you have commitments? Great! What are you doing about them? -- doug smith  

Have you ever had a leader who felt the need to let you know how stressed they were? "There's all this pressure on financials..." or "it's not easy being in charge..." or "I need you to consider my needs, too..." and so on. Leadership comes with stress. Leaders need to rise above the safe levels of just letting things roll around you. Stepping up comes at a cost of uncertainty. What if that's not a bad thing, but rather a stimulating thing? Your stress ins not your team's problem. They've got stressors and problems of their own. They'll do their best until they learn a better way to do it. They've got time to improve. What they don't have is time to fix your stress. You know who IS in charge of your stress? Of course you do. That's you. -- doug smith

Dear Leaders everywhere: Results matter! Of course. We all know that. Let's remember this, please: People matter more. -- doug smith  

If you've ever been on both sides of the fence, you know the differences all too well. Having been blessed with a long and interesting work life I have spent some of that career as an employee and much of it as a contractor.  When I first started, contracting was less common and the distinctions were clear. Employees were expected to be loyal to the company and contractors had their own agenda: they served their current assignment without any expectation of extended loyalty. Contracting, or gig-working, has become so common that many people within a company will assume that they can expect the same behaviors from a contractor that they would from an employee. Some do everything they can to lock in a gig worker without actually providing any of the benefits of being committed that they have to hire lawyers to ward off lawsuits and organizing. That does not create an engaged workforce. Expecting loyalty from a temporary worker is the silliest of assumptions. You know they aren't...

For most of my career, one organization after another has gone to extremes to "flatten out" the organization. Layer after layer of leadership was stripped away. In theory, this speeded up the decision process. This was meant to take some of the old bureaucracy out of procedures and streamline processes.  Middle manager after middle manager found their careers ended. Years of organizational memory dissolved. Barriers came down, but so did opportunities. What once presented ample opportunities for advancement for many slowly became rare perches for a precious, carefully selected few. Did we go too far?  Is it possible that we have an impression that people care less about career development because there is LESS career development to be had? Should we re-layer our organizations? People are looking for opportunities to rise -- where will they find them? -- doug smith  

What do you need in order to lead? Does it take a title? Authority? Election or selection to be chosen the leader? While all of that helps, it's not what you need most. You don't need permission to lead, but you do need strength of character demonstrated with courage, clarity, creativity, and compassion. Start with a foundation of those core strengths, and the rest will be easier.   -- doug smith

The art of leadership includes knowing when to be sensitive and when to be tough. It could even be a combination of sensitive (caring about the feelings of others) AND tough (standing your ground.) High performance leaders balance sensitivity and toughness to make sure they don't break themselves or anyone else.  -- doug smith  

You've heard it so many times you could be tired of the expression: color outside the lines. I'm all for creativity, but let's face it, boundaries are also important. Sometimes a leader needs to make those boundaries clear and certain and keep things within those boundaries. The art of developing leadership includes some lines we need to color inside.  Knowing what those lines are is part of our job, especially when they change. It can feel like a paradox, but high performance leaders must balance clarity and creativity.  -- doug smith

Have you ever noticed that behavior is contagious? If someone is yelling at you, it's easy to start yelling back. Conversely, if someone smiles at you, it's likely that you'll smile in return. Behavior is contagious. Character thought takes more work and more development. Building the type of character strengths that you want helps you decide what behaviors you'll show. If pettiness is not part of your character, you're less likely to act in a petty manner, no matter how misbehaved someone is around you. You never need to make someone else's character flaws your own. Just build your strengths, remember that no one around you will ever be perfect, and manage your emotions.  How do you manage your emotions? What do you do to keep contagious negative behaviors from infecting you?  -- doug smith

How does your culture handle insults? How about you? When I worked at GE we had an expression for handling insults: "grow feathers." When I first asked what does that mean, it was explained "handle insults like water off a duck's behind. If you're too sensitive, grow more feathers..." I did struggle with that at first. Someone people will come right at you with an insult. How we take that thought is completely up to us. We really can grow more feathers. The advantage is, if people see that they can't upset you, they may stop trying so hard to upset you, and start actually communicating. No matter what they say at first... It's only an insult if you take it personally. And, since it probably has much more to do with how they feel about themselves and what's going on in their own lives, it's better not to take it personally at all.  -- doug smith

Sometimes team come together and sometimes they don't. When as a leader you can build a collaborative, cohesive, cooperative team you'll find your job is not only much easier but also more fun. One great way to bring a team together is to encourage them to solve problems. Introduce a creative problem solving process so that they work together, see the impact of their efforts, and consider the impact of their chosen solutions on others. Solving problems is a great way to engage your team. It takes conversation, understanding, creativity, clarity, courage, and even compassion to work together solving tough problems. Give them the guidance that they need, introduce a useful time tested and field tested process, and then watch the work begin.  -- doug smith