doug smith training

How secret is that secret? Secrets are told when people think that no one is listening. Some one is always listening. That's how secrets get out.  -- doug smith 

I am not good at celebrating, and yet celebrating is motivational. Because of that, I need to PLAN to celebrate or it will pass me right by. That also means that in order to see the plan to celebrate thru, there must be something worth celebrating, which means doing the work to achieve the goal. Your goal is easier to achieve when you make energizing progress and then celebrate it. It's not either or -- it's both and: progress (doing the work) and celebration (rewarding yourself and others for that success.) What do you think? --  doug smith  

It's amazing how many problems stop being problems once we are centered and calm. -- doug smith 

How important is that goal, really? How deeply do you believe in the importance of that goal? It's easy, but silly, for us to fool ourselves. Either the goal REALLY matters or it does not. Design a plan to achieve your goal that is so persuasive you won't be tempted to ignore it. Then do it. Act relentlessly on your plan. -- doug smith  

Take your problems seriously, then take them away. Find out what it is about the problem that is standing in your way. What is it that you really want? What is your goal? Once you convert your problem statement to a goal you've opened the door to a thousand new possibilities. Your answer is in there. -- doug smith  

Do you enjoy success? If that seems like a silly question (Of COURSE I enjoy success!) think about it from another perspective.  Sometimes we can taper down our enjoyment and appreciation of something because we know it's not perfect yet, and how can we be happy if it's not perfect? I do that somethings. It's not helpful. OF COURSE it's not perfect: nothing else and nothing ever will be. There are no perfect people, processes, performances, or plan. If we wait for perfection, we'll just keep waiting (and probably without gaining ground...) Let's do both. Let's enjoy our current level of success and achievement while also working to improve it. Performance must constantly improve, AND we can enjoy our exiting improvements. -- doug smith

If you usually hit your goal you'll usually hit your goal. To do that, to usually hit your goal, get into the habit of hitting your goal. Questions to ask to prepare yourself for achieving your goal include: Do you know why you want to achieve your goal? Do you have everything you need to achieve your goal? How committed are you to achieving your goal? Who do you need help from in order to achieve your goal? What might get in the way of achieving your goal? How will you break your goal down into smaller pieces? How will you measure your progress and results? What will it give you to achieve your goal? We're all so busy. It that goal isn't important enough to answer those questions clearly then maybe it's not important enough to achieve. Pause, breathe, ask, then act. -- doug smith  

Find out what you want and then don't give up on it. Once you are sure, keep knocking on the door. -- doug smith 

How do you react when you meet someone new? They're not new to the world, of course, just to you but that's new enough, isn't it? What if they disagree with you? What if you're on different sides of an issue? What if you don't know? People desire respect. When respect is lacking, we know it right away, don't we? And when we withhold our own respect it stands to reason that others know that right away, too. But if we start with respect -- if we start with the idea that every person we meet has value -- it becomes easier to interact meaningfully and maybe even share common ground. When we connect with respect we dramatically increase our chances of communicating effectively. I'll do my best to practice that today -- how about you? -- doug smith  

  Mourn a loss a little while but not so long that you miss the next opportunity. -- doug smith

  Most leaders can think of team members they'd love to have on their team, but don't. New skill sets, balanced personalities, brilliant innovations...anything more than what we have to begin with. But, what we have to begin with is where we need to begin. A team is build from the pieces you have to start with, not the pieces you wish you had. That's good news because: now you are ready to go. -- doug smith

When a team member leaves your team, whatever the circumstances, do they ever return? Does your team have the ability to learn from the past and rebuild trust in someone who once found it necessary to go somewhere else? Or, do you hold the line on absolutely no returning? It can be awkward to try to return, only to be rebuffed. Things have changed, dynamics have shifted, goals have been revised, maybe even the missed has pivoted. Wherever things are, they are not where you left them. If there is a case for welcoming former team members back, it includes factors like this: Much of the necessary training is already done You have familiarity that helps re-establish trust Once considered valuable enough to be part of the team, maybe that value is still there and could have even grown Reconnecting feels good But it's worth considering the risks as well: Once people leave, you know they might leave again The new status levels have likely lowered any possible social capital the former tea...