doug smith training

How big of a deal is stress in your life? We all endure a certain amount of stress. Depending on what's going on in your work and in your life, you may be going thru more stress than you want. Not all stress is bad (setting an ambitious goal, for example, adds a kind of good stress) but too much stress can slow you down. How much of your stress are you choosing? Certainly, not all of your stress, but could you admit that some of it is the result of you doing too much worrying, or waiting too long to work on that big goal, or taking what the boss said too personally, or procrastinating when you knew the deadline was going to be tough? You know as well as anyone else the answer to what to do about the stress you cause yourself: let it go. Stop it. Relax, breathe, focus, and then get to work. When we do that, when we control the stress that we can control, when we choose "no" to a piece of self-selected stress, it makes handling the tough unchosen stress much, much e

Our limitations are meant to spark our grown. -- Doug Smith

Memorizing your goals will help you achieve them. Too obvious to mention? Maybe. But what if you're working on some goals right now that you can't remember? That makes it tough to get any traction, doesn't it? We all do it sometimes. It's another obstacle to achieving those goals that need not exist. Memorize your goals. Those that you don't remember might not belong on your list. -- Doug Smith

A goal that is too long to remember can feel too complicated to complete. -- Doug Smith

Your team's mission should determine what kind of team you build. -- Doug Smith

Successful supervisors set high performance standards and collaborate on accountability. -- Doug Smith

Communicating effectively is a skill AND a choice. The skill takes practice and training. The choice takes intention based on values and character. We aren't born gifted communicators -- we develop or not. How are you developing your communication skills? -- Doug Smith

What do the people on your project teams get out of working on your project teams? I'm not talking about money. I mean attention, growth, opportunity. Are you making your projects the coolest possible things your people could be working on? Do they look forward to each meeting, each task, each opportunity? Is each project encounter a new creative possibility? What are you offering your project teams that they can't get anywhere else? Elevate your project teams by increasing the level of creativity. Try new things. Value new ideas. Get wild and crazy in your brainstorms.  When you find that and deliver, your teams will do whatever it takes to complete the project. Isn't that what you want? -- Doug Smith

How do you begin a project? Are your goals clear? Is the goal of the project an ART goal (action word, results, time)? Have you involved the right people? Getting a project started correctly is critical to its success. A slow start or a poor start or an uncertain start will hobble your project from the very, well, start. Launch your project with enthusiasm by getting it started with these key components: - An ART goal - A group of people who are interested in the ART goal - A real problem that your ART goal solves - Focus, dedication, commitment, and creativity What else would you include? -- Doug Smith Bring our workshop "Creative Project Management" to your location to get your projects started right.

Your goals are your guideposts. Pick well, work hard, keep going. -- Doug Smith

Do you ever feel like you're doing it all? There is no end to how much work is available for a front line supervisor. The temptation is to do everything you can to make sure that all the work gets done, even if you do it yourself. It doesn't have to be that way. Share the love. Share the work. Match meaningful work to people who will enjoy it. Delegate everyday. Successful supervisors share responsibility. -- Doug Smith

Shorter goals equal faster results. -- Doug Smith