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Quality Knows No Age

Old does not always mean outdated. New does not always mean best. Quality knows no age. -- doug smith

Start With a Goal

Don't let a lack of a goal stop you from getting what you want -- set the goal! -- doug smith

Ask Your Team

Energize your problem solving team today, tomorrow, and everyday. Not sure how? Ask them how. They know. -- doug smith

You Can Do It

You can strengthen your self-esteem without anyone's help. -- doug smith Are you waiting for praise? Are you hoping for a great performance evaluation? Have you given any part of your control over your own self-esteem to anyone else? I enjoy hearing good things. I like praise. Positive feedback is awesome. But do we need to wait for it? I don't think so. It's great when it comes, but the surest way to keep your self-esteem healthy is to know what you stand for and work toward that position. The best way to be happy about what you do is to do work that matters, to do work that makes things better for other people, to find joy in serving. It's almost amazing, but what builds us up the most is taking care of other people. Great leaders are in charge. Greater leaders are in charge and serving, at the same time. What a great way to build your own self esteem. You can do it. It's up to you. -- doug smith

Darn Lies

Lies lead to lies and there lies the problem. Clarity is the solution. We tolerate, we generate, too many darn lies. What are we afraid of with truth? Why do we try to deceive one another? Lies, lies, lies. A lie opens the door to air the truth, if we can spot the lie. We can always spot the lie. It's not like they are so hard to find. Besides being everywhere, they are usually painfully obvious. Let's lean  on the truth instead. The cold, hard, honest truth. If the truth isn't kind, there is more truth to find. Keep looking. Keep telling the truth. -- doug smith

Actions Matter

Be careful of letting good intentions create bad problems. Actions matter. -- doug smith

What's Your Goal?

Sometimes the most powerful question you can ask is "what is my goal on this?" -- doug smith Results can get scattered. Intentions can get confused. When I find myself wondering what's going on, what am I doing, or what others are doing, I pause long enough to ask, "what is my goal on this?" When we know what our goal is we can follow the plan that we have set in order to achieve that goal. We can press on. We can stay relentless. Even when things are so chaotic that they appear to be out of control, we can focus on a goal and take the steps necessary to get back on track. The right goal corrects a lot of wrongs. The right goal gets the job done. What's your goal today? -- doug smith

Dignified Goal Achievement

How you achieve a goal is as important as achieving it. -- doug smith I don't believe in achieving a goal at any cost. While goals are important, our character matters more. How we treat people in the process of working on our goals matters. It's not a winner-take-all contest because when that IS the case there are eventually no winners. Instead, it is a win and share the winning choice that provides the most traction and the best results. If you want positive results, use positive standards. People will eventually learn to treat you the way that you treat them -- noble or not. Stay noble. Stay ethical. Stay truthful. Temptation has no place in achieving goals. Abuse, cheating, taking advantage of others -- no of this belongs in the portfolio of a high performance leader. Lead effectively. Achieve your goals. And use processes that treat people with dignity and respect. Think of it as dignified goal achievement. Your character remains strong and your reputation r

You've Changed

Do you ever get nostalgic? Do you ever wish that you could do something the way you once did, or be that person again? Guess what? You can't. I can't. (and while I miss that 1966 Impala Supersport I once had, I don't think I miss the pants I was wearing back then...) We can never be who we used to be. We have to keep growing. We have to keep learning. And, when we set new goals and head for new horizons, who we used to be matters a whole lot let than who we are becoming. Who are you becoming? -- doug smith

Find the Fun In Your Goal

Energize your team by keeping your goal both challenging and fun. -- doug smith

Design Your Plan

The only unachievable goal is the one without a plan. -- doug smith

Reframe Your Problem As a Goal

A problem turned into a goal is already headed for a solution. -- doug smith