doug smith training

We grow in the direction of our intensions -- so set your intentions clearly and positively. I can't think of a better alternative, how about you?  -- doug smith

Thirty minutes to talk about your goals, problems, or leadership development. Not therapy. If you need medical, mental, or tax advice please consult a certified professional in one of those fields.

How often do you take time to reflect on what you've learned? Whether it' a debrief after a project, a feedback session after a job, or even a daily check-in to ask yourself "what did you learn today?" taking time to reflect helps us to learn those lessons we need to continue to improve. It's a matter of asking questions, thinking about your response, and considering what to do with what you've learned. What happened that worked for you?  How did you make the best use of your time and energy? What would you do differently next time? What will you do with what you have learned? Reflection gives us direction. Direction gives us cause. Take that pause to find that cause, and keep on learning! --  doug smith What have you learned today?  

Have you ever avoided feedback? Do you know anyone who avoids feedback? Even when we know we benefit from feedback, we'll do our best to avoid that feedback if it hurts. Unkind critical feedback stings so much that we pull away. As leaders, we can fix that. Take the sting out. Make feedback feel useful and kind. Not by coddling or being polly-annish. Not by being toxically positive. By being accurate, unemotional, and kind. By listening first and sharing feedback second.  Lower the temperature, raise the compassion, increase the frequency, and develop a team with a culture of sharing observations and eventually people will embrace the feedback instead of avoiding it. Feedback is fuel for growth. Feedback is best built with trust. -- doug smith

I don't have all the answers. This isn't an absolute, reductionist formula, but it couldn't hurt. It feels like a good way to lead. Ready? Lead with the eagerness of a child and the wisdom of an elder. That's it. I thought about substituting "patience" for "wisdom". Either one (or both) will do. Stay curious. Stay patient. Lead with kindness. What do you think? -- doug smith  

Why would anyone resist solving a problem? As frustrating as that feels, there must be a reason. Even when it is counter-productive. Even when it makes no sense at all -- people will stay stuck in their problems and avoid anything that resembles a solution. Maybe they're sure it will work out on its own (it won't). Or, maybe in a tough case they unknowingly are addicted to their pain, that cycle of bringing up what hurts even though it hurts and eventually even because it hurts. It's familiar. The chemicals do their dance of doom and the darkness feels almost comforting. I'm familiar with that pattern, that rut, that doom. It wasn't judgment that pulled me out. It wasn't force. It wasn't even an intervention. It was slow, steady, patient, loving conversations.  Talk about it. Listen. Empathize.  Some people won't want you to solve a problem. It's worth finding out why. Just imagine the possibilities! -- doug smith  P.S. I'm not a therapist (altho...

  You can stop listening to someone who offends you, but what if that's what they want? Maybe instead, keep listening -- by listening we can still influence. When we stop listening, we're done. -- doug smith

I love famous quotations, but sometimes they are just wrong. They might be out of context. They might be out-dated. What once rang truth now sours with disharmony. What might seem wise could be disguised. I've learned to think it thru. What's really being said? What's really being advised? Does that make sense? Is that wise? Wisdom misinterpreted isn't helpful. What do you think? -- doug smith  

Disagreeing with someone's truth just makes you disagreeable. Better to explore the middle ground. Better to understand where they stand. Much, much better to listen. You might still decide to disagree, but then you'll understand why. -- doug smith  

The problem with perfection is that it's not sustainable. As soon as you get there, the landscape shifts. Standards change. Details emerge that switch everything up. We can get upset about that, but it won't change the inevitable. It's better to flex, to move, to dance with the waves Are your dancing shoes ready? 

Do we have enough time to completely understand everything that we need to change? Of course not. We should understand with clarity what it is that is changing, and especially those things that we cause to change.  But some change is completely new. Some change is game-changing. It's a dance on a wet floor. It's a jam session in twelve-tone jazz. It's a dish off the menu. Exciting, breathless, thrilling, risky, and sometimes scary. Changing something you don't understand will produce results you don't expect. Are you ready for the unexpected? -- doug smith