High Performance Leadership

Has a problem got you where you live? Are you married to it? I don't mean that your problem is your actual spouse. Geez. Get over that and build your relationship if you think that's the problem. (yeah, me too). What I do mean is that sometimes we tend to fall in love with a problem. It starts to get comfortable. It becomes the way things are. It cozies up to us all friendly-like and acts like it belongs and before we know it we almost (I did say ALMOST) enjoy having it around. We take comfort in the familiar. It's that sense of recognition that shuts off that troublesome need to think. But that's not what we want. That's not who we are. We can do better. It's hard to solve a problem you're in love with. So take a good hard, analytical look at that problem. Maybe it's NOT something you want to live with. Maybe it IS something that you want to solve. Why not get started solving that problem today? -- Douglas Brent Smith Learn more about ou...

Did you ever notice that companies often cut managers but seldom cut supervisors? Makes you wonder just how important that supervisory job is, doesn't it? As often as it can feel challenging, there is much to be thankful for about being a supervisor. Everyday is a new opportunity. Every team member is a new sign of unlimited potential. Every customer is a chance to make a difference in the world. Take pride in being a supervisor. Your organization, your customers, and your people need you. -- Douglas Brent Smith

Think about it. So much of what happens to us in life depends on how we react to it. If you're like me, you've occasionally (well, OK, more often than I'd like to admit) gotten angry at things you had no control over. I've even been known to shout at a football game and throw a pillow. Wow. Dangerous, eh? But unless that anger can be channeled into energy to do something (say for instance I was actually on the football field and could TACKLE an opponent) it's not doing us much good. It's not doing us any good. So why not make a better choice? When something in life disappoints us, do we need to get unhappy? Will that change things? I also admit to getting upset when things don't go my way. Did that improve the situation? Of course not. There are better choices available. So this week, facing deadlines and new living arrangements and travel delays and irate relatives (OK, my mom is mad at me again...) I will choose happiness instead. Puppies and k...

Do people interrupt your work on your own goals because they want you to work on theirs? How do you get back on track? How to you keep your focus on your own goals? People mean well. It's a good thing that their goals are important to them. And, in many cases we find the time to help them with their goals and sometimes they reciprocate. That's healthy. What's a problem is getting so pulled into someone else's situation that your own goals go untended. That does not lead to success or happiness. Here are some ways to keep your focus on your own goals: 1. Schedule time to work on them. Keep that time inviolate. When people interrupt, let them know when you will be available and not until then. 2. Post your goals so that others can see what you're working on. If you've written them skillfully enough, other people may interrupt so that they can work on YOUR goals. 3. Find an isolated placed to work on your goals (I'm doing that right now to avoid i...

I tend to overplan. Maybe it's from my years of working in insurance and doing my best to reduce every possible risk. Maybe it's from being analytical. Planning pulls me in. It's better to put things in motion. It's better to put some action into my action plan. It's better to get things done. Plan a little, yes -- but then DO a lot. -- Douglas Brent Smith

Have you ever noticed a business that seems to be the last to notice their own problem? Customers notice, but the problem persists. It lasts so long that it doesn't seem like the business even knows about it. But they should. It's the long line that never gets shorter -- or that always gets long at the same time. It's the product that always runs out just when sales are picking up. It's parking lot with no more spaces so customers drive in and then drive away (without buying anything). Just because you don't see a problem doesn't mean your customers don't either.  They do notice. And it might just be chasing them away. -- Douglas Brent Smith Why not bring our Solving Problems  workshop to your organization and get some of those nasty problems out of the way?

I once worked with a leader who said that he and his team lived "in the land of no excuses." It stuck with me. It shed light on the heart of many problems, which is people refusing to face up to their responsibilities. It feels easier sometimes to avoid accountability, but all it does is delay the inevitable show-down with the truth. Why not skip that unconvincing dance step? Why not take ownership from the start? Why not live in the land of no-excuses? How many fewer problems would you have if you eliminated excuses? Yours, and others? My guess is that most of your problems would melt away in the heat of truth and responsibity. How would you like that? -- Douglas Brent Smith Contact me today to see if your organization qualifies for a special rate session of Solving Problems: Creating the Collaborative Space for Success . info@frontrangeleadership.com