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Turning Potential Into Results

When our self-talk comes out of another’s mouth

By Camille Smith / September 9, 2017

Channel surfing on Sunday, I stumbled upon the show “Off Camera with Sam Jones”.  Off Camera is hosted by director/photographer Sam Jones who created the show out of his passion for the long form conversational interview, and as a way to share his conversations with a myriad of artists, actors, musicians, directors, skateboarders, photographers, and writers…

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Lions and Tigers and Liars, Oh My!

By Camille Smith / July 30, 2017

We’ve been lying as long as we’ve had language. Research shows that a child’s ability to bend the truth is a developmental milestone, much like walking and talking.  While our noses don’t grow like Pinocchio’s when we lie, research shows a person’s nose can “heat up” when they lie. Liars populate our literature (Gatsby; Lady…

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Accountability Knots

By Camille Smith / January 20, 2017

In Part 1 of this 3-part series, I offered a climbing analogy for leading yourself with your commitments, your “why’s”, and I promised to share the calls-and-responses between climber and belayer that exemplify support through accountability and how to translate them into team success. Read on!  (That’s me in blue jacket, belaying niece Caity.) In…

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Learn to Interrupt (yourself, not others)

By Camille Smith / August 30, 2016

Before last month, if you would have asked me if I was a good listener, I would have quickly and assuredly said “Yes.”  Now, my response is, “I’m learning to be a better one.”  Why the change? I’ve been engaged in dialogues, the art of listening. Dialogue is the discipline of collective learning and inquiry.…

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The Canary in Leadership’s No Man’s Land

By Camille Smith / June 7, 2016

Last week I learned I was wrong about something I was absolutely, bet-you-$100-sure about.  In my 40 years of playing tennis, I was sure “No Man’s Land” on the tennis court was located just inside the baseline and extended through about half of the service box. It’s called “No Man’s Land” because if a player…

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Cubicle Concussions

By Camille Smith / April 7, 2016

Remember connecting the dots as a kid and seeing the squirrel emerge?   As kids, we had to move our crayon from 1 to 2 to 3 because we couldn’t imagine what the picture was going to be. With more experience, we could “see” the picture without drawing any line.  It’s time to connect the dots…

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What Washington Politics can teach us about Office Politics

By Camille Smith / February 4, 2016

Both networking experts and relationship gurus tell us the same thing: If you want to develop a relationship that lasts, don’t begin it by discussing religion or politics. Why? The topics are too emotion-laden, too side-taking, too side-making, too divisive.  This conventional wisdom advises us to steer clear of discussing either topic at work. It’s…

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Leaders Come From All Parts of the Orchard

By Camille Smith / August 20, 2015

People who want to be leaders often ask me: “Do I have the right personality to lead?” My answer: There’s no personality type that designates someone a leader. This doesn’t mean you ignore your personality, preferences and foibles. It means you become aware of them so you can lead yourself first, then others. To gain…

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Stop Putting up with the Glare

By Camille Smith / July 7, 2015

Client story: An employee wanted to move to another workspace because the extreme glare on her desk made it hard for her to work. She was convinced that the glare was coming from a newly painted office building outside her window. To try and solve the problem herself, she put a row of plants on…

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Got complaints? Replace whines with action!

By Camille Smith / April 14, 2015

When a friend’s birthday approaches, I sort through my stash of cards for one that’s appropriate. For the last 6 years (OK, maybe 10), I’ve rejected the same 5 birthday cards. What I thought was funny when I bought them, isn’t funny anymore. The cards in the No pile include an old gal hiking up…

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