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Turning Potential Into Results

Bring back the &

By Camille Smith / January 5, 2024

The English alphabet didn’t always go from A to Z. If you’d be learning your ABC’s in the 19th century, it’s very likely that your alphabet would have had a 27th member following Z – that member was &. The very first ampersand was a ligature – that is, a character consisting of two or…

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Bright Side of Burnout

By Camille Smith / May 3, 2020

On a break during a coaching session, this poster listing 101 Stress Relievers was on the bathroom wall. It has some great examples. You probably do some of them already. When my clients ask me how to reduce stress, we focus on 3 things: keeping our word, acting consistent with our values, and having compassion…

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Putting together the “team” puzzle

By Camille Smith / April 8, 2020

I like putting jigsaw puzzles together.    Here’s my strategy: Pick a picture I like. Know that I am choosing the challenge, choosing to play the game. Put the frame together by assembling all the edge pieces. I touch every piece and only pull out the ones with flat edges. My focus is the to…

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Ask for Tension … (really?)

By Camille Smith / February 2, 2017

Advancement takes effort. When the effort is fueled by a self-generated commitment (part 1 in this series: your “why”) and not an other-imposed “should”, everything and everyone moves forward.  When people continually seek to expand relationships and build trust (part 2:accountability knots), that behavior benefits everyone.  With these two commitments activated, when support is needed,…

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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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Be an Olympian at Work

By Camille Smith / July 9, 2016

  The Olympics are here!! With them come all the excitement of underdogs versus shoe-ins, veterans versus first-timers and photo-finish dramas. Athletes commit long before they know if they will have the opportunity to compete.  They commit to the idea, to the possibility of being an Olympian and promise to do what it takes to…

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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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Been nudged lately?

By Camille Smith / June 4, 2013

I got a D in English when I was a sophomore in high school.  I don’t remember who my teacher was or if I liked him or her. I don’t remember who I sat next to in class.  I don’t remember being yelled at by mom or dad; it’s likely they expressed their deep, deep…

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The Question Determines the Answer

By Camille Smith / March 10, 2013

The popular phrase “What’s wrong with this picture?” doesn’t always help us to get things “right.” Things don’t always go as planned.  We run out of gas. Miss our daughter’s play. Miss a connecting flight. Get laid off. Have cold lunchmeat for Thanksgiving because the power went out before the bird cooked. When something happens…

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