In the winter of January, 2010, I wrote a blog called “The Three Colours of Motivation”. Little did I know at the time that this would become my most popular and searched-for blog! What I think surprises me so much about this is that the blog is not “informative” in the same way as many other articles I write for this Motivational Memos series, but more symbolic. Actually, more poetic. To me this suggests something very hopeful and important indeed: that people want more poetry and beauty in their lives! As we enter another (dreadfully cold) winter, after a very trying and strange year, I thought it would be good to revisit this blog; hopefully, it will give you some motivation, or even inspiration, to make it through to next year!
Tag Archives: achievement
Six Ways to Boost Your Career
In running training sessions and going into companies, I frequently find myself in conversation with staff and management. At some point, the issue turns from the specific training to more personal matters – their professional development. Unsurprisingly, this topic never fails to interest. How do we develop professionally?
Three Tools for Personal Development
All growth and personal development begins with self-awareness: the self being aware of itself, becoming aware of dissatisfaction with its self, and projecting, therefore, changes that will enable it to ‘improve’. In other words, to engage in a creative process with itself. There are three primary and creative tools of personal development that follow from this self-awareness.
Emotions, Risk, Change, Feel, Think and Know: geddit?
In my third blog based on, Mapping Motivation, from Routledge (http://amzn.to/2eqdSQq) I'd like to look at one fascinating aspect of Chapter 3. The nine-point summary at the end of the chapter says: "Speed of decision-making, attitude to risk, and desire for change are also aligned with the nine motivators – as are our orientation toContinue reading “Emotions, Risk, Change, Feel, Think and Know: geddit?”
The Organisational Map and 4 Change Stoppers: # 4 Blame
Blame is one of the triumvirate of psycho-pathologies that worst afflict human beings. If we consider briefly for a moment the story of Adam and Eve in the garden at the beginning, when they were perfect, we find in the Fall of mankind all three psycho-pathologies there in virulent form. First, they attempt to denyContinue reading “The Organisational Map and 4 Change Stoppers: # 4 Blame”
Why and Motivational Maps
I am currently reading a really interesting bestseller called ‘Start with Why’ by Simon Sinek. Despite not understanding motivation much, and having a rather simplistic and dualistic view that motivation is somehow the poor relation of inspiration, and despite the fact that this is yet another of those interminable hagiographies which worship – you’ve guessedContinue reading “Why and Motivational Maps”
The RAG in Motivation
People today talk of the Work-Life Balance, which is good, but not entirely accurate; it suggests a split between work and life, a choice between the two which can be remedied by information or techniques that will enable them to co-exist in harmony: you can have work and life! However, work is part of lifeContinue reading “The RAG in Motivation”
How Success Turns to Failure
We all want to be successful, don’t we? There are certainly many benefits to it: prestige, status, power, money and more! Success we want but it is too easy to forget the old Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang; that for every success we have there is likely to be a corresponding dark side, thereContinue reading “How Success Turns to Failure”
Do We Really Believe in Teams?
One of the mantras of most managers is that teams outperform collective individual performance. There is lots of research that substantiates that, and in any case it is summed up in that well-known poster acronym: T.EA.M., or Together Each Achieves More. Put another way: teams produce a synergy in which the net output is notContinue reading “Do We Really Believe in Teams?”
The Mapping Motivation Series 