April News

This month's topic is Motivation.

Thanks for all your great feedback on last month's Creativity questions, I'm delighted that they worked for so many of you and helped you to conjure up some amazing metaphors for Creativity. 

I hope you enjoy this newsletter and as always please let me know your experiences, positive or otherwise, from trying out the questions and ideas.

Featured Topic: Motivation

Motivation is a topic that often features in our Coaching sessions. 'How do I get motivated and stay motivated?' or 'How do I motivate my team?' seem to be questions that we all wrestle with. 

Wikipedia defines motivation as 'the activation or energisation of goal-oriented behaviour', so what are some questions you can ask yourself or your teams to get them activated or energised?

Why not print off this Newsletter and explore these questions in a creative space away from your desk.

1. When were you last really motivated to start, continue or finish something?
2. Can you remember how it felt? What three words would you use to describe the feeling?
3. Exactly what was it that you were motivated to do? 
4. Can you remember what got you motivated? Was it pride at the prospect of finishing or perhaps imagining the positive feedback you'd get as a result or perhaps an immovable deadline that you had to meet or something completely different?
5. If you can think now of a few situations where you were truly motivated over the last couple of years, what was the common thread(s) for you?
6. Is it important to you to get acknowledgement for your achievements?
7. What sort of acknowledgement or reward increases your motivation levels?
8. How do you acknowledge or reward yourself for a job well done?
9. What is the key goal that you'd like to get really motivated towards at the moment?
10. Can you describe exactly what it will look, sound and feel like when you've completed it? Is the goal something you believe you can do?
11. Would it be helpful to commit to the goal publicly or perhaps print it out and post it on your wall?
12. At what time of day are you at your most productive and effective? When are you going to spend time working on your goal?
13. Are you going to give yourself permission for your motivation levels to ebb and flow? How will you do this?
14. What will you say to yourself to gee yourself along? Where might you get inspiration from?
15. How will you remind yourself to focus on what you can do rather than the difficulties or challenges?
16. How might you build in time to notice how much you are achieving? What will be your first acknowledgement point?
17. Who might be able to help keep your motivation levels up? What might be able to help you achieve your goal?
18. What learnings do have from previous successes that you can use now?
19. What else might happen as a result of you completing your goal?
20. What will believe about yourself when you've completed your goal?

Activities last month

Posters and Postcards now available.

We have designed posters and postcards of our wonderful book pictures with the refreshingly simple quotes. For more information click here.

New Book

I've started work on another picture book, this one is called 'Being Creative'. It should be complete in the next month. So watch this space.

Communicating and Influencing remotely

We have been working with a number of individual clients and teams who want to improve their ability to communicate and influence over the phone or video conference. The coaching (and mentoring) sessions are held over the phone and by video conference enabling the clients to practice reading remote body language and varying their style to achieve different outcomes.

If this is an area of challenge for you or your team please contact us to explore how we might tailor an approach to meet your needs.

What is coming next month?

Next month the theme will be DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE.

Warm wishes

Helen.