Goals and motivation

There have been numerous studies conducted on the benefits to motivation and performance, of setting challenging goals. A quick search on Google Scholar will find almost all of them, including Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. This blog post describes the challenges that I’ve faced with motivation and how goal setting has helped me to succeed.

High school and university – last minute man

During high school and university I was a “last-minute man”. If it wasn’t the last minute before an assignment was due, then chances were good that I hadn’t even started the assignment, which I’d been given weeks ago. I needed the fear of failing to motivate me to work, which obviously isn’t a recipe for success.

Mentors – why and how to get them

I firmly believe in the benefits of having mentors and have tried to build relationships with one of two, from each phase of my career (i.e. leaders from various former roles and professors from my MBA).

Why find mentors:

A mentor is someone who is an experienced individual who is able to provide guidance based on their wealth of experience. They’re able to help you avoid potential pitfalls by providing a “been there, done that and this is what I’ve learned” perspective.

A simple process for building an outstanding personal brand

One of the most important factors in achieving success in any business is an excellent reputation. The following five step process is a simple model for building an outstanding personal brand.

1. Accurately assess what your personal brand currently represents.

Spend some time reflecting on how you are currently perceived. Consider the following:

a. How do people react to your suggestions in comparison to others?

b. Who in your office or business gets given the best work?  If it’s not you, what is the reason?

The Three Islands concept – which island are you?

The Three Islands concept below is a metaphor that can benefit anyone, from those who are just starting out in their careers, or have recently launched a business, right through to those who are managing a successful company.  

The Three Islands concept

Visualize three islands (A, B and C), each with the exact same resources (e.g. people, water, minerals, trees, etc.)

Now

• The people on Island A consume all of their resources and throw a giant party – conditions on the island are fantastic!