Tag Archives: personal-growth

It’s Time To Rethink Motivation

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Management Training, Mentorship, Personal Development, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized • Tags: , , , ,

Motivation is defined as the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving a certain way. Motivation is inside out – never outside in. Everyone is self-motivated. Everyone does things for their own reasons. You can’t make someone do something that they don’t want to do unless you have something that they want. If you know their WIIFM – What’s In It For Me – and you have the power to grant it, you can use that understanding to get them to do what you want them to do. Offering the carrot while showing them the stick always yields better results. It’s time to rethink motivation.

Worth Remembering – It is only when a person has their own generator that we can talk about motivation. They need no outside stimulation. They want to do it. – Herzberg.

The thing about motivation is that everyone can be motivated. But not everyone is motivated by the same thing in the same way. Some people are motivated by money. Some are motivated by fancy job titles or that premier parking spot in front of the building. According to Daniel Pink, author of ‘Drive – The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us’, for some, autonomy is key. They want complete autonomy over when, where and how they perform their work. That’s why forcing people to go back to the office five days a week isn’t working. If they aren’t getting their WIIFM, they aren’t motivated enough to come back.

Worth Remembering – The common wisdom is that managers need to learn how to motivate people. Nonsense – People bring their own motivation. – Tom Peters.

Mason got it right. Abraham Maslow first introduced his ‘Needs’ theory in his 1943 article published in the Psychological Review entitled, ‘A Theory of Human Motivation.’. The basis of his ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ theory was that all human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs. His theory provides a framework for understanding human motivation and behaviour. Think of his hierarchy as a triangle or pyramid with five levels. Once the needs in the lower tier of the triangle are met, such as food and security, we move on to satisfy the higher tiers, including self-esteem and self-actualization – a process of fulfilling our full potential and becoming the best version of ourselves.

Worth Remembering – The Motivation Equation. Needs plus goal-directed behaviour equals your WIIFM. – Brian Smith.

What’s your WIIFM? What’s the reason or reasons you do what you do and act the way you behave? If you aren’t getting your WIIFM, then you need to change the way you are going about it. You need to act and behave in a way that will get you what you want. Sometimes, that means doing one thing to get another. It’s time to rethink motivation.

Copyright 2025. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced in any form without written permission. Are you searching for a keynote speaker or planning a training session at your location? Brian works with people who want to learn how to communicate and interact more effectively with others, build collaborative teams, resolve conflicts or motivate people to perform at their best.

Don’t Let Difficult People Sabotage Your Career

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Dealing with Difficult People, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Management Training, Personal Development, Personality Types, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized • Tags: ,

Have you ever met someone for the first time and thought, Oh, yuck – what a dink? And I don’t mean Double Income No Kids. You didn’t know why; you just felt there was something about them that you didn’t like. But after spending time with them and getting to know them better, you changed your mind. Establishing a rapport and building a relationship with the people you work with and interact with is crucial to your success as a team member, manager or leader. You don’t have to socialize with everyone you work with, but you must learn how to get along with them. Don’t let difficult people sabotage your career.

Your ability to get along with others, will determine your happiness and success as much as any other factor. – Brian Tracy.

People tend to work more effectively with those they like. The 3-Rs – Rapport, Relationship, Respect will help you establish those all-important connections.

Step One – Rapport. Try to learn something about the people you work with, beyond their job responsibilities. Do they have any hobbies? What do they like to do in their spare time? To establish a rapport, you need to engage in a friendly conversation on a topic that interests them. Idle chit-chat is essential to establishing rapport.

Step Two – Relationship. Once you have established a rapport, the next step is to build a relationship. Successful salespeople recognize the importance of cultivating strong relationships with their clients. People like to do business with people they like. The same holds true for the people who work with you. They prefer to work with someone they like.

Step Three – Respect. You won’t respect anyone you haven’t built a relationship with. Mutual respect evolves. But you have to give it to get it. Being a good team member, manager, or leader isn’t about being popular, although that doesn’t hurt. If I had to choose between being liked or respected, I would choose respect. Sometimes you have to make tough decisions that may not be popular with everyone. They may disagree with the decision you made, but they will still respect you.

Unity is strength. With teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved. – Mattie Stepanek.

You have to go along to get along. However, you must also recognize that the strength of the team is comprised of individuals with diverse perspectives and personalities. Don’t expect others to be just like you. Not everyone cares as much as you care. Not everyone is as committed as you are. Not everyone has the same career aspirations as you do. Some people choose not to lead, but they do choose who they want to follow. Build those all-important relationships. Don’t let difficult people sabotage your career.

Copyright 2025. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. Are you searching for a keynote speaker for your next event or planning a training session at your location? Brian works with people who want to learn how to communicate and interact more effectively, build collaborative teams, resolve conflict or motivate others to perform at their best. Contact Brian to discover how he can assist you and your team.

Strengths Overused Can Become A Weakness

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Management Training, Mentorship, Personal Development, Personality Types, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized • Tags: , , , ,

We are who we are and act the way we act because that is who we are. But that might not be a good thing. A strength overused or used in the wrong situation can become a weakness. When you identify why you do what you do, you can learn to modify your behaviour to get a more favourable result. You can learn to act in a way that will get you what you want because if you act the way you usually do, it may be counterproductive to accomplishing your goals.

Worth Remembering – ‘Mastering others is a strength; mastering yourself is true power.’ – Lao Tzu.

We are creatures of habit. We get accustomed to acting a certain way. We know that a good habit produces a good result, just like a bad habit produces a bad result. We know we can learn new habits. Just stop doing one thing and start doing another; if you do it often enough, it will become you. Some experts believe that if you do it twenty-one times in a row, you will create a new habit.

DISC Theory, developed by Dr. William Marston, is a tremendous behavioural assessment tool designed to help you identify your weaknesses. Remember – a strength overused can become a weakness.

Dominant Personalities – Others may see limitations because you can appear unapproachable, insensitive, and impatient with others.

Interpersonal Personalities – Others may see limitations because you can be disorganized, appear superficial in your approach to others, and lack follow-through.

Steadiness Personalities – Others may see limitations because you can be indecisive, you won’t disagree with what you don’t agree with, and resist change for fear of failing.

Conscientious Personalities – Others may see limitations because you can be overly concerned with perfection, act aloof, and stifle creativity by sticking to your plan.

Worth Remembering – ‘Never share your weaknesses with anyone. Your enemies will use them against you.’ – Brian Smith.

Our weaknesses are an integral part of who we are. It’s in our DNA. But they can become our Achilles’ heal. If your weaknesses are getting in the way of accomplishing what you want, you have the power to change how you do it. All you have to do is learn to act in a way that will get you what you want. Remember – a strength overused can become a weakness.

Copyright 2025. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. To learn more about DISC and how it will make you a better team member, manager or leader, visit our website and download a FREE DISC lesson. Are you searching for a keynote speaker for your next event or planning a training session at your location. Brian specializes in soft skills training and leadership development.

What Excuse Will You Use Next Year

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Management Training, Mentorship, Personal Development, Planning, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, small business owner, Teacher, Uncategorized • Tags: , , , ,

A new year shuffles in a whole new set of possibilities. It allows you to throw out the old and bring in the new. However, a new year will be the same as the old year unless you take a moment to reflect on the past, re-energize, plan and focus on the year ahead. If you don’t accomplish your goals in 2025, what excuse will you use next year?

Change can be painful, but nothing is as painful as being stuck somewhere you don’t belong. – Mandy Hale

Questions looking for answers.

1 – What habit held you back from achieving your goals in 2024.

2 – What lessons did you learn in 2024 so you don’t repeat them in 2025.

3 – What is one skill you want to master in 2025.

4 – What new habits will you commit to in 2025 to help you reach your goals.

5 – Are you ready to make some changes to accomplish your goals.

6 – What are you prepared to do to manage your time more effectively and efficiently.

7 – What will success look like to you in 2025.

8 – What is the most impactful thing you learned in 2024 that will help you succeed in 2025.

You must choose to take a chance, or your life will never change. When you change a habit, you change the result.

You only have 168 hours a week – no more or no less. Are you spending time with people holding you back or helping you move forward? What are you prepared to do if they are holding you back. If you don’t accomplish your goals in 2025, what excuse will you use next year?

Copyright 2025. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. Are you searching for a keynote speaker or planning an in-house training session for you and your team. Brian works with people who want to learn how to communicate and interact more effectively, build collaborative teams or resolve conflict. Visit Brian’s website to learn more about him and what he can do for you. https;//briansmithpld.com.