The art of Motivation

16/12/2021

MY VOW TO WOW

There is a wellspring of possibility as the darkness of Covid fades.

And it will.

Opportunities abound for every business.

Ghosts of Christmas past exorcised.

New ideas, new ways and new rewards come.

It helps If you know how to glitter and shine

I learned how in the shadows.

I know this much

The best of us comes at times of challenge.

It took me a lifetime

Why should you wait?

Start New Year with a crackle

Last week’s feedback:

“To say that Mike was a hit with our guys would be a massive understatement. He seamlessly transitioned from one story to the next, all the while making sure he tied key themes back to our business. He was funny, engaging, motivating and highly entertaining. I've seen a lot of great speakers in my time and Mike is right up there with the best of them. Suffice to say I could not recommend him highly enough.” Allan Barr, CEO, The Big Partnership.

Spread the word

02/06/2021

The skill all organisations need at their heart today.

02/03/2021

Now more than ever.

We need our people on a home run.

05/01/2021

Clear the mind of ‘can’t’ and magic happens

Ask a never posed question and you can transport people into a new creative space. Take one sprawling housing state in Glasgow, where I recently asked this question of local housing association staff. What could you do to attract visitors to this area – thus stimulating the local economy.? All I can say at this stage is that they are working up some brilliant ideas. I start these discussions with examples from elsewhere to stimulate the imagination. One such is this wall nestled away in the student district of Dresden. It sings when it rains. Yes, really. It’s part of a complex of five art courtyards - each based on a different theme. There’s the courtyard of light, the courtyard of animals and in this case, the courtyard of music! Of course, it cheers up its residents, but it also attracts millions of visitors. Cue local business opportunities for locals. This is precisely the time to ask those questions and by the way Zoom works for creative engagement.

09/12/2020

When opportunity comes knocking

You seize the moment. Every organisation (no matter their size or sector) needs to draw on the creativity and talents of all their people like never before. That is vital to tackle the future with zeal, determination and imagination. It's not a time to yield to circumstances. It's a time to use fun, creative thinking and a new vision of the possible. 2021 goals are about building back better. I have done it repeatedly in my life and work and know how to engage, excite and empower people of all ages and levels to step up to the plate. 2021 Year of Positive Transformation? Yes. Hear more on tomorrow's live interview at 11.00am with Simon Haigh Business Growth Expert, author and broadcaster.

20/11/2020

A campaign to attract and action new ideas

26/10/2020

21/09/2020

THE AYES HAVE IT

"I hadn't come across Mike before but he was a fantastic speaker - so positive and opened our eyes to new ways of looking at the world as well as business."

"Makes you adjust your thinking and approach to business and personal development."

"It was informative and inspiring and at a time when we all need a little bit of positivity. Mike delivered on all accounts."

26/08/2020

Zoom talks are lighting belly fires

Mike Stevenson's talks have been attracting rave reviews for more that 20 years. From Canada to South Africa and Aberdeen to London and Belfast. Now he can speak to audiences everywhere (no travel or overnight expenses) thanks to the wonders of Zoom.

Find out more from Kenny Donaldson at Celebrity Speakers. 0131 440 9226.

07/08/2020

THE VAGRANT, THE POLICEMAN, THE FOREMAN AND THE TRAINER - HOW THEY CHANGED MY LIFE.

I learned a valuable lesson early in my life. There are those you listen to and those you don't. There are very few people who have had a positive influence on me. But, I still see them in my imagination, remember their gestures and hear their words.
More importantly, I recall with crystal clarity how they made me feel. Four such moments stick out for me. A policeman whose question sparked in me a sense of possibility and galvanised me to make things happen. An old man, who like me, was living on the streets. His story reminded me of how central our values are. The foreman on a building site for whom I sweated buckets. Then there was the trainer who in 30 minutes taught me the essence of simplicity, metaphor and mental imagery in getting your message across. Four big influences in a 70 year life-span and each one transformed something in me. When I speak today, each one of these lessons, I use to blistering effect. Now, I want you to learn how to use the Power of Your Influence

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/increase-the-power-of-your-influence-tickets-115196782678

18/07/2020

A TIME TO LIFT SPIRITS

Motivation and inspiration are tools great leaders use all the time – in one-to-one chats, in meetings and in formal presentations – to bring out the best in their people. It’s just a matter of knowing the right time and the right situation.
When there’s an immediate, short-term and specific goal that you want your people to achieve, you need to motivate them. When you want to shape people’s identity and their long-term aspirations and commitments, you need to inspire them.
My mantra is be authentic, speak from the heart and always with passion. When you really believe what you say you speak with enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is infectious and creates energy around you. To ignite people’s interest and fire their imagination enthusiasm is key. It helps lift people and alerts them to your message.
In my life as a worker on the lowest rung, then shop steward, manager, business leader and now motivational speaker, I have learned a great deal about how to engage, motivate and inspire. Now, I want to help others to develop these skills. I have made many mistakes, but those mistakes have been my best teachers. So, what I know comes from a lifetime of hard knocks– howlers, damp squibs and inattentive audiences. I learn something new each and every day.
In times like these, we are faced with high anxiety and uncertainty. We need people at all levels to take us to a better place then we were in before – an unsustainable gap between rich and poor, economies faced with another crippling recession and more people disenfranchised in work and in our communities.
It is a time to lift, energise and empower people – from the youngest child to the oldest among us. That needs parents, teachers, business, public and third sector leaders to realise that every word, every gesture and every eye movement has an impact on those around us.